lens for large format field camera

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I have just bought Toyo 45AX field camera and got Rodenstock 210mm S lens. For I like to shoot landscape pictures, I would like to buy a 90mm lens. Somebody mentioned on your Web Page that the Nikon f8 90mm is the best. However, the Rodenstock has f5.6 90mm lens. John Fielder mentioned that the large f will be his better choice in his book. Would you please let me know your choice regarding the sharpness and color contrasty. Thanks! Yong-ran Zhu

-- Yong-ran Zhu (yzhu@post.its.mcw.edu), December 09, 1997

Answers

I believe the sharpness and contrast of both lenses would be equivalent. What you get with f5.6 is a lens which is easier to focus, due to brighter image and shallower dof at focussing aperture. You pay for it in terms of $$, size, and weight. For the latter reasons, for field work I chose the f8 lens. Most of the f8 lenses give you a significantly smaller image circle than a f5.6 lens, except for the nikon, hence the recommendation you read.

-- Quang-Tuan Luong (luong@ai.sri.com), December 09, 1997.

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