The 8×10 Lenses I Recommend the Most

The bigger your film size, the harder it is to find lenses that work well. For 8×10, the largest common film format, that rings especially true. So, what should you look for in an 8×10 lens? There are a lot of factors, from coverage to lens sharpness. Today, I’ll go through those factors and introduce some of the best 8×10 lenses available today.

As a landscape photographer, I want to make it clear that I’m not the guy to discuss bokeh, rendering, and other characteristics that portrait photographers or soft-focus shooters may be after. My familiarity is mainly with newer 8×10 lenses optimized for a “modern” look, particularly those with multicoating, extensive room for movements, and good sharpness and contrast characteristics. I do mention some older lenses throughout this article, but for more and better information, you should search the wealth of knowledge on largeformatphotography.info to see if your question has been answered before.

Before getting into my 8×10 lens recommendations, I’d like to mention a few important points for consideration. I encourage you to read these tips first in order to better understand the lens decisions ahead of you.

Equivalent Focal Lengths for 8×10 Photographers

If you’re used to shooting with smaller film or digital cameras, the focal lengths for 8×10 film may sound out of place. For instance, 150mm is a wide lens rather than a long lens, and something like 600mm is only moderately long.

Photographers who already shoot with 4×5 film will find it very easy to calculate equivalence – just double your existing focal lengths to get the 8×10 version. For example, a popular 4×5 focal length of 150mm is simply equivalent to a 300mm lens on 8×10.

8×10 film has a diagonal of roughly 312mm. This can be slightly larger or smaller depending on your film holder, but not enough to change the math by much. By comparison, a standard frame of 35mm film (or a full-frame digital camera sensor) has a diagonal of approximately 43.0mm. This means that the equivalence factor between the two systems is technically 7.26x.

I took the photo below with a 210mm lens at f/64. Divided by the equivalence factor, this would be like using a 29mm lens on full-frame digital at an aperture of about f/9.

However, because 8×10 is more of a squarish aspect ratio, I find that everything feels a hair wider than on 35mm film, at least when you shoot horizontally. You don’t capture as much of the world from left to right, but from top to bottom, you capture more. (You can also make a lens feel wider in the foreground by using rear base tilt as one of your movements – though conversely, if you focus on something nearby, your focal length increases.)

At least at infinity focus, I believe that 8×10 lenses feel a bit wider than they “should.” I consider anything from 7.25x to 7.5x to be a fair equivalence calculation between 8×10 and full-frame digital camera sensors, leaning toward 7.5x when you’re choosing a focal length. Here’s a chart with the values assuming 7.5x equivalence:

These are the most common focal lengths you’ll find for 8×10 lenses. In the extreme wide and telephoto cases, “most common” may mean that only one or two lenses exist in the first place. But that’s still a lot better than nothing.

Maximum Aperture Values

Photographers who are new to large format may be surprised to learn that fast aperture lenses do not always command a premium price in the same way that they typically do with smaller formats. Instead, photographers often prioritize lighter 8×10 lenses given how huge and heavy a bright 8×10 lens can get. Not to mention that many large format photographers never shoot at larger apertures in the first place.

After all, the equivalence calculation above also applies to aperture – divide the f-number by 7.26 to get the full-frame equivalent. When you do, you’ll see that an 8×10 lens with an f/9 maximum aperture can result in the same depth of field as an f/1.2 lens on full-frame digital (9 divided by the crop factor of 7.26). And a lens with an f/5.6 maximum aperture is akin to an f/0.77 where depth of field is concerned. Even portrait photographers don’t need such a shallow depth of field most of the time.

That said, large maximum apertures are still helpful for focusing more precisely and for seeing your ground glass better, especially in low light. If all else is equal, that’s the main thing you’re giving up if you go with an f/9 lens rather than an f/5.6 lens. Especially with wider focal lengths, where the ground glass can be harder to see, you may find that it’s easier to compose if you go for the brightest available lens.

Lens Availability and Pricing

Unfortunately, large format lenses are no longer made new. Some of the last batches of Schneider and Rodenstock lenses are still sold “new” at a couple of websites, but even these lenses were manufactured several years ago, and the new stock just hasn’t run out yet. (No surprise given the small range of lenses and very high prices that this applies to.)

