most useful lenses

[jennifer_drake]

<p>I am a relative beginner and have been using my 4x5 camera for a year with just 150mm f5.6 lens.<br>

I'd like to invest in a new lens, but what would be the most useful, I don't want to make a costly mistake.<br>

advice please in laymans terms<br>

Thanks</p>

 

[aaron_shapiro]

<p>I feel like it's a pretty simple answer... Longer focal lengths are desirable (generally) for portraiture, while wider are desirable (also generally) for landscapes... What do you shoot? What do you WANT to shoot, what's your budget, etc etc....</p>

[keith_tapscott]

<blockquote>

<p>Hi Jennifer,<br>

I have a 4x5 MPP VIII Camera and I use it with a Schneider 180mm f/5.6 Symmar-S and a 90mm Schneider f/8 Super-Angulon as both of these lenses have the same filter size. It is quite a versatile outfit, but as Aaron says, what sort of subject matter do you regularly photograph? This will help you to choose the extra lenses you require. Some people only ever use a 150mm and take some excellent photographs.<br>

Keith.</p>

<p>Subject: most useful lenses</p>

<p>I am a relative beginner and have been using my 4x5 camera for a year with just 150mm f5.6 lens.<br />I'd like to invest in a new lens, but what would be the most useful, I don't want to make a costly mistake.<br />advice please in laymans terms<br />Thanks</p>

<br /><br />-- <a href="../photodb/user?user_id=5020424">jennifer drake</a></blockquote>

[jennifer_drake]

<p>thanks for your responses. I'd like to do more landscape and portraiture actually, maybe I need two lens and an overdraft!!</p>

[vick_vickery]

<p>Since you do landscape and portraiture primarily, and already have a 150mm lens, I would suggest a lens in the 200mm to 250mm range as your next best lens. I personally find that a normal lens (150mm to 160mm in 4x5) "sees" mostly like I do and would be my first choice for landscape work while, like most people, I would opt for a longer length for portraiture. I use wide angle lenses a great deal because I do architectural work, but most folks find wide angles harder to focus and visualize with, though they are occasionally handy for including more area in landscape photography if you need that...for your stated uses, a wide-angle of around 90mm would be my third choice as finances allow.</p>

[harley]

<p>It really depends on what you find yourself wishing for when you are in the field and have the 150mm on your camera. Do you find yourself most often wanting to go longer or wider?<br>

Everyone shoots a little different. I shoot landscape, but would much rather pair a 150mm with a 210mm or 240mm rather than a 90mm. I see more compositions with longer lenses. I have an 80mm that I almost never use. Others shoot with 90mm's all the time. I have my 240mm on more often than anything else.<br>

Since you have a year under your belt with your camera, I would say you are the best one to answer the question.</p>

[jimsimmons]

<p>I agree with Vick. Your 150 will do lots of landscape work very well. For portraiture the common advice would be to go longer, something in the 240-300 range. You would also discover that a telephoto is very usefull for landscape work. But you should check that the bellows on your camera will reach as far as the tele that you get. I use the Fuji 250mm f/6.3 lens, and really like it. It's less expensive than other options and just as good.<br>

One other thing to consider - if you do your portraits indoors, the longer the lens you use, the further back you have to get from the subject, which can require a large room if the lens is too long.</p>

[doremus_scudder1]

<p>Just a personal preference, but If I were in your shoes, I would look for the following lenses:</p>

<p>Something in the 240-250mm range: Fujinon 240A or other small, process lenses in that focal length are lightweight, have a really large image circle and usually are not too expensive.</p>

<p>The 150mm/240mm pair could then be augmented with a wider angle lens in the 90-100mm range. Good, lightweight choices might be: Super Angulon 90mm f.8 (67mm filters), or similar from another manufacturer (the f.5.6 models are significantly larger), or an older Kodak Wide Field Ektar 100mm (small, single-coated, sharp and a pretty good image circle), or something else similar.</p>

<p>Then you would have a very versatile three-lens system that would cover almost any situation and not break the bank.</p>

<p>Have fun shopping.</p>

<p>Doremus Scudder</p>

[ivan_j._eberle1]

<p>What camera do you now own? Lens choices might be winnowed simply by what will fit through a narrow front standard, or by what lenses are physically short enough to allow a press-type camera to fold and close with the lens attached.<br>

Too, you can easily enough figure out by measuring which focal lengths will permit unrestricted focusing, either focusing closely enough for tight portraiture via what maximum bellows draw is available, or how wide angle you can go due to minimum bellows compression and/or what will fit on the outer/inner rails.</p>

<p> </p>

[justinblack]

<p>Hi Jennifer,</p>

<p>Given that you've already got a 150mm, I'd recommend the following:<br>

#1: Fujinon-A 240mm f/9 – tack sharp, excellent coverage, light, compact, and reasonably priced.<br>

#2: Nikkor SW 90mm f/8 or Rodenstock Grandagon-N 90mm f/6.8 (note: Caltar II-N version is the same lens).\</p>

<p>Have fun!</p>

<p> </p>

[anthony_lewis1]

<p>Jennifer,<br>

Either the Fuji A 240mm f9 as others have suggested, or the Schneider 110mm Super Symmar XL aspheric. Which one of these you buy, the other will be your third choice.<br>

With your 150mm you will end up with a very good lens set.</p>

[jennifer_drake]

<p>thanks everyone for responding, its the first time I have used this forum, but will definitely do so again.<br>

your comments have really helped.<br>

jen</p>

[robert_meyer3]

<p>I have 3 lenses for my 4x5 view camera: a Schneider Symmar 150mm/265mm convertible, a Schneider Symmar 210mm/370mm convertible, and a Schneider 90mm Super Angulon. The 210 Symmar actually spends most of it's time as the primary lens for my 5x7 view camera, although I have also used it on a 6 1/2 x 8 1/2.</p>

[jim_galli4]

I have 2 lenses I really love for 4X5. One is a 125mm Fujinon. Same idea as your 150 but just a nice little bit extra in the width. The other is a 270mm Red Dot Artar. It is only a little bigger and heavier than the 125 but it really has a neat way of bringing in a very nice tighter view.

[brucecahn]

<p>For portraits a 210 is long enough. You can even use the 150 as long as you don't get closer than around 4 feet from the subject. For landscape the 150 or a 90 would cover most situations.</p>

[atul_mohidekar]

<p>Jennifer,<br>

<br />Whether you want to buy a shorter or a longer lens, keep in mind the NEXT lens you would want to buy in future. It is inevitable :-) To get a good/even spacing between the lenses, many people use a consistent multiplication factor (MF) between their focal lengths. Typical MFs are around 1.5. For example, if you choose 1.6 MF and your 150mm as one of the lenses, the lens set would be 90mm, 150mm, 240mm, 355/360mm or 400mm. If you use 1.5 MF and start with a 135mm lens, the lens set would be 90mm, 135mm, 200/210mm, 300/305mm, 450mm. I have chosen the nearest focal lengths commonly used by lens manufacturers. If you want to reduce the number of lenses in your kit, increase the MF value to have more spacing between the lenses.</p>

<p>// Atul</p>