Do any of You LF landscape use just two lenses?

I'm still contemplating the idea of LF photography. I know with my

Mamiya TLR I avoid changing lenses. Thus, I find myself mostly using

my 180mm and 55mm. I'm wondering if I should plan on just a two lens

set up for LF to make things simpler. Landscape photographers what

two lenses would you choose? If I go into LF should I at least have

a 150mm to take advantage of its incredible sharpness and of course

reasonable price?

90mm & 210mm

8 x 10; 150 and 240. On 8 x 10 the 150 is very wide and the 240 gentle wide.

I only use one lens at a time. Much more simple.

4X5---90, 120, and 210

 

8X10---210 and 450

 

12X20---450

>If I go into LF should I at least have a 150mm to take advantage of its incredible sharpness and of course reasonable price?

<p>

WHICH 150mm lens are you talking about? If you are talking about the 150mm Super Symmar XL, then yes it is incredibly sharp... but it isn't cheap at all...

<p>

My set:

<p>

58mm Super Angulon XL<br>

110mm Super Symmar XL<br>

180mm Apo Symmar<br>

<p>

Although, I don't use the 58mm as much as I thought I would. I would be happy with the other two.

If you're going with a 4x5 and only picking two lenses, I would recommend a 75mm and a 150mm. I think you'll be very disappointed if you go with the 90mm for a wide angle for landscapes as you will need the extra coverage for more shots than you might think. You can always crop after you get the shot with the 75mm. If you go with the 90mm, you will not be able to get a lot of shots you may desire.

 

http://www.naturesfinestimages.com

I started with a 90/8 and then added a 150/5.6. I then found my decision on which lens to used was being influenced by the ease at which I could see the image on the GG. So I traded in the dark 90 for a 80/4.5 Super-Symmar XL. But I also felt a short tele would add a valuable option. I frequently use a 35-105 on my Nikon. So the lens set that I finally settled with and don't have any yearning to add to right now (my bank manager wouldn't allow it anyway) is;

80, 150, 270. (or 23, 46, 83 in 35mm equivalents)

For my 4X5 rig, I have these lenses to choose from: 90mm, 127mm, 135mm, 163mm, 215mm, and 254mm. Which lenses I take with me when working out of the studio depends to a large degree on where I'm going and what I'm shooting. I would say that my 2 most used lenses for landscape are the 90 and 215, followed by the 163 and 127.

I have 90/8 and 150/5.6 used with 4x5 for landscape. 99% of the time the 90mm is wide enough for me.

Well, I use just two lenses with my 4x5, but only because I haven't purchased a third. My current kit includes 150mm and 254mm. I plan to add a 90mm.

Hi

 

72-75mm and 210mm would be my choice!

In school (Art Center) we were commanded to purchase a 90 and 210 for 4x5. I did everything with those two lenses, table-tops, landscapes, architecture, fashion, portraiture, for many years.

 

Lately, I have gotten clever and purchased a Nikon 150, 200, 300, all using the same 52mm filters. The back of a Schneider 110 also seems to accept this size filter. Neat.

 

With loose manufacturing tolerances, it isn't necessary to purchase every LF lens made. I have heard of 120mm lenses which were actually slightly longer than 135mm.

 

For some reason, unlike 35mm shooters, LF people don't seem to carry around a trunk full of lenses. One or two seem to do all that's necessary.

I use a 65, 105, and 200mm with my 2x3 view camera. In 4x5 I'd probably get a 90

and a 200. The Nikkor 200mm M lens is great. It's very small and lightweight and

incredibly sharp. Good luck on your lens search!

 

Andy

4x5 (backpacking camera) - 90 Angulon, 150 G-Claron, 300 Fujinon C, and 500 Tele is an Osaka

 

4x10 - 90 SA XL

 

8x10 - 150 SW, 210 XL, 355 G-Claron, 600 Apo-Ronar CL, and 1200

 

George

With my Super Technika V 6x9 i use 58, 75, 100, 180 and 270. But especially for landscape photography the most used lenses are 58, 75 and 180.

Hugh,

 

IMHO, start with one lens and don't be afraid to move closer or back up. You'll soon know if you need a second lens, and if it should be longer or wider. I shot landscapes for a couple of years with a 14" on an 8x10--I've never heard of anyone calling a 14" a landscape lens on an 8x10 but it worked just fine (and still does)for me.-------------Cheers!

I currently have a 90mm, and a 162mm. On some occasions I wish I could go a little wider, and a little longer, but must of the times manage to make it work. I think a 254mm would be my next purchase.

150 and a 300. I sold the 90 SA cause it was too dark. Currently saving the pennies for a 80 XL.

For my first 18 months or so of 4x5 photography, I used just two lenses. A 110mm SS-XL, and a 240mm Fujinon-A. Both are sharp as can be - better lenses than I am a photograper. I used the 110mm about 60% and the 240 the other 40%.

 

Eventually it became apparent that I was missing some things that fell between those two lenses, so I picked up a 150mm Apo-Sironar-S. Now I use each lens about 33% of the time.

 

When you look at it, what I have is a set of "view angles" of 60, 45, and 30 degrees (more or less), which is why this set works for me so well.

 

You could easily start out with just a 150mm lens and do all your work with it. A 150 is a good general purpose lens. While in 20 years with 35mm, I never owned or had a need for a 50mm lens, I find the 150mm lens for 4x5 very useful indeed. Of course, YMMV.

Using a 4x5 and working in a city, 90mm and 180-210mm. For open

landscapes 135-150mm and 240 to 300mm. Translate your Mamiya lense to

4x5 if you like the views or use your most used 35mm lenses as the basis.

<p>I think it really depends on how you "see" things, Hugh. More specifically, how you'll see things in 4x5 (assuming that's the format you're thinking of). Although "equivalence" tables comparing LF to 35mm and MF are around, they don't always work out to be true. </p>

<p>You may find it helpful to walk around with a <a href="http://www.rbarkerphoto.com/misc/Photo-gear/FramingAid1-500.jpg">4x5 framing aid</a> for a few days to see which focal lengths seem more natural for your vision. (The hole is 4x5, and the knots are tied at common LF lens focal lengths. Close one eye, hold the knot to your cheek, and look through the opening to frame the "shot".)</p>

<p>Personally, I find about 80% of my 4x5 landscapes are done with either a 110mm SS XL, or a 210mm APO Symmar. On 8x10, I'm currently enthralled with the 150mm SS XL. Your vision might be completely different, however.</p>

I shoot landscape with just one lens: a Rodenstock 210mm Apo Sironar....

 

I find "limiting" myself to one lens allows me to better intuit my compositions before

setting up....and it gives a consistency to my portfolio of images that helps to unify

the disparate imagery into more of a cohesive family, all with a similar "look"....

 

a note: the 210 is used on a 5x7 Deardorff, so as far as focal legnth goes, that's a bit

north of "normal" focal legnth....I'd love to get something a bit shorter, say a 180, but

over the last ten years of shooting with it, I've grown accustomed to the 210's way of

seeing.

4 x 5 - 90mm 10% of the time, 210mm 90% of the time

8 x 10 - 12" (approx. 305mm) 5% of the time, 19" (approx. 480mm) 95% of the time.

 

The images present themselves to me more easily with the 210 and the 19" lenses. It's just the focal length where I tend to see well.

For 4x5 I only use my 150mm Apo symar and my 240mm Fuji A. I actually use more

lenses with 5x7, I have a bunch of funky, old ones that I use my sinar shutter for, lots

of fun!

 

Isaac