I’m sure you’re already comfortable buying used if you got into this arena in the first place. But my point today is more subtle. The best large format lenses are becoming increasingly hard to find – there will never be more of them, and the more that people love a lens, the less likely they are to sell it. It’s already a problem with 4×5 lenses, and 8×10 only compounds the problem because there were fewer 8×10-optimized lenses made in the first place.

The key is patience. Some of the lenses I’m recommending in this article are hard to find, but they aren’t ghosts. It may be a matter of months or years, but every lens listed here will appear at some point. I’ve seen every lens in this article for sale at least twice in the last few years. With patience, you’ll get the lens that you’re after.

Speaking of prices, what you’ll pay for a large format lens can vary greatly. The worst prices are usually found on eBay’s “buy it now” section. The best tend to be on eBay’s auctions (if there was no reserve price) or the large format photography classifieds forum (only accessible if you’ve had an account for a month). Sometimes, the differences will be drastic. Unless you’re eager to get the lens as soon as possible – or if it’s a rare lens that you may not see again for a while – it’s best to be patient.

Finally, prices for large format lenses do not always directly reflect quality. Often, they simply reflect supply. Many of the following lenses are underpriced or overpriced relative to their capabilities. I will do my best to point that out in this article wherever it applies.

Image Circle and Camera Movements

One of the great benefits of shooting 8×10 is the ability to employ camera movements to gain more flexibility over your composition and depth of field. I prefer lenses with a 400mm image circle or larger, which covers the 8×10 format (312mm diagonal) with plenty of room to spare in any direction.

However, especially in the wider angles, it can be difficult to find lenses with this much capacity for movements. There, you will need to make compromises in things like price, weight, or maximum aperture if you want a larger image circle. Or, alternatively, you can live with an image circle of 350mm or less and just know that you don’t have much capacity for movements.

The image circle values shown throughout this article are based upon infinity focus. As you focus closer, your image circle increases. Some lenses that are marginal for landscape photography may work well for something like portraiture, even if you need significant movements.

Note that many lenses can illuminate a larger area than the official image circle. However, the optical performance outside the official image circle can vary. Upon stopping down, it may be plenty sharp. Wherever possible, I’ve added relevant notes for lenses whose circle of illumination is larger than the stated image circle.

What You Need to Know About Filters

I consider filters to be essential accessories for large format film. I also consider it useful to shoot with a filter holding system rather than standard screw-in filters, since it allows for graduated neutral density filters to be used, and the same filters can be swapped across lenses more easily.

Standard filter holding systems (i.e. those that accommodate 100x100mm square filters or 100x150mm rectangular filters) only work when your lens has a filter thread size of 95mm or smaller. Lee, Cokin, and NiSi make such filter holding systems, although the Lee approach uses an unconventional (and hard-to-find/discontinued) push-on filter holder if your lens specifically has a 95mm thread. Some other companies also make filter holding systems, but to my knowledge, these are the only three that max out at 95mm rather than something smaller like 86mm.

Some really good 8×10 lenses have filter thread sizes of 100mm or 105mm. In theory, you may be able to use standard filter holding systems with these lenses by using a step-down ring. For example, a 105mm to 95mm step-down ring in combination with NiSi’s 95mm adapter ring should allow the use of NiSi’s filter holding system. However, I haven’t tried this, so I can’t guarantee that there aren’t any weird issues with it. Even in the best case, it will most likely reduce the image circle of the lens.

Other options for filtering lenses with a 100mm+ thread diameter are very limited. Cokin makes a separate filter holding system called the X-Pro that works up to 112mm, but it requires buying their dedicated 130x130mm filters. Another solution is to get dedicated screw-in filters for your lens, but this comes with added bulk and expense of its own. Three standard screw-in filter sizes are 105mm, 112mm, and 127mm. You can use those filters with most lenses given the right step-up ring. Very few 8×10 lenses will need anything larger than 127mm filters.

That said, it’s best to stick with lenses that have a 95mm filter thread diameter or smaller, if at all possible. This will help standardize your filter set and allow you to use traditional 100x100mm filter holders, keeping the size and complexity of your filter system to a minimum.

