Fast large format Lenses.

[P.Esquerdo]

Hi everyone,

I am looking information about fast lenses to shoot wide open or closer apertures (f5,6-11). Some months ago I watched a pictures made by a Spanish photographer called Joaquín Paredes (I recommend that you take a look, especially if you like ULF). Some of his pictures where took with a Aero Kodak, and I really liked the bokeh and DOF that lens made.
But the problems with Aero Kodak are: no shutter in lens and hard to find for a decent price.
Looking more information, I found that Scheneider and Carl Zeiss made some fast lenses with shutters back in the 50's-70's, the Planars and Xenotars. But they are also expensive, but more versatile than a Aero Kodak.
Are there more alternatives to shoot wide open? And how different are they(having a similar lens scheme)?

Thank you for your time.

[Oren Grad]

There are many, many large format lenses with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 - for example, essentially all modern general-use plasmats (various generations of Rodenstock Sironar and Schneider Symmar, Nikkor-W, Fujinon W) with a focal length of 300mm or shorter.

[P.Esquerdo]

Thank you for your reply!

Are the f5.6 plasmats good to be shoot wide open?

[Oren Grad]

Are the f5.6 plasmats good to be shoot wide open?

That depends entirely on your purposes and your criteria for quality, including your taste in rendering. For commercial use the manufacturers recommended middling apertures like f/22 as optimal. But that does not mean they can't be used in other ways.

[P.Esquerdo]

That depends entirely on your purposes and your criteria for quality, including your taste in rendering. For commercial use the manufacturers recommended middling apertures like f/22 as optimal. But that does not mean they can't be used in other ways.

Thank you for your explanation.

I have a Symmar-S 150mm but I have never used it below f16.

[Jody_S]

Best bet for an affordable lens in shutter would be a Xenar 210mm in Compound shutter. They're an extraordinary all-around lens, soft wide-open and great for portraiture, and sharp as any once you get to f11 or so. They're mostly f4.5 but you might eventually find an f3.5 version.

I would not recommend an aero-Ektar as the bokeh is ugly. You're better off with a Dallmeyer Pentac.

[P.Esquerdo]

Thank you for your reply!

I have a Xenar 300mm f5.6 but I'd never shoot wide open. How many differences are between the f3.5 and the f4.5 (apart the aperture)?

[Oren Grad]

I have a Xenar 300mm f5.6 but I'd never shoot wide open.

Why not? That might help clarify what you're looking for.

[P.Esquerdo]

Why not? That might help clarify what you're looking for.

Usually I use my lenses from f11 to f32, being f22 the one used in the majority of the cases (because it was told that modern lenses are designed to be used at that ranges).

[Oren Grad]

Usually I use my lenses from f11 to f32, being f22 the one used in the majority of the cases (because it was told that modern lenses are designed to be used at that ranges).

So the first thing you should do is make some pictures at open aperture with the lenses you already own. You might like the results. And if not, you will be better able to explain what specifically you are looking for that is different.