Has anyone ever shot landscape with a 155mm lense for 8X10? I am interested in shooting landscapes and I was wondering if 155 was too wide for the subjects lingering around infinity?

-- Dave Anton (daveanton@home.com), October 17, 1999

Answers

If you were shooting 35mm in the same circumstances, same subjects etc., would you be pleased with the results from a 25 mm lens?

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), October 17, 1999.

The Scheider Super Symar XL 150mm is probably the sharpest LF lens made and it easily covers 8x10. Its image circle is 386mm. I highly recommend it. I use it more often on 8x10 then any of my other lenses for the same format. However, you must buy the ND center filter, preferably from Schneider. The darkening is very severe, the filter takes another 1 1/3 stops away, oh well.... best of luck...

-- Bill Glickman (Bglick@pclv.com), October 17, 1999.

Unless I was doing a "near-far" type of shot, I don't know I I would shoot the typical landscape with the equivalent of a 21mm lens in 35mm fromat.

-- sheldon hambrick (sheldon_hambrick@hotmail.com), October 17, 1999.

The 155mm 6.8 Rodenstock Grandagon easily covers 8x10 and, at infinity, has 50mm of shift and 42mm of rise (382mm circle).

A center filter is available and is probably needed by most users but you should determine that yourself.

We have also had reports of users who use the 115mm 6.8 Grandagon on 810. While this lens only covers 291mm it still fills almost all of an 810 and easily does 10" wide panoramics on 810 film.

-- Bob Salomon (bobsalomon@mindspring.com), October 17, 1999.

In my usual budget-oriented way to respond:

The Wollensak Velostigmat Series III 6.25" 8x10 W.A. provides ample coverage for 8x10. It's available in two flavors: f/12.5 and f/9.5. I have the latter, but I hear the former is a "better" lens. This uncoated lens, usually mounted in a Betax #3 shutter, can often be found in the $150-200 range.
It is certainly not too wide.

-- Chad Jarvis (cjarvis@nas.edu), October 17, 1999.

Hi, David: I have the Nikkor-SW 150mm f8, Copal #1.It is a "big mamma" with a image circle of 400mm at f22.Covering power of 106 degrees at f22. Filter size of 95mm (have to use my 8x10 dark slide a la lens hood without vignetting -Technique learned in 1973 at A. Adams workshop).I have beautiful 8x10 contact prints without using a center filter. (Lucky?). CHAD, the 12.5 Wollensak version follows the Metrogon & Topogon design.(2 menisci in 2 groups). My 9.5 like yours was a modification from the former i.e the insertion of an buried thin negative element into the central airspace. Which one is better? I do not know. Best, Tito

-- Tito Sobrinho (z3sobrinho@prodigy.net), October 17, 1999.

As Tito says, I didn't have to use a center filter with my Nikkor SW 150mm f/8. It was really sharp lens, however, this focal length was too wide for me (8x10), so I sold it. Instead I bought 210mm Angulon.

-- Shigehiro Ishii (zone9pmk@fd.catv.ne.jp), October 17, 1999.

The Schneider 110 XL and 150 XL lenses both cover 8x10. The 110mm is a little smaller and lighter for field work. However, if you use the 110 you will probably want to get the graduated neutral density filter for it, so you minimize the vignetting on 8x10.

I have both lenses and the 110 is sharper. Plus, you'll have greater depth of field at a more open f-stop if you use it. The downside is that unless you like the vignetting effect - and it does look good on certain types of compositions - you need the special filter.... more $$$$. Also, movements will be more limited than with the 150mm.

-- Roger Urban (Roger.G.Urban@ucm.com), October 21, 1999.