What's new
Medium Format Forum

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

250mm Lens or Not?

M

MarkF_48

Member
My present lens lineup consists of a 50mm CF, 80mmCF, and a 150mm CF. I am trying to figure out if a 250mm lens would be a useful addition. I am thinking head portraits and some landscapes. I do have some extension tubes, so this might be a possible alternative with a shorter lens for head portraits, but not for landscapes. In my search for images using a 250mm here and elsewhere I don't find too many, so I'm starting to think it may not be a much used lens. A 250mm correlates to about 150mm in 35mm format which I was used to having something close to that in my bag. Bottom line is I'm the one that needs to decide this, but some input of others may help in the decision.

Thoughts and links to samples of 250mm images welcomed.....
 
Hi, MarkF - I had the same lens lineup as you in CFi, and decided to add a 250. I found that the lens didn't seem very sharp when compared to my others and I sold it for a 180 CFi. Not a significant difference in angle of view, but it seems much sharper to my eye. Plus, you keep some of the depth of field that is lost with the 250.

As always, I guess it comes down to what you like to shoot.
Cheers,
Mike
 
I have the 38mm [SWC], 50mm, 80mm, 150mm and the 250mm. I use in order from most to least 80mm, 50mm, 38mm and 250mm [a tie] and 150mm. The 150mm is the least used.

Steve
 
180mm is sharper.
sold my 150mm years ago to get a 180mm
Anyway, use my 180 not so often as it's too much for me.

In order of use:
110mm (60%) 50mm(25%) 60mm (6%) 180mm (5.5%) 60-120mm (3%) 80mmCFE (0.5%) and 80mm C (0%)
 
250mm lens, or not?

The 250 CF lens is OK, but not as sharp or as flexible as the 180. The latter is cheaper, lighter, good enough for moderate close-ups and, if you need the odd tighter distance shot, works particularly well with a teleconverter.
 
Cf250

this is the lens I use almost never. My preferences are the 903SWC, the CFi50, CFi100, CFi180 and CFE350. The CF250 is neither fish nor meat. I have it to complete the collection, but that's about it
 
Ordered the 250mm this afternoon. The seller (KEH) had dropped the price, so buying hurt a little less. The 180mm sounds like a good lens, but it is just a bit too close to my 150mm. Maybe the 180mm someday.
Thanks for everyone's thoughts, I appreciate the help.
 
Mark, if you have got it at a good price, enjoy this versatile lens.
I have often noticed a thing: while the right rule should be to purchase a lens at the moment one needs "that" lens for "that" kind of pictures, often the purchase of a lens is stimulating to new kinds of pictures! So you will probably discover landscapes with compressed perspective or "front-to-chin" portraits (with an extension tube, 16 or 21 mm), to say nothing of animals and street scenes. For me it is a pleasure, during a portrait session, to alternate it with my 150mm.
I don't know 180mm, but for me the 250mm is a good lens. The opening at f5.6 is a drawback, but the great merit of this lens is that it doesn't need stopping down to increase optical quality. Stopping down the 250mm Sonnar increases only DOF. Personally, with camera handheld I use it with 1/125 without problems.
I wish you to shoot many exciting pictures with your new tele!
 
For some portrait applications the 250 is an excellent lens.

Ansel Adams used an early 250 to shoot his Moon over half dome picture.
He later stated the picture could only be made with this focal length.


L10688650.jpg

Moon over half dome by Ansel Adams
 

Attachments

  • L10688650.jpg
    EXIF
    L10688650.jpg
    100.3 KB · Views: 33
One of the most famous images in the world was taken with a 250mm Sonnar C lens on a Hasselblad 500C.

Moon over Half Dome by Ansel Adams.

Adams took many images using the 250mm Sonnar as he liked the compression of perspective it gave.
 
7214620-R1-E011.jpg

It's not "Moon over Halfdome" but it's a shot from last weekend with 250mm Sonnar on HB 501CM with Fujicolor Pro 160 film. I've never had any concerns about sharpness.

Dave
 

Attachments

  • 7214620-R1-E011.jpg
    EXIF
    7214620-R1-E011.jpg
    131.9 KB · Views: 27
I had the opportunity today to pick up a 250mm CT*for my 500C/M for $200, locally on Craigslist. I emptied the piggybank and did so. I used one in the past for a while (borrowed from a friend, along with his 'blad) and liked the results. Based on what a local shop is asking for their old silver ones ($700-800) I feel fairly good in spending the money.

I checked the shutter speeds and they are very consistent, within .25 to .3 of a stop except for the 1/500s which is consistently about 1/300s. Monday will tell me what it looks like on film.

Now for some wide lenses. (120mm and now the 250mm only at this point, but the acquisition's just started...)
 
7214620-R1-E012.jpg

I forgot to mention that this lens was a $196.00 special from Adorama! How can you beat that?

Dave
 

Attachments

  • 7214620-R1-E012.jpg
    EXIF
    7214620-R1-E012.jpg
    127.7 KB · Views: 19
polypal said:
For some portrait applications the 250 is an excellent lens.

Ansel Adams used an early 250 to shoot his Moon over half dome picture.
He later stated the picture could only be made with this focal length.


View attachment 3105

Moon over half dome by Ansel Adams
Click to expand...

Good example - i had forgotten that Ansel used for a 250mm HB lens for that photo.
 
The 250mm is a good lens. I like the perspective it gives and especially the wonderful bokeh of this lens, although it is true that it is not the sharpest of the lineup. But not bad either.
 
Emilio Esplanar said:
The 250mm is a good lens. I like the perspective it gives and especially the wonderful bokeh of this lens, although it is true that it is not the sharpest of the lineup. But not bad either.
Click to expand...

For those looking for top optical performance there is a 250 Super Achromat lens from Zeiss.
That lens beats any other lens with that focal length.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top