Recommended Focal length

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Recommended Focal length

Postby Portrait Artist » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:17 am

I'm looking at purchasing a 6x9 for my environmental family portraiture. The 6x7 focal length that suits most of my compositions is 110 mm which normally gets cropped top and bottom. Can anyone offer an opinion on what 6x9 focal length to utilize with similar to slightly wider angle of view that will allow me use of the full 6x9 neg? Final print sizes range from 48" to about 72". Thanks in advance
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Re: Recommended Focal length

Postby Abbazz » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:22 pm

Portrait Artist wrote:I'm looking at purchasing a 6x9 for my environmental family portraiture. The 6x7 focal length that suits most of my compositions is 110 mm which normally gets cropped top and bottom. Can anyone offer an opinion on what 6x9 focal length to utilize with similar to slightly wider angle of view that will allow me use of the full 6x9 neg? Final print sizes range from 48" to about 72".


If you usually take 6x7 pictures (56x67mm) and crop top and bottom to get a 3:2 aspect ratio, then you get a 44.7x67mm image, which has approximately the same diagonal as a full 6x6 image. If you want the same field of view as your 110mm lens, then you will have to use a 135mm lens on 6x9.

You don't tell us what kind of camera you're going to use. There are many 135mm lenses that can be used on view cameras with a 6x9 rollfilm back, the most common being a Speed Graphic with a Graflex Optar or Kodak Ektar lens. If you want to use a rangefinder or a vintage folding camera, I don't know of any model offering a 135mm lens. The closer may be the Fuji G690 with its 150mm lens. Or the Rittreck/Optika II-A with a Leitz Elmar 135mm F/4 mounted...

Cheers!

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Re: Recommended Focal length

Postby Portrait Artist » Tue Dec 02, 2008 8:50 am

Thanks Sebastian, I'm looking at a Fujica G690 bl w/ a 100mm lens or the GSW 690 with the 90mm. Your perspective would be greatly appreciated when considering these 2 models.

The G690 bl sounds great as it accepts interchangeable lenses. Parts, lenses, accesories are limited. Regardless, I'm excited to compose within the 6x9 format as most my family portrait compositions are cropped to that horizontal aspect ratio. The additional negative size will help so much on the 72" prints. That size print really pushes the 6x7 format after the crop. Any other insight will be greatly appreciated.
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Re: Recommended Focal length

Postby Abbazz » Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:16 am

The main issue with these big Fuji cameras when used for portrait is the minimum focus distance. 1m with the 90mm/100mm "normal" lens, 2m with the 150mm telephoto, or 2.5m with the 180mm telephoto do not allow to take mug shots. It should be OK for environmental portraiture though.

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Re: Recommended Focal length

Postby androgynousectomorph » Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:33 pm

72 inches print? That seriously big :grin:
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Re: Recommended Focal length

Postby mowbray » Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:00 pm

speaking of close focus-what's the close focus of the 65mm lens??

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Re: Recommended Focal length

Postby mowbray » Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:07 pm

ok-forget it, just saw the reply to my previous question...

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Re: Recommended Focal length

Postby Abbazz » Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:02 pm

By the way, Mowbray, if you are stil looking for a 65mm lens, there is a 65/8 without finder for sale on Keh. com: http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/ProductDetail.aspx?groupsku=FM069990993540&brandcategoryname=Medium%20Format&Mode=searchproducts&item=0&ActivateTOC2=false&ID=&BC=FM&BCC=5&CC=&CCC=&BCL=&GBC=&GCC=&KW=

The price is about right at $349. As for the finder, you could use the whole field of the built-in viewfinder as a good approximation, or just buy a 28mm Voigtländer finder from Cameraquest.

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