Finally, keep in mind that your lens is only as sharp (and flare-resistant) as your filter. Don’t put cheap, low-quality filters on your large format lenses. I also recommend against using filters on the rear threads of your lens. Filters attached to the rear will make focusing more difficult and often harm your image quality, especially if there are any scratches or dust specks on the filter.

Best 110-120mm Lenses

These are the only three modern lenses that cover 8×10 at a perspective wider than 150mm. They don’t have any room for movements (apart from rear base tilt). Also, at such wide angles, corner falloff is an issue that will darken the edges of your image significantly. Especially if you plan to shoot with slide film, you may want to get a center filter with any of these lenses. This would add further expense and can make it difficult to stay under the magic 95mm filter thread size. (To be specific, common 82mm center filters have an outer filter thread diameter of 105mm.)

Of the three lenses here, I would mainly consider either the Schneider 110mm f/5.6 SSXL or the Nikon 120mm SW f/8. The benefit of the Schneider 110mm f/5.6 is that the 67mm filter thread size makes it possible to use smaller center filters such as the Schneider IIIb, which itself has an 86mm diameter filter thread. (You will definitely want to use a center filter with this lens; the falloff is extreme otherwise.) The downside is that the Schneider 110mm f/5.6 XL doesn’t really cover 8×10 at infinity focus and is more of a 5×7 lens. However, since 8×10 film has so much resolution, cropping a 110mm image is acceptable and will not cost you much image quality.

The benefit of the Nikon 120mm SW f/8 is that it doesn’t need to be cropped in order to barely cover 8×10. It’s also less expensive. The downside is that, if you decide you want a center filter, there are no readily available 77mm center filters for this lens. You would need to use a step-up ring with an 82mm or 86mm center filter that was meant for a different lens. This will most likely prevent the use of standard 100x100mm filter holding systems. The Nikkor SW 120mm f/8 has less vignetting than the Schneider 110mm f/5.6 XL, but it’s still quite high. The theoretical falloff on this lens is a minimum of 2.14 stops and will be more in practice.

Best 150-190mm lenses

Although there are some good lenses above, they all have some compromises. There aren’t any obvious choices here – you’ll sacrifice something one way or another.

The most reasonable choices are the Schneider 150mm f/5.6 XL and the Nikkor SW 150mm f/8. Both are optically excellent, and they’re the lightest ultra-wide lenses for 8×10 that have significant room for movements (though still on the heavy side). I have the Schneider 150mm f/5.6 XL and have even taken a photo with it on an 11×14 camera where the corners are illuminated! This thing won’t run out of movements.

Of the two, the Schneider is lighter and brighter, but it has more falloff. The minimum theoretical falloff on this lens is 2.12 stops (and will be a little higher in practice). A center filter is recommended, especially if shooting slide film. Unfortunately, the outside diameter of the center filter will be too large to accommodate standard 100x100mm filter holding systems.

The alternative is to get the Nikkor SW 150mm f/8. It also has significant falloff, but a little less due to the “tilted pupil” construction of the lens – in theory, a minimum falloff of about 1.59 stops. This is an improvement of about half a stop compared to the Schneider. At that point, you may be able to accept the vignetting even with slide film. However, on both lenses, any significant movements will increase the falloff noticeably. So, maybe you’re back at using a center filter anyway.

I didn’t list them above, but I feel like I should also mention a few noteworthy older lenses that cover 8×10. The Kodak Wide-Field Ektar 190mm f/6.3 doesn’t have room for movements and must be stopped down a lot to get decent corners, but it’s not too expensive (though uncommon to find). Plenty of Dagors cover with small room for movements, like the 6 1/2” f/8 Dagor, usually at $1000+ prices. There’s also a Wollensak Series III 8×10 159mm f/9.5, which is a reasonably popular budget option at about $400. You’re unlikely to find it in a modern shutter, but it’s cheap and has acceptable image quality when stopped down, so it’s probably my top choice among the older glass. There are others that pop up from time to time on eBay, but those are the most common ones you’ll see.

Best 200-210mm lenses

The options open up a bit once you reach 210mm. Even if you’re normally a fan of ultra-wides, I’d encourage you to consider using a 210mm as your widest lens on 8×10 instead.

