What is more important to you?

Coverage and performance or size and weight?

After all, if you are not truly happy with the quality that is on the
film you might want to go shoot it again. And there is no guarantee that
the conditions that you saw that made you take the shot originally will
be there the next time. If you can really do it again.

Tom,

You might also consider a 90mm Congo WA or a 100mm WF Ektar.  These are both
Gauss wide field designs (4 element in 4 groups).  They cover about 85
degrees.  The Congo is in current production and available new.  It is
multicoated and in a current style black Copal shutter.  The WF Ektar has
been out of production for over 40 years.  It is single coated, and in a
Supermatic shutter.  Ironically, even though Congo has had 50 years to catch
up, their quality control isn't up to Kodak standards.

If you go with an Angulon, beware that quality also varied over the years.
The 90mm Angulon was made for about 40 years.  The oldest samples are
pre-WWII and uncoated.  The latest samples were made in the early 1970s and
came in Copal shutters.  After testing several 90mm Angulons, I would
recommend either looking for a Linhof select model, or a later (mid-1960s to
early 1970s) "generic" sample.  Schneider's quality control steadily
improved over the years.  I recommend avoiding early, uncoated samples.

I went through this exact same search several years ago.  Selecting the best
compact wide angle lens was the original goal of the lens testing I
performed with Chris Perez.  You can review the results of our tests at:

http://www.hevanet.com/cperez/testing.html

You might also want to check out the lightweight lenses section of my web
site at:

http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/wide.htm

Kerry

...other thoughts:

As far as what I know ... Schneider 90 6.8 will
cover 4x5 but zero movements. Optar is a 3
element design and more than likely the same,
made for 6x9cm. Raptar is a 4 element design,
better. I will say I believe Congo might be the
only company making a genuinly compact
90mm F/1:6.3 with an image circle of 6.88
inches (175mm), for decent movements. I could
be wrong, maybe Rodenstock, Nikkor and fujinon
make them, but it's what I know. $516.00 only
from Congo:
http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/index_e.html
you could do a web search for who is selling
a used one. There is also Osaka lenses from
Bromwell marketing. Their 90mm F/1:6.3 costs
less at $425.xx. They don't show pictures and
the specs are not listed for this specific lens, you
would have to call or email them. These might
be more readily available in the U.S.
http://www.bromwellmarketing.com/

hope this helps,
Alex

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Ferguson" <tomf2468@pipeline.com>

The 90mm f8 Geronar WA is available on the used market.  They show up
regulary on eBay and used equipment dealers like Midwest Photo Exchange and
KEH.

Like the Congo WA and the WF Ektar, it is a wide field Gauss design that
covers about 80 - 85 degrees.  Like the Congo, it has the advantages of
being multicoated and in the modern Copal shutter.  It also has the added
advantage of being made by Rodenstock, a world class lens manufacturer.  So,
quality control should not be an issue.  That said, it isn't nearly as
compact or light as the other lenses you mentioned.  Where the others are
typically on No. 0 size shutters, the Geronar WA is in a special Copal No. 1
shutter (it's a No. 1 shutter, but requires the same size mounting hole as a
Copal No. 3).  And while it is slightly more compact than the 90mm Biogon
derivatives (Super Angulon, Grandagon-N, Nikkor SW, Fujinon SW), it isn't
much lighter.  I bought one of these several years ago with the goal of
replacing my 90mm Nikkor SW for backpacking.  It ended up weiging only an
ounce less, and had far less coverage than the Nikkor.  For the difference
of only an ounce, it didn't seem worthwhile to have two 90mm lenses.  So, I
sold it and kept the Nikkor.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I ended up
with a 90mm Congo WA that I use for backpacking (it weighs about 8 oz. les
than the Nikkor and is significantly more compact).

Kerry

You might consider something like a Scheider Apo-Symar 100mm f5.6 or similar.
These kinds of 72 degree lenses cover 4x5 with not much to spare, but are small
and light and of moder design.

I had an Angulon once, and apart from a shutter clean it made nice
enlargements (stopped down) to 20x24 no trouble... Standard lens
variation disclaimer applies.

Tom,

Others have suggested focal lengths up to 10 mm longer, so why not 10
mm shorter and try the 80 mm Schneider Super Symmar XL? The ftf is
actually about 84.7 mm according to Schneider's web page. 271 grams
and a 212 mm image circle, Copal 0 shutter.

Steve

I went through the same thought process as you. I ended up with the
90mm f8 Angulon and have been pleased with the results. My hiking kit
consists of a Wista 45DX  the lenses are all  "lightweight" and
include a 150mm Rodenstock Sironar and the Fuji A 240mm. Two step up
adaptors and a few 52mm filters and my Kodak Readyloads and I am off
for a long weekend.

I too have some large glass but that stays at home when I am trekking
for a few days.

- Mike

, On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 16:43:28 GMT, Tom Ferguson
<tomf2468@pipeline.com> wrote:

Here is another approach. I should have thought of it before, because it
is what I normally carry. I am not sure what I do is actually
backpacking, since I carry only a water bottle and a sandwich or cookies
and rain poncho. But I also have a Tamrac camera bag that converts into
a backpack. Seems no longer available. Fred Picker (Zone VI) used to
sell an identical one.

In there, in addition to the usual stuff, are the lenses:

A Schneider SuperAngulon 90mm f/8 (probably fails your weight test)

A Wisner Convertable Plasmat Set. This consists of 5 cells that can be
used individually or, more usually, in mix and match pairs to give a
wide variety of focal lengths from 152mm to 450 mm. Each cell by itself
is f/13, so they are small and lightweight. In pairs, the aperture comes
out bigger. The biggest comes out to f/9 (the combination of two 250mm
cells). I do not know what the weight of these comes out to, but it must
be less than even a very few Symmar XL lenses.

100mm WF ektar. SLightly longer than you are talking about but covers 4X5
straight on and is a very good lens.