lenses questions

[mervynyan]

I am on the six-month waiting list for a C-45N, can't wait, now onto the lenses. I have a lot of stupid questions I hope to resolve in coming months and ready to sell my hasselblad 501cm and Contax 645 if this LF does performce.

1) Does the shutter comes with the lens as any leaf type of MF lens, or I have to buy it seperately? why I see you can buy the shutter alone?

2) Does anyone use large image circle lens for 5x7 on 4x5, provided it is only marginally more expensive?

3) Do the lens have MFT chart?

I will continue using Hassy until I am completely comfortable with technical part of LF during the transition as my plan B.

Thanks,
Mervyn

[Brian Ellis]

1. Shutters normally come with lenses when you buy the lens new. Used lenses may or may not have a shutter but most do. A lens without a shutter is called a "barrel" lens. You see sales of shutters alone because they can break and need to be replaced or because the lens doesn't have one (i.e. is a barrel lens).

2. Some people probably do.

3. You can go onto Schneider's web site (www.schneideroptics.com) and obtain very detailed information about their lenses. They may have MFT charts there. The only other companies I know of that are still making LF lenses are Fuji and Rodenstock. I don't know if you can obtain an MFT chart from them or not. I wouldn't worry about an MFT chart, any modern lens from one of the four major manufacturers (Nikon recently stopped making new LF lenses but their used lenses are readily available)is going to be an excellent lens.

[Nick_3536]

Almost any non-telefoto lens longer then 150mm will cover 5x7 so plenty of people use 5x7/8x10 etc lenses on 4x5.

[Hiro]

Adding to what's said...

1) If you obtain the lens and shutter separately, the aperture scale on the shutter may not match the lens (or missing) even when they physically fit (modern lens/shutter thread sizes are fairly standardized). Starting with a lens in a shutter would be much easier and safer (though not 100% safe if bought used).

2) One may choose a faster lens which happens to have a larger IC, or opt for a lens with a smaller IC for a similar price due to weight and size. Each of us settles for one or another based on compromises among personal priorities.

[John Kasaian]

Click on the LF Homepage on the blue banner at the top of this page, you'll find links to several lists which will give you the image circles and other performance data of many lenses, both new and classic.

As far as using a 5x7 lans on a 4x5, many lenses can accomodate both formats very, very nicely.

If you are coming into LF from a Hasselblad system, IMHO you'll probably be more comfortable with a lens in a shutter.

[Nigels]

Re: Image circles. Remember that the image circle is an idication of largest format that can be used with that lens. e.g. a lens with an image circle of 210mm can be used on any format up to 5x7 but if you used it on 10x8 vignetting would occur because the image circle would not be large enough to cover the diagonal of the format. The big plus point with using a lens with excess image circle is that it will allow you greater movements on the smaller format. e.g. a 150mm lens with a 210mm image circle will allow no movements on 5x7 but will allow you 38mm of rise/fall and 14 degrees of tilt in landscape format on 4x5. (using Nikkor W spec). Bigger image circle = more movements and so is always a consideration for LF photographers.