For most photographers, I believe that the obvious lens to get is the Fujinon W 210mm f/5.6 with inside lettering. It’s a bright lens with decent coverage for 8×10 – the official rating of 352mm is accurate. Even better, it’s readily available for $200-300, which is an excellent value for what you get. The “WS” version in a Seiko shutter is even cheaper, but I don’t like the Seiko shutter as much. Don’t get the multicoated version of this lens (with lettering on the outside of the barrel) for 8×10; it doesn’t leave any room for movements.

If you want multicoating and even better optical performance, the Rodenstock 210mm f/5.6 APO Sironar-W is famous for a reason – as is the competing Schneider HM 210mm f/5.6. However, these lenses are much larger and have the same image circle as the Fujinon. On top of that, their filter threads are too large for traditional holders. As much as I would like to recommend these lenses, they really only work if you settle on a good filter solution for them.

Photographers who need a ton of movements at 210mm are limited to three options. None of these appear on the market very often. The Rodenstock Grandagon-N 200mm f/6.8 and Schneider SSXL 210mm f/5.6 are huge, unwieldy, rare, and very expensive, but they offer excellent image quality and movements. (Of the two, the Schneider is lighter, brighter, and more readily available, though still a beast of a lens.)

Meanwhile, the Computar 210mm f/9 is a featherweight lens with a big image circle, but it’s difficult to find. Its symmetrical construction is optimized for close focus and reproduction work, but if you stop down sufficiently, it’s sharp at infinity. If Computar had made more of these lenses, I suspect they would be the most popular 210mm option for 8×10 photography today.

Best 240-270mm lenses

There are lots of great choices at 240mm through 270mm. You can go ultralight with many of these lenses, or get a bright maximum aperture with some f/5.6 options. One that really catches my eye is the Fujinon W 250mm f/6.7 – it’s relatively light and has a nice maximum aperture of f/6.7, while offering extensive room for movements. It’s a bit of an older lens and is single-coated rather than multi-coated, but that’s a good tradeoff, especially considering the price.

The optical standouts – modern, multicoated, and with a large image circle – are the Docter Germinar-W 240mm f/9 (though it’s very hard to find) and the Rodenstock APO Sironar-S (though it’s pretty big and heavy). The Fujinon 240mm f/9 also deserves a mention for its portability and optics, but keep in mind that it doesn’t offer much in the way of movements.

By the way, when I mention in the table that a lens is optimized for close focus, that’s an inherent characteristic of symmetrical or near-symmetrical designs. It doesn’t mean the lens is bad at infinity, and especially upon stopping down, it can be excellent when focused at a distance. However, with such lenses at 1:1 magnification, many lens aberrations will be completely eliminated.

Best 300-305mm lenses

Around 300mm, you can find a ton of lenses for 8×10 that should meet any needs you have. The Rodenstock Sironar-S and Schneider APO-Symmar series lenses are widely considered some of the sharpest large format lenses ever made, and the Nikkor W is a very close competitor that sells for a fraction of the price. Meanwhile, if you need something smaller, the Fujinon A 300mm f/9 or Fujinon C 300mm f/8.5 are great choices. On a budget, I would get the Nikkor W if you don’t mind the weight, or the Schneider G-Claron 305mm f/9 if you do (not a multicoated lens, but pretty sharp and with tons of room for movements).

I like using my G-Claron 305mm f/9 for close-up photos, at which point it’s one of the best-corrected lenses at this focal length. Most of the others (apart from the Fujinon A 300mm f/9) are optimized for distant subjects, generally anywhere from about 1:10 magnification to infinity focus.

Best 355-360mm lenses

You have several lenses to choose from in the 355-360mm focal length range for 8×10, but they’re all a little awkward. The only two lightweight choices are the Fujinon A 360mm f/10 and the Schneider Tele-Xenar 350mm f/10 – both expensive lenses, especially the Fuji, and the Schneider doesn’t really have the amount of movements that I’d prefer on 8×10.

As with 300mm, the Rodenstock APO Sironar-S and Scheinder APO-Symmar series lenses here are considered some of the best optical performers ever made, and the prices of the Schneider are criminally low these days. But the question is if you want to carry something that heavy.

