Fast Lenses

[David G Hall]

Howdy all...

I have been experimenting (and having a LOT of fun) with very short depth of field in pictures. I use tilts and swings to isolate a person's eyes and something in their hands in a portrait, etc.

And then I remembered that Speed Graphics had some lenses faster than modern lenses. 3.5, 4.5, something like that?

For people who know these camera and lenses, what's a good one to start with that at least covers 4x5 and is as fas as possible? I'm not worried too much about movement coverage since I am going for memory-like edges anyway.

And are there lenses that even barely cover 8x10 that are just as fast?

Thanks!

dgh

[Doug Paramore]

David: There were some older lenses in the 4.5 range made for 8x10. I believe Zeiss made some tessar formula 300mm 4.5 lenses and perhaps B&L. Some of the old aerial lenses also open quite wide. You want shallow depth of field, you got it. There may have been some 4.5 14" lenses made for 8x10. Look on e-bay and check with Midwest Photo Exchange. Also, you might want to purchase a wheelbarrow to haul the lenses around.

Regards,

[Colin Carron]

David,

Scheider made the Xenotar which has a f/2.8 aperture. You mostly see the shorter focal lengths which were used on the 6x9 Linhofs but there is a 150mm which is said to cover 4x5.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Voigtlander Heliars for large format were usually f:4.5 (smaller format versions may have been 3.5). I have a 360mm/4.5 for 8x10" and it's HUGE.

[Colin Carron]

Oh.. and yes there are the f/2.9 Pentac lenses which were 8 inch air reconnaissance lenses used by the Royal Air Force. These are easily found in the UK but are of very variable quality due to hasty war time production. Some were also used over the desert with resulting sand blasting to the front element. They can be found as barrel lenses in aluminium mounts and usually uncoated. There are good ones but let the buyer beware.

[domenicco]

i Have dallmyer 300 3,8/ Aero ektar 7 inch f. 2.5/ telexenar 500mm/f 5.5, tessar 360 f 4.5, dallmeyer 14 inch 4.5, dallmeyer 9 inch f 3 they are a lot of fun... Look on e-bay and also i can give you te e-mail address of a guy in Iyaly that can help you

[Jim Galli]

Voightlander Heliar's are "made" for what you're describing. The 4.5 5 element lenses are just creamy wide open and the bokeh is beautiful. 15 and 21 cm are pretty common in the older compound shutters, and 18 and 24cm are a little less common but available also. Used my 21 for some close-ups in the Bristlecone's this past weekend. I feel they're sleepers for what they fetch on Ebay.

[Eric Mims]

The Wollensak 300mm 4.5 is really nice. Mine is very sharp with decent contrast. It covers with no problem. The betax shutters of this size are pretty easy to fix too.

[J. P. Mose]

David,

Other than the lenses mentioned above, there's a 135mm Schneider Xenotar f/3.5 and a 135mm Zeiss Planar f/3.5. They both cover 4 X 5 and have about the same performance (although the Planar is much more expensive than the Xenotar). Good luck.

Best regards,

J. P. Mose

[Ole Tjugen]

Several have already been mentioned - Zeiss Planar 135mm/3.5, Voightlander APO-Lanthar 21cm/f4.5, Schneider Xenar 150, 210 and 300mm/f4.5, Schneider Tele-Xenar 360mm/f5.6...

The main problem with long, fast lenses is the shutter size. A Schneider Xenar 300mm/f4.5 covers 8x10", but it is a huge lens, in a #5 Compound shutter. If my shutter should die, I doubt I could get it replaced...