dl8ram
Hello everyone,
I’ve got a question for the experts.
Which lens should I buy for my enlarger?
At the moment I’m using a Rodenstock Ysaron.
However, at high magnifications, this seems to reach its limits very quickly.
I don’t necessarily want to turn 35mm negatives into photo wallpaper, but I do want to be able to make quite substantial enlargements of specific sections from time to time.
To anyone who thinks I should simply use a longer focal length when taking the photos, here’s a brief explanation.
I currently have about 50 cameras in my cupboards. Most of them are rangefinder cameras from the late 60s to the late 70s.
Changing lenses isn’t an option. But all these cameras need to be used from time to time.
I’m curious to see what comes up.
Alois
cfb_de
Hello Alois,
How long is the column on the enlarger, and how large do you want the enlargements to be?
If a standard 50mm lens (Componon, Rodagon, Anaret) is no longer sufficient for you, buy a 40mm Componon WA or WA Rodagon. Shorter focal lengths no longer fully illuminate the 35mm negative. Buy: -> eBay, you won’t find it cheaper. (Note: You’ll need a deeper mounting plate than for the 50mm; this is usually the one for 35mm lenses. If it isn’t available for your enlarger, you’re out of luck.)
For my part, I use a 50mm Anaret-S (I got it from Mirko and would buy it there again because of the service and the matching plate) or a 50mm Fujinon (it was hanging under the Durst when I bought it), but I don’t enlarge 35mm film beyond 30x40 and don’t crop images in that paper size.
For medium format, where I do sometimes crop, I picked up a 60mm Componon WA on eBay. Now the Opemus can handle 50x50 on the base plate and the Durst up to almost 70x70. With the 80mm, did it stop at 38x38 or just over?
With the 40mm WA and KB, the ratios should be similar; I’m too lazy to work it out right now.
For some Durst enlargers, there’s a table extension available, which saves you having to buy a lens, but it’s hard to come by.
Best regards,
Franz
dl8ram
Hello Franz,
Your reply missed the point of the question just a little bit.
It wasn’t really about high, achievable standards, but rather about the sharpness that tends to be lost.
I have three enlargers available: an old Liesegang, an Opemus 4 and a Durst F60.
In the medium format, the Rodagon is brilliant. But there, the standard is the lesser problem.
Which (reasonably affordable) lens has the highest level of sharpness?
Best regards,
Alois
cfb_de
Hi Alois,
You can’t go wrong with a Componon/Rodagon – you won’t find anything better. You don’t need an ‘Apo’ for black-and-white photography, and I’m not the only one who hasn’t been able to spot any difference between the older and newer models (differences in the maximum aperture).
Prices on eBay start at around ten euros and go all the way up to the original retail price.
Is that clearer now?
Best regards,
Franz
dl8ram
Hi Franz,
Well, that helps :-)
Let’s see what I can manage.
The main thing is that there’s no practical difference between the old and new versions.
The initial exposure isn’t the main issue for me right now. With shorter prints, you can only stop down as much as you possibly can if you still want to influence the result. Or have you ever managed to mask or re-expose effectively at around 1 second? ;)
Best regards,
Alois
Petzi
So you're only enlarging in black and white
dl8ram
Hi Petzi,
That’s exactly right. I don’t see much point in having to spend a fortune on chemicals just to get rid of them every few weeks. After all,
SW isn’t just cheaper, it’s also far more durable.
What’s more, the big players have the market well under control. SW’s presence just gets in the way.
Best regards,
Alois
Renate
Hello,
The Rodenstock Ysaron is a three-element lens. This series used to be available in various focal lengths. Back in the 1960s, amateur photographers were delighted to be able to afford one. For enlargements to 7x10cm or 10x15cm, they’re good enough. However, for adequate correction, you need at least four elements. You’ll find this, for example, in the Anarets, which work quite well from f/11 onwards. However, anyone working with expensive lenses on their camera shouldn’t skimp on enlargement lenses either. You really should be looking at six-element lenses, ideally in APO quality, of course. With my Rodestock APO 50mm, I can already magnify at f/5.6 without any loss of sharpness. At high magnification factors, the exposure time then isn’t so long.