If you want a good compromise, the Graphic Kowa 360mm f/9 may be your best bet. It’s a single-coated, symmetrical lens that weighs less than most of the other choices here. It has a reasonable filter thread size and is nice and sharp when you stop down, though a little lower in contrast than some of the other options.

Also, I should mention that there are many older 355mm lenses (often termed 14” lenses) that you may be able to find in a shutter. These can be great choices, but most of them suffer from the same issues of high weight and price. Two notable options are the 14” Goerz Red Dot Artar and 14” Kodak Commercial Ektar, both of which are popular for portrait photography, although the Goerz doesn’t have much room for movements at infinity focus.

I’m not sure why the 355-360mm range has such awkward options for 8×10 lenses considering that it’s so close to the “normal” focal length. But sometimes that’s how large format photography goes. It’s probably best to stick with a 300mm and a 450mm lens instead, unless you have the budget for the Fujinon A 360mm f/10 or don’t mind carrying something quite heavy.

Best 420-480mm lenses

Although the options are slimming at this point, the 420-480mm range still has some good choices for 8×10. The Fujinon C 450mm f/12.5 and Nikkor M 450mm f/9 are two absolute gems. I’d even vouch for the Nikkor Q from my own experience – it’s a little prone to flare, and I did recently switch to the M, but the 450mm Q is still one of the sharpest lenses I’ve ever used.

As for other options, I wouldn’t buy the heavier lenses in this list regardless of price. The Fujinon 450mm f/12.5 and Nikkor M 450mm f/9 are just too good to get anything else. Meanwhile, some older 420mm lenses (or 19″ lenses) are popular for portraiture, including the Fujinon L lens listed above.

Best 600mm lenses

Even though there are some good options at 600mm, each one still has major compromises. The most natural choice here is the Fujinon C 600mm f/11.5, but I’m not the only one who thinks that – the popularity of this lens has led to some unreasonable prices, especially in recent years.

The Nikkor T 600mm f/9 and Schneider APO Tele-Xenar 600mm f/9 are telephoto lenses which don’t require quite as much bellows extension – a really nice benefit – but they’re both very heavy lenses, and the Nikkor has no room for movements on 8×10. Meanwhile, the weight, price, and rarity of the Schneider APO Tele-Xenar 600mm f/9 make it a really tough sell.

That leaves the Goerz Red Dot Artar 24″ f/11, a single-coated barrel lens, albeit a very good one. (I have the longer 30″ version for ultra-large format and find it to be quite sharp.) I recommend searching for a version of the lens that has been machined into a Copal #3 shutter and has a filter thread adapter. You could pay a mechanic like SK Grimes to machine it this way for you, but the price won’t be low, especially since you’d need to buy a separate Copal #3.

If you want something easier on your wallet, I’d actually consider jumping to the Nikkor T 720mm f/16 lens in the next section.

Best 700-800mm lenses

800mm (and 720mm) is longer than most large format photographers ever bother to shoot. The dearth of options here probably isn’t a surprise. Technically, there are some long barrel lenses available like the 30″ Goerz Red Dot Artar (762mm), but very few 8×10 cameras can support such a long bellows extension. Considering that, the three lenses above are the only viable options.

Of the set, the Nikkor T 720mm f/16 is definitely the most reasonable just because it’s the lightest and smallest. It’s a bit of a hidden gem, since Nikon’s literature doesn’t even hint that it would cover 8×10. If you want a long lens on a budget, I would consider getting this one instead of a 600mm. I love that the Nikkor T 720mm f/16 only needs 470mm of bellows extension, helping it stay more stable in the wind (always a problem with a long bellows extension). However, I would be wary of using it with movements even though it illuminates more than the 312mm image circle needed for 8×10.

I personally use the Nikkor T 800mm f/12 instead, which is geared a little more toward flexible 8×10 photography, but it’s more expensive and much heavier as a tradeoff. Despite the weight, it’s one of my favorite 8×10 lenses, since I’m a big fan of long-lens landscape photography. I even use it on the 11×14 format, where it squeaks by with minimal movements.

