5x7 Lenses

Maybe not the best question ever posted here but I have a 5x7 camera with no lens. I would like to use it because this film size is large enough to make contact prints for display. While I am familiar with 4x5, can anyone recommend some inexpensive, common, lenses that will cover the format? I'm not concerned with enough coverage for movements and even image quality can be dealt with.

 

Thank for any help . . .

Modern 150mm lenses like the Apo Sironar S cover as do modern 180 lenses. What is your definition of inexpensive?

You'll need a lens with a minimum coverage circle of around 220 mm, but there's no room for camera movement at this coverage. As Bob mentioned, there are some 150 and 180 lenses which have coverage of 220, but you'll need much more for swings and tilts. Here's a web page which provides a lot of lens data, including coverage for lenses:

 

Large Format Lenses

I don't care about movements for what I expect to do right now.

 

What's inexpensive? Anything from zero to $200 or 300 . . . The cheaper I can get something the sooner I can start. My budget for this is pretty low right now. That can change if I like what I'm getting or just wait a little while until I have some more funds available.

Here's an example on eBay, of a 210mm Sironar for less than $300. There are a number of them available.

 

Rodenstock Sironar-N 1:5.6 f=210mm 4x5 large format lens - excellent condition | eBay

Thanks Dennis . . . I wouldn't have known that this lens would cover 5x7.

Here's another, 5x7 specific page

 

lenses for 5x7 in

The old 15" 360mm 5.6 Graflex Tele-Optar covers 5X7.

More modern is the 210mm Schneider Symmar which is fairly inexpensive and convertible to 370mm.

180 or 210mm would be classed as a 'standard' lens for 5x7". Exactly how large an image circle you need depends on whether you need camera movements, and how much.

 

I have a 180mm Rodenstock Sironar (or Sinaron rebranded) that has stunning definition. It'll easily cover 5x7.

 

Schneider Symmars have a similar design and coverage, but for my money Rodenstock lenses are slightly superior.

 

Kodak Anastigmats in 203mm (8") with an aperture of f/7.7 are reasonably common, and usually don't cost too much. They have excellent IQ too for their age. However, any decent and fully-working LF shutter has some value these days, even if its glassware is shot. So check out the shutter condition as well as the lens.

Edited August 26, 2018 by rodeo_joe|1

The Ilex Acuton 215 f/4.8 (AKA Calumet Caltar-S) which also converts to a 14 inch is a great lens for 5x7 and at a very reasonable price. It's in my kit. Will stretch to 8x10 if necessary.

The Nikkor 120mm f/8 SW makes an outstanding wide-angle lens for 5x7. It's a very sharp modern lens, not too large or heavy, in a Copal #0 shutter, with tremendous coverage and movements for the 5x7 format. It makes a great moderate WA for 4x5, and will even cover 8x10, but with limited movements. The Schneider 121mm f/8 or the newer 120mm Super Angulons would also be a good choices for 5x7 for all the same reasons. I've seen used prices close to your budget on the auction site.

The Nikkor 120mm f/8 SW makes an outstanding wide-angle lens for 5x7. It's a very sharp modern lens, not too large or heavy, in a Copal #0 shutter, with tremendous coverage and movements for the 5x7 format. It makes a great moderate WA for 4x5, and will even cover 8x10, but with limited movements. The Schneider 121mm f/8 or the newer 120mm Super Angulons would also be a good choices for 5x7 for all the same reasons. I've seen used prices close to your budget on the auction site.

So is the 115mm Grandagon-N

+1 for the 115 Grandagon-N--I can practically tie my monorail 4x5 in knots and not run out of covering power with it.

The Fuji 120mm f/8 SW ~ along with the Nikkor SW, Schneider Super Angulon and Rodenstock Grandagon ~ would be another excellent option. These four modern lenses are all great choices for 5x7 (extreme, but not ultra) wide-angle photography. They also make great moderate WA lenses for the 4x5 format. And they can usually be found for not too much over your budget.

Here from the The Photography Catalog of 1976 is a listing of some large format lenses and coverage for 'normal' 8x10 (which should work easily on a 5x7)

 

Prices are from 1976 of course:

Edited September 8, 2018 by JDMvW

Here from the The Photography Catalog of 1976 is a listing of some large format lenses and coverage for 'normal' 8x10 (which should work easily on a 5x7)

 

Prices are from 1976 of course:

[ATTACH=full]1261623[/ATTACH]

©1976

Since the post is a 1976listing a lot of available lenses are not included, including a lot of updated versions of some listed here!

Since the post is a 1976 listing a lot of available lenses are not included,

 

 

For sure, but at least it is start for searches on eBay, etc. I posted it because it is one of the few listings I've found that actually address how much particular lenses cover.

 

 

I'm not so serious about 5x7 photography that I would spend what is needed for a new, modern lens.

 

I do recommend, even for those of us who mostly shoot smaller format, the classic

 

Stroebel, Leslie

1993 View Camera Technique. 6th Edition. Focal Press