Hi folks,
This is a question from a relative newbie. I purchased a Graflex 4x5 a few years ago to eventually produce work in the photogravure process. After working with it some I got seriously sidetracked by the consumer DSLRs from Nikon. I now have a project which brings me back to 4x5. I would like to produce a series of portraits with the Graflex, shooting quite tight to include only neck and partial shoulders. This will be done in the studio. The lens that came with the Graflex Speed was the Ektar 127mm/4.7. This nearly puts me in my subject's lap, so I am in the market for a longer lens.
I have settled on the 203/210mm range as a reasonable compromise between closeness to subject (still pretty close at perhaps 40") and the bellows extension of the Graflex (which I calculate will be more or less used up; correct me if this seems wrong).
Here is my question. I am looking at several lenses at auction and I see f6.8 and f7.7 on some of these longer standard lenses. With my limited experience on the 4x5 I'm having trouble understanding if this will mean I will not be able to shoot at very thin DOF if I want to. I want to try working with thin DOF with the portraits, perhaps limiting sharpness to, say, two inches. With other subjects perhaps thinner.
I would appreciate if someone would help me figure out what DOF effects I will see with, say, a 203mm/7.7 wide open, in terms of the 35mm lenses and format which I am more familiar with.
Thanks very much.
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