4x5 LFers, what lens focal length do you favor for stil life photography?

[tomalophicon]

Check out Christpher Broadbent's page. I believe he use 120mm-135mm on 4x5.
He is the greatest still-life photographer in history, in my opinion.
http://www.christopherbroadbent.pro/...lio/index.html

[bdial]

210 would be my choice.

[johnielvis]

yeesh.....now that's a question GUARANTEED to get you every possible answer....

what you want to do is figure out what magnification you're working with and what distance you want to be when working at that magnification...that will determine the focal length.

for example--if you need like 5' to get enought distance to put in lights...and you need say 1/4 lifesized, then you want (1+1/(1/4))f = 5' or f=1' = 12" = 305mm. but this will require a bellows draw of (1+1/4)*1' = 1.25' = 15" = 381mm. If you have the bellows draw then go for the 12" lens, if you don't, then you have to do some compromising such as have to work at 4' distance or something like that.

just use the formulas (1 + 1/M)*f = working distance and (1 + M)*f = bellows draw.

note--you MAY want to us a shorter lens for more depth of field or a longer lens for less depth of field also--there are a million ways to pick'em.

just figure out what's important to you looks wise or setupwise, etc....and see what that gets you.

[keithwms]

yeesh.....now that's a question GUARANTEED to get you every possible answer....

hehe yeah, which is why I listed the full range of focal lengths in my possession

[benveniste]

135mm and 180mm f/5.6 Nikkor-W. If I ever find the right subject, I'll give the 120mm Nikkor-AM a try.

[keithwms]

The 120 AMED is very nice but sometimes it's hard to bring light in with such a short focal length. That said, sometimes I even use the 120 with a diopter.

[mark]

For me it all depends on what I am looking for in the final image. I generally use a 210, but the 180, 150, and 300 have been used.

[JohnArs]

1. 210mm
2. 240mm
3.120mm Macro