Enlarging lens

Making your print in the darkroom
Photomark
Posts: 38
Joined: 16 Jun 2013, 17:43
Location: Central Coast NSW

Enlarging lens

Postby Photomark » 24 Jun 2013, 10:40

Rodagon Vs Componon

I have always been a fan of Rodenstock lenses , I use APO rodagon N lenses for 35mm and 6x6 but I don't have one for 4x5 as yet

I don't expect to find a 150mm Rodagon N any time soon but in my experience having the APO lens makes no difference unless your printing in colour.

I did however get a 150mm Schneider Componon lens with my Omega D2 enlarger , the lens did have a bit of fungus on the rear element but it has cleaned up very well and I can not see any marks on it.

I think this was an OEM lens as it has the Omega name on it .

It is a beautiful lens to say the least with an amazing aperture leaf set up with 20 or so blades
How do theses lenses stack up against a rodagon ?

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Maris
Posts: 882
Joined: 27 Jul 2012, 16:02
Location: Noosa

Re: Enlarging lens

Postby Maris » 25 Jun 2013, 11:00

My enlarging lens requirements changed when I ditched 35mm (decades ago!) and moved to large format and some occasional rollfilm. The bigger negatives don't need extreme enlarging ratios and short focal lengths. My rollfilm negatives go through a 135mm lens and 150mm serves for the 4x5 format.

I've tried the famous brands: Schneider, Rodenstock, Nikkor, Fujinon, and a bunch of no-name and off-brand lenses too. All of them, even my $30 Astronar, have succeeded in imaging every grain in every negative onto my enlarging paper. There is no reserve of undiscovered sharpness. But that's large format. Trying to wring sharp 20x enlargements out of 35mm is genuinely challenging in comparison.

Photomark
Posts: 38
Joined: 16 Jun 2013, 17:43
Location: Central Coast NSW

Re: Enlarging lens

Postby Photomark » 25 Jun 2013, 12:12

Thank you Maris

I ave done some very large print from 35mm with the largest being around 900 x 500mm , but that was with a APO Rodagon N 50mm enlarging lens. The same size print with a cheap lens did not even print very well.

For medium format ( 6x6 ) I have an APO rodagon N 80mm and at 500 x 600 mm prints there is no problems at all but I have not had the chance to try a very large print with this.

My next project is to print on to a wall that is 3m x 4 m . I can however borrow a Rodagon 150MM G lens that are optimized for large printing .


For now all I have for 4x5 printing is the 150mm Componon lens that as far as I can tell is in the same league as the Rodagon lens with both being the six element design.

If I could afford it I would just get my self a Rodagon 150mm and know I will get good quality.

I thin k it is the Roganar and the Componar lenses that are the 4 element cheaper models and not really worth it


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