p.1 #1 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
Hi everyone!
I'm building a digital back for a large format camera and looking for a good wide angle landscape lens. Image circle needs to cover 4.5" x 4.5". I'm using a Toyo-View 45C, can 3D print my own custom lens boards, and my design won't need a mehanical (e.g. copal) shutter so it's irrelevant / I can accept optically good lenses with broken shutters as long as I can force them to stay open.
Preferably <$300. Can I get an opinion on these lenses?
Are there any other lenses that significantly beat these at similar or better price points, and have good sharpness/resolution throughout the frame when stopped down to f/5.6 - f/8? My digital back isn't going to work that well past f/8, and it would be ideal if the lens were sharp at f/5.6.
p.1 #2 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
I'd take the Nikkor 75/4.5 over the Schneider. It's not much more expensive, but it's better corrected for color aberrations and you get more light to focus.
You can't go wrong with either the Nikkor or Rodenstock 90s. None of these lenses are terrible wide open or f/5.6, but they really hit their stride for digital at f/8.
Some other things to consider- Calumet rebranded many Rodenstock and Schneider lenses that are generally cheaper than the OEM-branded lenses. I had a Caltar-II N 75/4.5 (same lens as the green-ring Grandagon) I picked up for a little under $400. Sinar also rebrands, and they can be incredible bargains. You'll have to rehouse them in Copal or like shutters, since they're typically sold in Sinar's electronic shutters, but the price savings can be significant enough to make it worth it. Also, if your set up allows for shorter flange distances, the APO-Grandagon 55/4.5 will cover 4x5, and it's a gorgeous lens.
p.1 #3 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
Many years ago, I did a lot of research, before getting the following four lenses for my 4x5 field camera: a Shen Hao HZX 45-IIA, used mostly with a 6x12 MF back. I can't compare these specific lenses with their competitors, but their reps are excellent, and their performance was, too.
The Nikon NIKKOR-SW 90mm f/4.5 Lens in Copal #0 Shutter is an 'exceedingly' fine LF Lens.
However, you will never find one at your price budget (< $300.00) -- Unless lightning strikes.
Therefore, for Landscape Photography the smaller, lighter and less expensive Nikon NIKKOR-SW 90mm f/8 Lens...
Would be my 'definitive' choice at this F.L.
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p.1 #5 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
freaklikeme wrote:
What back are you using?
Homemade one! Some electronics, stepper motors, aluminum extrusions, and 3D printed parts
It's a Sony IMX477 sensor (Raspberry Pi HQ cam) and I'm scanning the entire image plane it in X/Y and stitching together automatically.
Obviously, this will be for landscapes only.
There are also light-blocking side panels to go on the frame not installed in these pictures.
p.1 #6 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
Takira71A wrote:
The Nikon NIKKOR-SW 90mm f/4.5 Lens in Copal #0 Shutter is an 'exceedingly' fine LF Lens.
However, you will never find one at your price budget (< $300.00) -- Unless lightning strikes.
p.1 #7 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
wuxiekeji wrote:
Homemade one! Some electronics, stepper motors, aluminum extrusions, and 3D printed parts
It's a Sony IMX477 sensor (Raspberry Pi HQ cam) and I'm scanning the entire image plane it in X/Y and stitching together automatically.
Obviously, this will be for landscapes only.
There are also light-blocking side panels to go on the frame not installed in these pictures.
An industrious solution. Please keep us updated on your progress.
p.1 #9 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
First of all, I am really delighted to see your invention. Well done. I love these clever, slightly mad projects.
I shot large format film for a long time, and then switched to digital. However, I "fell off the wagon" a couple years ago and re-equipped for a full-blown 4x5 film photography setup. It didn't last for a bunch of reasons, but along the way I had a chance to learn a lot about large format lens options.
First piece of advice: any question you want answered either has an answer already at the Large Format Photography Forum, or you will get an answer quickly if you ask.
In terms of lenses, the "modern" ones from the big players are all good. Seriously. In my most recent 4x5 go-around, I used Fujinon-W lenses for all but 90mm, for which I had one of the Caltar lenses that is actually a Rodenstock; this is the one that @freaklikeme mentioned in his first response to your post. Fujinon, Nikkor, Rodenstock and Schneider are all good; during my two 4x5 periods I used them all. I really liked the Fujinon-W lenses because the are relatively inexpensive; there are a ton from Japan.
As you go wider, you may find that you must use a centre filter to deal with the light falloff and lens cast that is typical of the wides. These are often very expensive.
