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Landscape Photography Lens Options


joe_casey5

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<p>I'm relatively new the world of medium and large format cameras. I love taking landscape shots and have in the past used a Nikon D50 with a 28-80mm wide angle lens for some great shots of Hawaii and Australia. My favorite scenes are sunset or afternoon shots of mountains or water (beach, ocean, mammoth lakes, grand canyon). This last year I got the itch to try my hand at a medium format film camera (after crossing to the dark-side years ago) and just recently I acquired a Hasselblad H2 with an 80mm fixed lens and Velbon El Carmagne 530 carbon fiber tripod. I'm really into nature photography and after seeing the difference in color and clarity the Fuji Velvia 120 has over most any digital format, I took the plunge. Now the question is, what are my best choices for lenses. I'm eyeing a 50-110 zoom lens I can pickup in great shape for $1500. I can get a 28mm wide-angle fixed for around $1200 or I can go all-in and buy a 35-90 wide angle zoom for around $6000.. CHA-CHING!<br>

I paid $2500 for the camera with 80mm lens and another $140 for the tripod so I don't think I can justify another $6000 on this new venture just yet, but I really want to get the most of my landscape panorama experience, while being able to get in some great travel shots. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help.<br>

-J.C.</p><div>00WVOq-245743584.thumb.jpg.1092d2a8b24acf5d9fd65c118d2acbc6.jpg</div>

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<p>You are shooting film in the H2, and are looking for a wide lens for that H2?<br />If so, the 28 mm is not an option: it was made for the smaller digital sensors and does not cover 6x4.5 film format.<br />It also depends on software to correct the lens faults - distortion mostly - that were intentionally left uncorrected, because they could be corrected later in software. So a true 'digital age' lens.<br>

And as such it also only works properly with H3D and H4D cameras.</p>

<p>(Having said that, $1200 for a 28 mm H-series lens is not much to pay at all.)</p>

<p>But why a zoom?<br />How about the 35 mm lens? Half the price of that 35-90 zoom.</p>

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<p>Your choice of a 28-80 lens for landscapes with a D50 indicates you prefer normal to medium long focal lengths. This reflects my own preference. The corresponding lenses for a 645 format would be (very roughly) 80 to 150. Just these two lenses would be relatively inexpensive (for Hasselblad), due to their popularity and availability used. A 120 Makro would split the difference, and is itself a versatile lens for all purposes.</p>

<p>A 50mm lens would be roughly equivalent to 24mm on the D50, and is a good wide angle choice for a third (or second) lens after the 80mm.</p>

<p>Whether you cover this range with several primes or one zoom is a matter of personal preference (and budget).</p>

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<p>I didn't realize two of the lenses I was looking at were digital lenses, they weren't specified that way, but that's good to know. Unfortunately I have a bigger problem at this point, my H2 needs repairs that cannot be done in LA and will need to go to New Jersey at a cost of about $500 and three weeks time. I'm contemplating sending it back for a full refund vs. a partial refund for repairs from the previous owner.</p>
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