Best regards
Renate
dl8ram
Hi Renate,
Thanks for the info on the Ysaron. I couldn’t find anything about the ‘Scherbe’ online. I picked it up, along with the enlarger,
on an online electrical marketplace :-)
Enlargements up to 18x24 are still perfectly usable with this thing, but at maximum enlargement on the base plate
you really start to notice its limitations.
With the first enlargements of cropped sections, I put that down to the camera’s ‘bottle-bottom’ lens.
(The Revue 35 cc is a really cute ‘always-with-me’ camera)
But even the sometimes outrageously expensive Nikkors didn’t produce anything significantly better.
Of course, a flawless negative produces more sharpness in the prints (even with this old banger), but I actually expect to see grain at this
enlargement.
Whether I need the APO is questionable ................ I’m not really into colour.
Best regards,
Alois
Gast
Hi Alois,
If by ‘Nikkor’ lenses you mean photographic lenses, then you’re on the right track.
In my opinion (even though there’s often considerable debate on the subject), the EL enlargement Nikkors are certainly in the same league as a Schneider or Rodenstock 6-element lens (perhaps without APO).
To reproduce a grain as a (sharp) grain, a little more is needed than just sharpness. The light source becomes increasingly important here.
Best regards
Martin
arothaus
The Ysaron by Rodenstock is a 3-lens model.
[right][post="7358"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]
Hello Renate,
Are you sure about that? I have a 4/75 Ysaron and, as far as I know, the Ysaron lenses are the predecessors of the Rogonare, rather than 4-element lenses. I didn’t use it for long because I managed to get hold of a Componon very cheaply, but I don’t remember the Ysaron being very bad.
Incidentally, the prices for Rogonars/Componons on eBay vary greatly.
Especially the older, slower versions (Componon 4/50 and 5.6/80) can often be snapped up very cheaply (well under 20 euros)
Best regards,
Andreas
dl8ram
Hi Martin,
By 'Nikkor lenses', I meant the lenses used for shooting.
As for the grain, surely the Durst F60 should actually produce harsh light?!?!
But you’ve taken my words a bit too literally there.
What I actually meant was that I can manage without soft focus
(if I do use it, I’ll do it when taking the shot ;) )
Best regards,
Alois
Andreas_23
Hello everyone,
I’ve got a question for the experts.
Which lens should I buy for my enlarger?
At the moment I’m using a Rodenstock Ysaron.
But when working at high magnifications, it seems to reach its limits very quickly.
I don’t necessarily want to turn 35mm negatives into photo wallpapers, but I do want to be able to make quite substantial enlargements of specific sections from time to time.
To anyone who thinks I should simply use a longer focal length when taking the shot, here’s a brief explanation.
I currently have about 50 cameras in my cupboards. Most are rangefinder cameras from the late 60s to the late 70s.
There’s no question of swapping them around. But all these cameras need to be taken out and used from time to time.
I’m curious to see what comes of it.
Alois
[right][post="7349"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right]
Gast
Hi Alois,
A few months ago, I bought a Schneider Componon-S 2.8/50 on eBay for 25 euros and I’m absolutely delighted with it. You don’t always find them at such a bargain price, but it’s worth checking back from time to time. Sometimes it’s even cheaper to bid on an enlarger as well, as these can sometimes fetch lower prices than the lenses on their own. As everything is currently switching to digital, photographic equipment is often available at very low prices.
Best regards,
Andreas
Gast
Hello Renate, I have to correct you here ;) : the Rodenstock Ysaron from years gone by was a thoroughly respectable four-element lens (Tessar type), the quality of which came close to that of the formerly outrageously expensive six-element lenses!
Rodenstock’s affordable three-element lens was called the ‘Trinar’ back then and wasn’t half bad for prints up to 13x18 cm from 35mm negatives (with heavy stopping down)!
Warm regards, Michelle
Andreas_23
For some Durst enlargers, there is a lens extension available, which saves you from having to buy a new lens, but it is hard to come by.
Hello!
I have a lens extension for a Durst F30 for sale.
Best regards,
Andreas
