120mm f8 Nikkor SW Coverage on 8x10"

[Warren Jones]

I'm building a W/A "box camera" for panoramic landscape.
Has anyone used a 120 SW Nikkor (without movements) in full 8x10" format
for extreme wide angle?
From a chart I have, the coverage is supposed to be 312mm which would
suggest that this lens may have been intended for 5x7" max.
Anyone out there actually tried this lens on 8x10" and if so does it
vignette (noticeably) in the corners at this format. Thanks,
warren.
PS. Has anyone seen any Mido 8x10" film holders in stock? (& is this
company still in business?)

[John Sparks]

Warren Jones (war...@cybernet.co.nz) wrote:
>I'm building a W/A "box camera" for panoramic landscape.
>Has anyone used a 120 SW Nikkor (without movements) in full 8x10" format
>for extreme wide angle?

I have the 120 SW Nikkor and have tried it on 8x10. You have to be
careful to make sure the lens is centered on the film. It does cover
the image area (which on my holders measures about 315mm). If you screw
in a filter, you will cut off all four corners by about 1 cm. Without a
filter and the lens centered, I don't think there was any cutoff (I've
only used it on 8x10 twice, once with a filter and once without and I
don't have either contact in front of me). If there is any cutoff, it
is pretty small and easily cropped with no problems. There is quite a
bit of light falloff toward the edges (I thought it was an interesting
effect). You might need to get a center filter if you find the falloff
a problem. Nikkor doesn't make center filters, but others do. I don't
know if adding a center filter will cause the lens to vignette.

>From a chart I have, the coverage is supposed to be 312mm which would
>suggest that this lens may have been intended for 5x7" max.

Probably, but it will JUST cover.

John Sparks