This article should be used as a guide only, not absolute. Having been and done this same group of lenses discussed in this article, there are agreements and dis-agreements with what was written/shared.
Generally true, modern plasmas work for portraits, Tessar formula lenses Do have smoother into out of focus rendering, Heliar effect is good at full aperture to about f11 where it become most like any other similar lens, APO Lanthar is over rated, Dagor remains one of the best overall view camera lenses for a long list of reasons. APO artar, APO ronar, APO nikkor are essentially identical, If multi-coated contrast rendition will change. In to out of focus rendition is also affected by iris shape, Shutter mounted versions of these APO process lenses tends to produce non-round out focus products due to the limited number of iris blades in modern shutters.. exception are the ones mounted in vintage shutter with a round iris..
All that verbiage done. The long standing faves remain:
Kodak f4.5 Ektar, the 12" 4.5 Ektar remains one of the all time faves for head/shoulder on 5x7.
Kodak f6.3 Commercial Ektar, is a very similar alternative, real difference is in full aperture. This previously posted image was made using a 4x5 Sinar F (circa 1970's production) using a 8 1/2" Kodak Commercial Ektar..
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...n-a-LF-wedding
Schneider Xenar, the f4.5 variety.. Fujinar SC, f4.5 or f4.7 variety, Fujinon L, f5.6 variety.
Ilex Paragon, Boyer f4.5 Saphir, Rodenstock-Ysarex, Zeiss Tessar and a vey long list of other Tessar formula view camera lenses that have been designed/produced for over a century.
Turns out the 180mm f4.8 Zeiss Sonnar makes a dandy portrait lens on 6x7 or 6x9..
Planar or Double Gauss lens formulas for view camera portrait lenses remains Meh due to their in to out of focus rendition.. While they offer big lens full apertures of f2.8 to f3.5 their in to out of focus rendition remains ... Meh.
Typical 5x4 focal lengths ~200mm to ~300mm or ~8" to 12"... Keep in mind there Must be sufficient distance between portrait sitter to camera for lighting..
Putting the camera/lens real close to the portrait sitter often results in a less than comfy portrait sitter that can bend the expression potential of the portrait sitter.
Previously discussed on LFF (8x10, very similar applies to 5x4):
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...t-work-on-8x10
~Lighting remains one of the most important aspects of portrait fotos as does expression and pose.. IMO, expression followed by pose/composition is what most portrait image viewers respond to, the other aspect are often not as important.
~Then there is the universe of Sorta-Focus or soft focus view camera lenses..
Bernice
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