Interior photography

[Bip]

Hi

For those of you with experience of shooting interiors on 5x4, is a 90mm wide enough for most occasions?

thanks
Bip

[Nat]

Hi Bip and welcome. For interiors I use from 72XL upwards, I personally try and stay with the 90, 120 and 150, but if pushed into a corner I use the 72. Hope this helps.

Happy Shooting

Nat

[Apple]

Hi Bip,

I've got the 90XL but for an odd picture it hasn't been wide enough. I've also got the Grandagon 75m f/6.8 which is a last chance desperation measure as it has very limited movements - the 72XL is a lot better in this respect and would be a good next purchase for me if the money was available.

There's always the 47XL and 58XL lenses...

[Bip]

Thanks for the replies...

I was thinking that 90mm would be enough, and i don't want to be bothered with centre filters... but a wide would be good to use with my 6x9 back! and no need for a filter!

thanks
Bip

[Apple]

What's wide on a 4x5 will not be as wide on a 6x9 so for the same field of view, you'd need even wider but you'll have more movements...

I originally bought 75 and 210 to use with a roll film back as it would give me a lot of movements but once I'd tried 4x5 I didn't go back

It's an old picture but this was taken with the 90XL inside Wells Cathedral - it depends how big your interior and how much you want to get in as to how wide you need to go - stating the obvious but what's suitable for a cathedral might not be right for a picture of a house bathroom (unless it's palatial )

[Bip]

haven't thought it through completely but I'm thinking of a really wide lens to use with the 6x9, and a 90mm for the 5x4. can't afford an expensive lens so will settle for a good quality lens at an economic price.

Bip

[Apple]

I can't say much about Rodenstock range apart from they have a very nice 90mm f4.5 version. For Schneider, the XL is the wonder lens, the f/8 is decent but it's a stop slower if working inside dingy interiors. I'd avoid the f/6.8 lens as this just manages to cover 4x5 when at f/22 so no movements possible except on 6x9 and also, they're an old lens so might not be as contrasty / punchy as modern ones.

[Bip]

tanks for all the tips... i'll bear them in mind when choosing a lens.
i'm going to see a funjinon w 125mm f5.6 on wednesday, its going for £120, i already hav 180mm and 240mm and 360mm.\

B

[Thingy]

Hi Bip,

I've got the 90XL but for an odd picture it hasn't been wide enough. I've also got the Grandagon 75m f/6.8 which is a last chance desperation measure as it has very limited movements - the 72XL is a lot better in this respect and would be a good next purchase for me if the money was available.

There's always the 47XL and 58XL lenses...

Peter Walnes is selling a secondhand Schneider SA 72XL on ebay for £889 + £7.75 p+p (in a Prontor Professional 01S shutter), as against the current price of over £1600 new!!! The downside is that the centre filter costs over a staggering... wait for it... £400!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/72mm-f5-6-Schneid ... 240%3A1318

Having said that, I bought my 58XL from Robert White (ex demo) and centre filter (new) for less than the 72XL... which with CF is a HUGE lens!

[Apple]

That's an eyewatering set of prices and I'm not likely to be going for it soon - the £889 is similar to the new price of recent (sensible) times. I can understand the £1075 for a standard lens but the other prices are a joke - I guess they mean the 'new' price is RRP.

I've not used a centre filter on the 90mm and Joanna hasn't used one on the 72 AFAIK so unless it's critical, I'd try without first...

Andrew

[Charles Twist]

Hello Bip and co.,
With a Schneider 75mm f/5.6 (a good alternative to the 72XL for the price, I reckon), I have no appreciable fall-off problems - less than 1/3 stop? The general wisdom seems to be that centre filters are only really useful if you're photographing uniformly lit subjects.
Bip: I would check out the image circle of the W lens. There is the W and the SW: I suspect the latter has far more coverage. Depends what elbow room you need...
Andrew's shot shows how much width you get with a 90mm. The vaults are made to look even more soaring. Bring that into a small room with furniture, and suddenly you end up with very long table legs and big, empty picture spaces not always doing very much. Again depends what you need...
FWIW, in a small room I find a 90mm and a 120mm handy for giving context, and a 210mm handy for picking off detail.
I hope that helps.
Regards,
Charles

[Joanna Carter]

I've not used a centre filter on the 90mm and Joanna hasn't used one on the 72 AFAIK so unless it's critical, I'd try without first...Andrew

Totally agreed. I have not found it worth the money for the CF and have not found it necessary. See this image :

[Bip]

Thanks to you all.

I'll continue to hunt for a 75mm / 90mm lens and see what happens. There are numerous 90mm f8 but i suspect i'l have trouble focusing them. I'm not looking for top of the range. And for a4 repro i don't think i need to buy a £1,000 lens.

Good to read everyones opinions.

Onwards
Bip

[Joanna Carter]

There are numerous 90mm f8 but i suspect i'l have trouble focusing them.

I would definitely recommend you stay away from f/8 lenses for interior work. The above image was taken in very low light conditions with a colour temperature of 2300° and was not easy to see some parts using the Schneider 72mm f/5.6 Super Angulon XL.

Just to give you some idea of the coverage of the 72mm, the brass knob and start of bannister rail in the bottom left of the image was only about 4-5ft in front of the lens; the camera was positioned on the staircase.

[Bip]

I will stay away from the f8 versions!

Just had a coffee with a retired photographer (25yrs in the biz). He owned a 150mm and 210mm mostly studio work. When he needed a 90mm lens he hired it from Allphotos in Worthing for £10 per day!!!

Bip.