I need to get a wide angle 4x5 lense to round out my outfit. I am considering the new Schnieder 110mm and maybe 75mm. But because of the expense, I may just get a 90mm. Lens will be used on a zone VI with bag bellows for landscapes.

I'd appreciate it if users of these focal lengths can tell me of any unique considerations/limitations invoved with them. Any complaints?

THX

T

-- Todd Tiffan (newhope@4dv.net), November 11, 1999

Answers

I use a Fujinon SW90mm f/8 for 60-70% of my work - it's excellent, and I intuitively "see" in the same way as this lense. A few months ago, I bought a 65mm, which I have so far found to be really too wide for me. I've never used it, but the reviews of the Schneider 110 Super Symmar are excellent. If you can afford it, and it is wide enough for what you want to do (a 90mm will have about 20% wider view), it's probably worth a try.

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), November 11, 1999.

Todd: The Schneider 110/5.6 XL was the first lens I got for my 4x5. It came recommended by the dealer, and by Keith Canham, who I respect immensely (I own the Canham DLC). Anyway, I wanted a gentle wide angle, and was going to buy a 90mm, but I got the 110, which is about a 33mm in the 35mm system. It is simply spectacular. I have been told that it is the sharpest large-format lens ever made. I shot with nothing but the 110 for about 6 months, when I got a 210mm. I then bought a 300mm, and finally a 75mm. I use the 75 the least, and the 110 the most. If you can afford it, I would get the 110. I have taken mine all over the world; in 1999 alone, to Scotland, Australia, Germany, and a bunch of national parks. The proof is in the chromes. And I highly recommend the 75/110/210/300 range; it covers just about everything.

-- John Costo (mahler@lvcm.com), November 12, 1999.

90mm is a nice focal length, but the faster lenses (5.6 or faster) are pretty big & heavy hunks of glass to carry around. The 90/f=8 lenses are quite a bit smaller and lighter, but have a smaller image circle. If you can afford it, the 110 XL sounds like a great lens giving you small size, light weight and a very large image circle. Although I don't have a 110, I've often thought that large image circle would also make it a great 6x7 format studio lens for tabletop work.

-- Larry Huppert (Larry.Huppert@mail.com), November 12, 1999.

Which lens to get (75, 90 or 110) depends on how many lenses you eventually want to own and whether you want a moderate wide or a "wide" wide.

You if want only one wide lens, 90 mm would probably be the best choice. In this case, take a look at this slower models, typically f8. These are lighter and cheaper. This focal length "feels" wide, but not in an extreme manner. It is still pretty easy to use.

75 mm feels very wide to me and is much harder to use because of the falloff in illumination in the corners and the steep angle of the light rays to the corner. If you want a extreme wide lens, consider this. (Some would call this merely wide, and a 58 mm extreme. Its a matter of taste.) If you need great coverage in this focal length, e.g., for architecture, consider the Schneider 72 mm Super Angulon XL. You might want to get a center filter--try some photos without it and see if the light falloff is acceptable.

The 110 Schneider XL lens is great. Before the choice was either lenses that barely covered 4x5, or big heavy 120 mm lenses with lots of coverage. Now there is a small, light lens with plenty of coverage. But expensive. If you want a moderate wide, this an excellent choice choice. It is my 2nd most used lens.

A good sequence of focal lengths, in my opinion, is 72, 110, 180 and 300. The 72 and the 110 have a very different feel.

-- Michael Briggs (MichaelBriggs@earthlink.net), November 13, 1999.

Although I primarily shoot landscapes, I do shoot some architecture, particularly when travelling in Europe. For this reason, I went with the 90 XL Super-Angulon. Sure, there are times when a 110 might work a little better, but I can always crop a little of the image. The big drawbacks to the 90XL are its size and that the center filter requires 2 stops of compensation. For landscapes, you probably won't need extreme movements or angle of view, but there have been cases when I've been shooting landscapes in tight spots and the 90XL was barely wide enough. I use a three lens system (90, 210, 300) and will soon add a 150XL, which, incidentally, I heard was the sharpest LF lens. I have a few shots taken w/ a borrowed 110XL and 150XL...both look plenty sharp to me. :-) BTW, as an aside if anyone wants to know, if you use the 150XL for 8x10, it takes the same center filter as the 90XL (Schneider IVa), but you give it 1 1/3 stops compensation instead. Also, although there is a dedicated center filter for the 72XL, I have spoken to one person who uses the 90XL's center filter on his 72XL with good results. Something to consider, especially when the center filter is $500!

-- James Chow (jchow@isl.melco.co.jp), November 14, 1999.