Meanwhile, the Schneider APO Tele-Xenar 800mm f/12 is an even more massive and expensive lens, but it has the best optical performance of any lens this long for 8×10. If you’re a true telephoto junkie like me, it may call your name, but otherwise, it’s going to be very hard to justify considering the weight and price.

Best 1200mm lenses

At 1200mm, there’s just one reasonable option, and once again, it’s that 600/800/1200 Nikkor telephoto lens. This time, you’re adding a 1200mm rear element instead of 600mm or 800mm. The result is the Nikkor T 1200mm f/18.

I’ll grant you that f/18 is a dark maximum aperture, but you’re at such a long focal length (160mm full-frame equivalent) that it’s rarely a problem. The 1200mm rear element is also a bit lighter than either the 600mm or 800mm rear elements.

Shooting with a 1200mm lens on 8×10 is very difficult. You’ll likely want two tripods – one for the rear standard and one for the front – as well as an umbrella to block even the slightest amount of wind. Draping a beanbag over the front of the lens will help dampen shutter shock. You should also lower your tripods as much as possible and find some very stable ground.

I think of this more as a great lens for 11×14, but it’s impractical on most 8×10 cameras. Before buying, double check that you can even achieve 760mm of bellows extension on your camera, which is necessary for infinity focus (and more if you intend to focus on closer subjects). Many 8×10 cameras cannot extend this far.

Five Recommended 8×10 Lens Kits

Even though the choice of 8×10 lenses can feel somewhat limited (especially compared to 4×5 or even 5×7 lenses), there is no shortage of good kits that you can put together with the optics above. Below, I’ll suggest a few kits that would make a lot of sense depending on your situation. Admittedly, these are just starting points, and the perfect kit for your needs will probably be at least a little different.

1. A budget kit of good lenses

• Moderately Wide: Fujinon W 210mm f/5.6, inside writing
• Normal: Schneider G-Claron 305mm f/9
• Moderately long: Nikkor Q 450mm f/9
• Long: Nikkor T 720mm f/16

All of these lenses are light, sharp, and well-priced. They cover useful focal lengths, and they all have some room for movements on 8×10. The total price of this four-lens kit will be about $2200. If you wait patiently for better deals, you may be able to find everything under $2000.

Some photographers may feel like they would miss the ultra-wide focal lengths, but I’d consider skipping those for now if you’re on a budget. The Fujinon W 210mm f/5.6 is wide enough for most use. However, you could add the Nikkor SW 120mm f/8 or the Wollensak 159mm f/9.5 without pushing your cost over $3000 (though neither offers much room for movements).

2. A well-balanced do-it-all kit

• Wide: Nikkor SW 150mm f/8
• Moderately Wide: Fujinon W 210mm f/5.6, inside writing
• Normal: Fujinon A 300mm f/9 or Fujinon C 300mm f/8.5
• Moderately long: Nikkor M 450mm f/9
• Long: Nikkor T 720mm f/16

This is a highly capable five-lens kit that allows you to use standard filter sizes throughout. Perhaps you could point to some particular things that different kits do better, but not without running into other compromises. These are great lenses that strike the right balance between price, size, and capabilities. Although the combined price is no longer in “budget” territory (mostly because of the 150mm f/8), these lenses are all fairly priced for what you get.

3. A kit that prioritizes portability, without sacrificing coverage

• Moderately Wide: Computar 210mm f/9 or Docter Germinar W 240mm f/9
• Normal: Fujinon A 300mm f/9 or Fujinon A 360mm f/10
• Moderately long: Fujinon C 450mm f/12.5
• Long: Fujinon C 600mm f/11.5

This set of lenses makes a lot of sense for 8×10 photographers who want to travel light. The only problem (apart from the overall high cost) is the availability of the wider lenses. The Docter Germinar W 240mm f/9 is very hard to find. So is the Computar 210mm f/9, plus it’s single-coated and perhaps a little worse optically. But assuming that you find one of these two rare lenses, it makes for a very logical kit.

