90mm lens advice needed.

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Hello,

I want to buy a 90mm lens for my LF (4x5). Does anyone have advice(s) on which brand (quality, sharpness etc..) and what to look when buying used. I have 210mmm Sironar. Should I stick with the same brand? Also, does anyone has one for sale?. Thanks a lot.

-- dan nguyen (dan@egmail.com), June 14, 2000

Answers

Oh, sure, we've all got advice. Mine? Go with Schneider, Nikon, Fuji, or Rodenstock. Check the charts on the home page of this site to compare coverage, balance that against your needs (e.g., architecture usually requires more coverage than does landscape), think about how much you want to spend, and then look to the usual places to buy (photo.net, ebay.com, keh.com, thefstop.com, mpex.com). Good luck.

-- Simon (fourthpres@aol.com), June 14, 2000.

Dan,

I have a 90 mm f5.6 Fuji that I would like to sell because I want to move to a wider angle lens. Contact me directly if you would like more details.

Bruce

-- Bruce M. Herman (bherman@gci.net), June 14, 2000.


Dan:

Each lens has its niche.

If coverage is your main need, the Schneider 90XL is the beast. Make sure it fits your lensboard/front standard.

If weight and cost are not issues, and you want a fast lens (for interiors), go with the Rodenstock Grandagon f/4.5. This lens has spectacular contrast and color.

If weight and size are issues, consider the Nikkor f/8. It is the only f/8 version that uses an 8 element formula and thus achieves a larger coverage than the other f/8 versions.

This doesn't mean the Fujinon isn't great as well. I have several Fujinon lenses and love them. The Fujinon simply finds a happy medium of these qualities.

-- Glenn C. Kroeger (gkroeger@trinity.edu), June 14, 2000.


I have a Linhof-Schneider 90mm f5.6 Super Angulon single coated lens, and get excellent results. This lens is sharp! I use it for both 4x5 and 6x9. This lens is also large, so you might also want to consider the f8 version.

-- neil poulsen (neil.fg@att.net), June 15, 2000.

I am from the school of picking a lens manufacturer and stick with it all the way... especially shooting chromes. With large format, all modern lens, as stated before, have their difference. Most of them are excellent. I too, use the Linhof Schneider lens. With a little regular maintenance, they are great. I had a few Fujinon lens in the past and loved them but with them not being distributed in the US anymore, I chose another route. Cheers, Scott

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), June 15, 2000.


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