hi over the past few months i have asked some questions about various lenses with a focal length below 90mm. i was wondering if there is a database or website &c, that basicly list some of the non -schneider, non-rodenstock lenses that are wide - 75 or 65mm - and will cover a 4x5 negative. as you can probably tell i am looking for something more like a volkswagon rather than a rolls royce ... ( maybe something like an ilex - if it ever existed in that focal lenght .. ) as always, thanks for your help .. - john

-- jnanian (jak@gis.net), February 08, 2002

Answers

There's lots of info on this very site about modern and classic lenses for 4x5. Have you checked those resources? Scroll down to "Lenses" on the opening page.

-- Todd Caudle (todd@skylinepress.com), February 08, 2002.

John,

I think you are pretty much stuck with the f18 protars (hmm, did they make an f18 protar wider than 90 mm? Maybe not) and the, um, hmm, well, non-Schneider? Was there a goerz wide-angle dagor wider than 4 inches? Your cheapest bet is going to be the 65 mm Schneider Super-Angulon, which actually isn't that much on ebay, but only barely covers 4x5 and some say is too soft on the edges. Mine was fine on the edges, but I gave up trying to focus a lens that wide at f8 on a puny little 4x5 camera. The regular f6.8 angulon 65mm might cover 6x12, I don't know.

Otherwise it is going to be the newer offerings from any of the modern lensmakers. If what you really care about is going wide and you don't want to spend thousands to do it, you can go up in format with a cheap 8x10 camera, shoot two 4x10s on each sheet of film, and use a protar or angulon. The "6x8" f18 protar is about 140 mm and it (barely) covers an 8x10 plate at infinity. Not bad for a lens designed in the late 1800s, and they're available under a hundred bucks from time to time. Have fun focusing that puppy though! I can only use mine on really sunny days after eating a bag of carrots.

If you want to go wider than 90 mm on a 4x5 camera, I think you pretty much have to use modern or at least semi-modern glass.

-- Erik Ryberg (ryberg@seanet.com), February 08, 2002.

I know Wollensak made a 65mm Raptar, but I can't remember if it covered all of a 4x5, or just 6x9.

Bag of carrots . . . hehehe. Have to remember that one.

-- Terence (tmcdonagh2@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

hi again - before i posted the question i scoured the lens topics ( 700+ threads) to see if i could find the answer to my question without posting the question ... i guess i will have to save my 1¢'s and get a super angulon ... :)

thanks again for your suggestions. -john

-- jnanian (jak@gis.net), February 09, 2002.