An alternative lens with excellent image quality is the Fujinon A 240mm f/9, although note that it only has modest room for movements on 8×10. The Schneider G-Claron 240mm f/9 is also easy to find and has more room for movements; however, like the Computar 210mm f/9, it’s single-coated and a little weaker optically until you stop down. Either of those could make a good alternative if you can’t find the Computar or Docter lenses.

If you want something even wider, the Schneider 150mm f/5.6 XL is the lightest modern ultra-wide lens with significant room for movements on 8×10. But “lightest” doesn’t mean “light” – it’s still a big lens compared to the others here, and filtering it can be tough.

4. A kit that maximizes image quality and coverage, still allowing standard filter holders

• Wide: Nikkor SW 150mm f/8
• Moderate wide: Rodenstock APO Sironar-S 240mm f/5.6
• Normal: Fujinon A 360mm f/10
• Long: Fujinon C 600mm f/11.5

This is one of the best high-end kits that you can buy for 8×10 photography. You get excellent room for movements at all focal lengths combined with high-end optical performance. The focal length spacing is also very reasonable. It isn’t the lightest kit available, but it’ll fit in a bag. Perhaps most importantly, all of these lenses can accommodate traditional filter holder systems. Unfortunately, they aren’t cheap; prices range from about $1500 to $3500 per lens.

You can lighten the load a bit by swapping the Rodenstock APO Sironar-S 240mm f/5.6 for the Docter Germinar 240mm f/9 – which is an equally good lens – but only if you can find one. They’re very hard to come by these days. Plus, the brighter f/5.6 aperture is nice for focusing and composing in lower light. You could also substitute the Nikkor SW for the Schneider 150mm f/5.6 XL to save some weight, but you’d have to find a way to filter it.

In full-frame terms (35mm film), this four-lens set approximates a 20mm, 32mm, 48mm, and 80mm kit, which should be enough for almost anything. If you feel the need to extend on either side, you can get the Nikkor 800mm f/12 on the telephoto end – and the Schneider 110mm f/5.6 XL or Nikkor SW 120mm f/8 on the wide end – while still retaining the ability to use standard filter systems. But I tend to doubt that most 8×10 photographers will need more than these four lenses.

5. A kit that maximizes image quality and coverage above all else

If size, weight, and price are no concern, there is hardly a limit to the quality (and cost) of 8×10 glass that you can buy. The lenses below not only have excellent optical performance, but they also achieve bigger image circles than most of their peers and offer extensive movements on 8×10. Instead of categorizing these lenses by wide/normal/long, I’ll simply list the top performers at each focal length that meet those criteria.

• 150mm: Schneider 150mm f/5.6 XL, Nikkor 150mm f/8, or Rodenstock Grandagon N 155mm f/6.8
• 165mm: Schneider Super-Angulon 165mm f/8 MC
• 200mm: Rodenstock Grandagon N 200mm f/6.8
• 210mm: Schneider 210mm f/5.6 XL (Note: Two smaller lenses with similar image quality are the Schneider HM 210mm f/5.6 and Rodenstock APO-Sironar W 210mm f/5.6, but these have a more limited image circle of about 354mm, while the Schneider 210mm f/5.6 XL is rated for 500mm)
• 240mm: Rodenstock APO-Sironar S 240mm f/5.6 or Docter Germinar W 240mm f/9
• 300mm: Schneider APO-Symmar (or APO-Symmar L) 300mm f/5.6, Rodenstock APO-Sironar S 300mm f/5.6, Rodenstock APO-Sironar W 300mm f/5.6, or Fujinon A 300mm f/9
• 360mm: Schneider APO-Symmar 360mm f/6.8, Rodenstock APO-Sironar S 360mm f/6.8, or Fujinon A 360mm f/10
• 450mm: Nikkor M 450mm f/9 or Fujinon C 450mm f/12.5
• 480mm: Schneider APO-Symmar (or APO-Symmar L) 480mm f/8.4
• 600mm: Schneider APO Tele-Xenar 600mm f/9 or Fujinon 600mm C f/11.5 (Note: Image circles of approximately 400mm and 620mm respectively; the Tele-Xenar is much heavier and has less room for movements, but allows shorter bellows extension and may be slightly sharper within the image circle.)
• 800mm: Schneider APO Tele-Xenar 800mm f/12 (same lens as the 600mm above, with different rear element) or APO Tele-Xenar 800mm f/12 HM (older, bigger version with white barrel)

I leave it up to you to pick your favorite set of focal lengths given this information. At most, I think that six lenses is plenty – for example, a kit of 150mm, 210mm, 300mm, 450mm, 600mm, and 800mm lenses. This mimics a 20mm / 28mm / 40mm / 60mm / 80mm / 105mm prime lens kit in full-frame or 35mm film equivalent terms. (I already picked a good four-lens kit in the previous section – basically a subset of these lenses that still accepts normal filter holders.)

