Enlarger lens

[Barney]

I want a 50mm enlarger lens.

How important is the lens in getting bigger and better prints from the 35mm negs, I suspect all lenses are not created equal.

 

[Ian Grant]

Schneider made a range of enlarger lenses, budget Triplets like the Componar, not very sharp until stopped down, Then the Comparon, a Tessar type lens (4 elements), not bad at wider apertures, but best results around f8 - f11, then top of the range Compon & later Componon S. The Componon lenses are Plasmats so 6 elements sharp even almost wide open.

I mostly use Compon S lenses now. Durst enlarger lenses are excellent as well, initially made by Schneider, but later Pentax. Rodenstack Rodagon, Nikkor, and Minolta enlarger lenses are all equally good. These are all lenses I've used, so based on experience.

Ian

 

[zx9]

Schneider made a range of enlarger lenses, budget Triplets like the Componar, not very sharp until stopped down, Then the Comparon, a Tessar type lens (4 elements), not bad at wider apertures, but best results around f8 - f11, then top of the range Compon & later Componon S. The Componon lenses are Plasmats so 6 elements sharp even almost wide open.

I mostly use Compon S lenses now. Durst enlarger lenses are excellent as well, initially made by Schneider, but later Pentax. Rodenstack Rodagon, Nikkor, and Minolta enlarger lenses are all equally good. These are all lenses I've used, so based on experience.

Ian

Agreed re. the Minolta lenses, I had an 80mm (or was it 75mm I can't remember) for years using it for initially my Yashica 124G and later my Mamiya 645 negatives.
The bit about remembering to stop down a lesser enlarging lens for better sharpness is no big deal as unlike a taking lens long exposures are the norm when printing and actually often desirable as it is easier to dodge and burn areas of the print during a longer exposure.

 

[Barney]

I got the Componon S in 50mm,

I wanted the 45 really.

 

[Barney]

Agreed re. the Minolta lenses, I had an 80mm (or was it 75mm I can't remember) for years using it for initially my Yashica 124G and later my Mamiya 645 negatives.
The bit about remembering to stop down a lesser enlarging lens for better sharpness is no big deal as unlike a taking lens long exposures are the norm when printing and actually often desirable as it is easier to dodge and burn areas of the print during a longer exposure.

Interesting observation there Keith, I will keep that in mind when I eventually start printing

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

To be brutally honest, I never noticed much difference between enlarging lenses, though I never used any with less than 4 elements.

 

[StephenM]

And read Ctein Post Exposure on enlarging lenses.

 

[Barney]

And read Ctein Post Exposure on enlarging lenses.

I started to read that book from your recommendation last week, he is thorough and writes in way that is easy for me to understand.