6x17 - Widest lens for 4x5

[tequilabong]

HI recently purchased a Da Yi 6x17 back for my Sinar F.

I believe that a 90mm lens is too wide for coverage?? On some my negs, the extreme left and right sides are lighter....

So, what is the widest one can use to cover 6x17?

Thanks.

gordo

[ic-racer]

You will need a lens with something like 180mm image circle. There certainly ARE 90mm lenses out there that do that.

[stealthman_1]

You need to look Here.
Be advised, that while a 75mm lens will work on MY 4x5 (Chamonix) and I'll bet a 65 would as well, it may not work on yours. You need to take into consideration that the 6x17 backs move the film plane back, what 40mm? Which means while you may get coverage, you may not be able to focus. My 47 SA doesn't quite cover, but it gets 6X15 well, would work for me, but even with recessed boards, you can't get the lens close enough to the film plane for focus.

[archphoto]

Where did you buy the Da Yi ?
Any links for me ?

Thanks,
Peter

[Dave Wooten]

The fugi f/8 90 mm covers nicely...I use it with a Focus 617 back...pretty much the same as your Da Yi

[Les]

Can someone please post where the Focus 617 back and the Da Yi back can be purchased and approximate costs, needed accessories to get started, etc. Thanks, Les

[David A. Goldfarb]

I had the DaYi back, and the widest lens that I could use was 75mm/4.5 Grandagon-N. With a 90mm or wider lens you should use a center filter to even out the exposure between the center and the edges.

I doubt there is any wider lens that covers the format and gives enough clearance to focus to infinity with the built-in back extension.

The longest lens I found that I could use without vignetting was 150mm, and be aware that you will get some vignetting if you focus too close (about 6 feet with the 150mm lens, but you should be able to get closer with a wider lens).

[Lachlan 617]

Okay, here are a few responses:

Widest is the Schneider Super Angulon 72mm XL. Awesome lens. Use with colour/B&W NEG and it doesn't need centre filter (well, not really). Will probably need it for transparancies.

Try http://www.3c-store.cn/ for DaYi "stuff".

I have owned the DaYi 617 Shift and found it a very good camera. But the whole nose cone thing annoyed me, so had Shen Hao design and build a 6x17 field camera (now sold as the TFC617-A). Kills the DaYi on weight, lens options and flexibility.

Mind you, if I was to start again, I'd get a 4x10 for Pano work and get a 4x5 reducing back for other times...

Lachlan

[jd callow]

Lachlan beat me to it: Super Angulon 72mm XL.

[Ian Grant]

My lens of choice with 6x17 is a 75mm Super Angulon, it's a great lens to work with. I find this is a natural standard lens for the format, remember that in the vertical plane it's close to being the common standard lens for 6x6, yet it has good wide field coverage for the panoramic format.

In comparison I found that I never used my 90mm as it was too restrictive, I don't shoot in wide open landscapes, my 65mm Sopere Angulon won't cover 6x17 and is tight on 5x4. Of course the newer SA 72mm XL would be ideal. Like Lachlan I find with negative film I can get away without using a center filter, which would actually be restrictive in practice anyway as I often have to shoot hand held, and even in bright light can't afforda loss of effective speed.

Ian