Of course, most of these lenses are extremely heavy and expensive. They won’t work 8×10 cameras with a flimsy build quality. The majority of them have filter thread sizes over 100mm, necessitating unusual, specialty filters. Building out a kit of five or six lenses could cost upwards of $20,000. Suffice to say, even though all of these lenses are exceptional, I do not recommend most of them to typical 8×10 photographers.

What Lenses Do I Use?

You can probably figure out my kit based on the sample photos in this article, although I’ve changed it a little over the years. My newest addition is a Fujinon A 360mm f/10, which I finally found at a reasonable price, replacing my Schneider 305mm f/9 G-Claron. My standard 8×10 kit is as follows:

• Schneider 150mm f/5.6 SSXL with center filter
• Computar 210mm f/9
• Fujinon A 360mm f/10
• Fujinon C 600mm f/11.5
• Nikkor T 800mm f/12

There’s no such thing as a perfect 8×10 lens kit, but this one has great image quality and offers all the movements I could want at every focal length. That said, my lens situation is a little unusual these days, since I also shoot ultra-large format film that requires its own set of lenses. Periodically, I’ll use some of those on 8×10 as well, such as the Nikkor M 450mm f/9.

Most of the lenses above work with my standard 100x100mm filter holder. The exception is the Schneider 150mm f/5.6 SSXL with its center filter. To use additional filters on that lens, I have a makeshift adapter that works with a set of larger 150x150mm square filters, which I once used on digital. If I didn’t have that bigger set of filters, I would probably buy a 112mm polarizer and a 127mm orange filter (plus step-up ring) instead.

I’ve been extremely happy with these five lenses. Most of all, I appreciate that I’ll never run out of movements when I shoot 8×10. I can also carry all of this on a hike without much difficulty, especially if I leave the 800mm f/12 at home. That said, I try not to leave it at home often, because I do love long-lens 8×10 photography…

Conclusion

There are a lot of lenses on the market that cover 8×10, especially once you include old and esoteric glass. After all, 8×10 cameras have been around since the 1800s, so of course 8×10 lenses have as well. (And many of these old lenses can be fitted into modern shutters if you send the lens + shutter to a mechanic like SK Grimes.)

If you shoot with an 8×10 system and use a lot of older glass in non-Copal shutters, my apologies for most likely not mentioning any of your favorites in this article. There are too many lenses to cover the older ones in this already gigantic article, but it doesn’t mean they’re bad lenses. Likewise for portrait lenses – many of the lenses here will be great for portraiture too, but there are older lenses with great bokeh and even soft-focus qualities that may be desirable for portraiture.

One resource that I found very helpful when assembling my 8×10 kit and researching this article is largeformatphotography.info’s list of 8×10 lenses in modern shutters. It’s not a totally complete list. It misses the Computar and Docter lenses, for example, as well as some of Fuji and Schneider’s glass. But as a broad overview, it’s useful.

Here’s my final tip: Don’t buy large format lenses on impulse. Instead, try to learn about the lens before you buy it, especially if you’re treading off the beaten path or buying a lens with many different variations. There’s definitely an “ignorance tax” in 8×10 photography, where the less you know, the more you end up paying (or the lower-quality version of the lens you may get). I hope this article helps you pay less for the lenses you need by removing some of that ignorance tax, but you’ll need to do more research about the individual lenses that you want in order to find out some more details.

Do you have any questions about the recommendations above? I’ve tried to include as much information as I can, but I’m happy to help in the comments section if there’s anything you’re wondering about. Even if I don’t know the answer to your question, maybe someone else will find this article and be able to help. Happy searching!