As an aside, I went back to 4x5 because I wanted the camera movements that only a view camera can provide. In addition to the hassle of film (which was too much for me this time), I dropped the film approach as soon as I realized that I could adapt a Fuji GFX 50R camera to a Toyo VX23D digital view camera. I got all the movements I had with my monorail, but in digital -- and for a fraction of the cost of a medium format back. Details here if you're interested: https://www.robdeloephotography.com/Pages/Toyo-VX23D-and-Fuji-GFX-50R
p.1 #11 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
freaklikeme wrote:
But the sensor moves. He'll be scanning a square out of the IC that's 4.5x4.5.
@freaklikeme...
Thank-you, for bringing that point to my attention. Greatly appreciated!
--
"My Bad" for just quickly 'perusing' the Camera Photos.
I now understand what the intended application is.
p.1 #13 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
I had a Caltar-II 90mm f6.8 which really was a nice lens, especially for the price. I was using it with a Camera Fusion adaptor (no longer exists) which like yours works from the film plane, albeit the movement was mechanical. I could have killed for an automatic system
p.1 #14 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
Beni wrote:
I had a Caltar-II 90mm f6.8 which really was a nice lens, especially for the price. I was using it with a Camera Fusion adaptor (no longer exists) which like yours works from the film plane, albeit the movement was mechanical. I could have killed for an automatic system
If you do not want or need to carry the larger faster f4.5 Rodenstock, Schneider, or Nikkor lenses with their 8 elements, consider the Rodenstock or Caltar 90mm and/or the 75mm f6.8 lenses. These lenses have only 6 elements, and are much smaller and lighter than their f4.5 brothers and sisters. They do not have as large an image circle or the ability to have as much shift/rise/fall, but they still extremely sharp.
As an example, below is from a digital scan done many many years ago of "Dead Horse Point State Park" taken with my Rodenstock 90mm f6.8 Grandagon N MC on my Linhof Technikardan 45S 4" X 5" and Fujichrome Velvia 50. We printed the image quite large and printed to Fuji Film Crystal Archive Photo Paper printed on the LightJet 5000 and Chromira Machines as well as to Metal. Print sizes on the paper were 32" X 40" and even 40" X 50" and on metal to 32" X 40". Images were extremely sharp to theses sizes.
p.1 #15 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
wuxiekeji wrote:
Homemade one! Some electronics, stepper motors, aluminum extrusions, and 3D printed parts
It's a Sony IMX477 sensor (Raspberry Pi HQ cam) and I'm scanning the entire image plane it in X/Y and stitching together automatically.
Obviously, this will be for landscapes only.
There are also light-blocking side panels to go on the frame not installed in these pictures.
And I thought carrying a Toyo 45G around Yosemite Valley was cumbersome (back in the day!).
2. This isnt a "camera for landscapes", this is a camera for perfectly static scenes. Many landscapes still have movement, such as clouds or trees moved by the wind, thus you run into the usual problems of stitching.
3. This is a VERY VERY small 6.30x4.72mm sensor, which means a TON of pictures have to be taken and stiched together, the pixels are tiny (quick google says 1.55µm) and thus weak, and the resulting resolution will be absurdly high and not matched by the image quality (due to the tiny pixels). Thats why I would have tried to get an APS-C (23.6x15.6mm) sensor for this, really. They are still cheap but would work much quicker and offer better dynamic range etc. Ideally a current generation Sony 26 Megapixel and 3.76µm pixels.
p.1 #17 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
Sauseschritt wrote:
2. This isnt a "camera for landscapes", this is a camera for perfectly static scenes. Many landscapes still have movement, such as clouds or trees moved by the wind, thus you run into the usual problems of stitching.
Yeah, true, I could use it for indoor static scenes as well. For landscapes, I plan to overlap the pictures a little to help with the stitching. We'll see how it goes.
3. This is a VERY VERY small 6.30x4.72mm sensor, which means a TON of pictures have to be taken and stiched together, the pixels are tiny (quick google says 1.55µm) and thus weak, and the resulting resolution will be absurdly high and not matched by the image quality (due to the tiny pixels). Thats why I would have tried to get an APS-C (23.6x15.6mm) sensor for this, really. They are still cheap but would work much quicker and offer better dynamic range etc. Ideally a current generation Sony 26 Megapixel and 3.76µm pixels.
Yeah true although RPi doesn't have any APS-C sensors or full frame sensors for it. I really wish they did. I get a lot of flexibility with a MIPI CSI camera board like this that I wouldn't get talking to a consumer camera.
I can also use this for medium format lenses as well if I make an adapter for those. It's kind of a "universal" scanning back. Let's see how it goes!
p.1 #18 · Best large format 4x5 lenses for landscapes?
Takira71A wrote:
The Nikon NIKKOR-SW 90mm f/4.5 Lens in Copal #0 Shutter is an 'exceedingly' fine LF Lens.
However, you will never find one at your price budget (< $300.00) -- Unless lightning strikes.
