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Thread: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

  1. #21

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Camera serves, lens, combo serves your image goals. Ponder and ask yourself what your image goals are then what lens focal length and rendering will meet these image goals. There is no single lens that can meet all image goals and image making needs.

    Keep in mind any view camera is nothing more than a light tight box that is flexi in the center.

    Landscape image making can involve any lens focal length from ultra wide to telephoto depending your what you're trying to achieve as the done image. As for camera movements, that also depends on image goals. Typically landscape images usually need modest camera movements compared to images like studio table top which can be extremely demanding on lens, camera, lighting and more.

    It would be wise to sort out image goals, lenses needed to achieve this with the camera choice being last on this list as discovering the camera of choice has great difficult accommodating the lens(es) needed to achieve the image goals.


    Know 8x10 view camera alone is not an image making panacea, it has a long list of difficulties and challenges unlike other film cameras and image making methods-process.


    Bernice



    Quote Originally Posted by Esstee View Post
    Hi, I'm getting ready to pull the plug on an 8x10 camera - been wanting one for as long as I can remember and finally have the opportunity to get one, and so I wanted to ask if anyone could recommend a lens that will hopefully allow me to shoot landscape and possibly some portrait work though not essential.

    With that said, I would really like to shoot 8x10 using one single lens, as I have a cabinet full of lenses, and where I really just want to shoot landscapes with this particular camera.
    And so, could anyone recommend a good lens that would hopefully allow movements, as well as a large enough aperture to hopefully help keep my shutter high enough to accommodate the vivacious Newfoundland landscapes(very windy here), lots of big waves, etc...

  2. #22

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Schneider 300/500 (12"/15") convertible is a nice heavy lens for distant landscape. It may depend how far away you are from your subjects.

    if you have deep pockets a Cooke Series XVa Triple Convertible Lens can be used as 12.25", 19", or 25.5" focal length covering your normal to long lengths.
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

  3. #23

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    St. Simons Island, Georgia
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    If you’re lucky like me you can find a 12 1/2” Rapid Rectilinear triple convertible for $15.50.

  4. #24

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Quote Originally Posted by j.e.simmons View Post
    If you’re lucky like me you can find a 12 1/2” Rapid Rectilinear triple convertible for $15.50.
    Nobody else on the face of the Earth will be as lucky as that!

  5. #25
    Maris Rusis's Avatar
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vaughn View Post
    Fuji W 300/5.6 (or European equal) -- in a Copal 3 shutter. It was been my 8x10 one-lens.......
    Fujinon-W 300mm f5.6 for me too. It's a sharp modern plasmat with a big image circle.

    Against the rules and unofficially this lens can be used as a convertible. With the front half removed leaving just the shutter and the rear group, the focal length doubles. Stop down two stops to take care of most of the focus shift, then focus, stop down some more and shoot. Oh, and also add 3 stops for the effects of bellows extension and the reduced entrance pupil. Plenty sharp enough for contact prints.

    The same Fujinon 300mm with a #1 close up lens screwed onto it becomes a useful 250mm semi-wide. Again stop well down and the image is sharp enough for contacts.

    Why abuse such a nice lens? For many years it was my only 8x10 lens and it had to do everything.
    Photography:first utterance. Sir John Herschel, 14 March 1839 at the Royal Society. "...Photography or the application of the Chemical rays of light to the purpose of pictorial representation,..".

  6. #26

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    Feb 2020
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Quote Originally Posted by Maris Rusis View Post
    ...With the front half removed leaving just the shutter and the rear group, the focal length doubles
    Now that is intriguing!

    I'm still going to get the Fuji 250mm, and swore I would only get the one lens, but now I'm thinking maybe the magic formula is 'two lenses' to do it all

  7. #27
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    Just don't forget that you need the bellows for those long conversions! My Zone VI will not focus a 28" lens at infinity...not enough bellows. And of course one would even need more bellows for closer work (portraits). I have to switch to the Kodak 2D for that.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  8. #28

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    Re: First and hopefully only lens for landscape?

    One lens might do it, or 100 lenses might do it. All depends on what the print or image goals are. There is no single lens that can or will do it all. With that fact and reality in mind, any camera choice will be forced to support all of that. Or why camera should never be the driving factor for this view camera stuff.


    Bernice


    Quote Originally Posted by Esstee View Post
    Now that is intriguing!

    I'm still going to get the Fuji 250mm, and swore I would only get the one lens, but now I'm thinking maybe the magic formula is 'two lenses' to do it all

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