Enlarger lens - differences ?

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Drago

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Hello. I wonder what's the difference between the lenses for enlargers ? I see there'r 35 , 50 and so on. And what the f stops are for ? And what lens is good to get. Speaking about 35mm b/w only
 
lens length usually depends on what film format you use...so for 35mm film a 50mm is normally used, 80 for 120 film...
there are some very good lenses out there...i used to use fuji lenses on my besseler enlarger...but there are lenses from nikon and many other makers that perform very well.
 
The f/stops as on any lens, are to control the light output from the enlarger. and closing down to allow a 30s or longer exposure can allow time for dodging and burning in.
 
Drago said:
Hello. I wonder what's the difference between the lenses for enlargers ? I see there'r 35 , 50 and so on. And what the f stops are for ? And what lens is good to get. Speaking about 35mm b/w only
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It pays to get a good one. For 35mm printing you want a 50. Nikkor, Rodenstock and Schnieder are the big names each renders a little different. For instance Nikkors print well with negatives with flatter contrast so you really learn to optimize your negatives for the lens you choose.

I bought mine used and went with the later most improved versions like the Schnieder Componon S.

Nikon Nikkors are great and inexpensive, and are easy to find used. The German glass is a bit harder to find used and prices are higher. If you get a Nikkor and later get say a Schnieder the Nikon will always get used to print certain negatives so I say start with a Nikkor and then add some German glass later.

Cal
 
Then there is the difference in a higher or lower corrected lens to consider even from the same manufacturer such as the Schneider's Componar versus the Componon enlarging lens, the former a 4 element lens and the latter a 6 element lens with the corresponding price difference.
 
Allright, thank you very much. And one more question - which enlarger to look for ? I mean brand. My father told me he has one somewhere, but as he says it's not very good, but it was what he could afford back then :) I don't really understand what's the difference between them, but sure there is some.

/edit : i looked around and it seems that most enlargers in my country are magnifex and krokus
 
Drago said:
Allright, thank you very much. And one more question - which enlarger to look for ? I mean brand. My father told me he has one somewhere, but as he says it's not very good, but it was what he could afford back then :) I don't really understand what's the difference between them, but sure there is some.
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Drago, where are you located? Availability of (used) enlarger brands is often quite specific to regions/countries.
Greetings, Ljós

Ah, your edit says Magnifax and Krokus are most available, so you should be somewhere in Eastern Europe. These are type names for the brand Meopta. For 35mm enlarging the "Opemus" are something to look for, they will do 35mm but go up to 6x6, too. They tend to be cheaper and more readily available than the Magnifax.
Meopta enlargers are capable and very good value for the money. Roger Hicks swears by his Magnifaxes, if I am not mistaken.
 
Lens: 50mm/2.8 Nikkor. Better than it has to be.
Enlarger: Beseler 23C. I think the Mk III was/is the latest version for B&W. It will say 23CIII on the front of the lamphouse. Again, better than it has to be. Handles negatives up to 6x9 without changing condensers. All you need for larger negatives is a negative carrier and lens. Back in the day, I had a 23CII for 35mm/6x6/6x7 negatives. It is a good one too. You can find them cheap or free on craigslist. In the USA.

Wayne
 
Ljós said:
Drago, where are you located? Availability of (used) enlarger brands is often quite specific to regions/countries.
Greetings, Ljós

Ah, your edit says Magnifax and Krokus are most available, so you should be somewhere in Eastern Europe. These are type names for the brand Meopta. For 35mm enlarging the "Opemus" are something to look for, they will do 35mm but go up to 6x6, too. They tend to be cheaper and more readily available than the Magnifax.
Meopta enlargers are capable and very good value for the money. Roger Hicks swears by his Magnifaxes, if I am not mistaken.
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Yes, i'm in Eastern Europe. Thanks, i'll search for Opemus too, though i don't plan moving on 6x6 anytime soon. 35 mm is still enough for me
 
Drago said:
Yes, i'm in Eastern Europe. Thanks, i'll search for Opemus too, though i don't plan moving on 6x6 anytime soon. 35 mm is still enough for me
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Even if you only do 35mm Opemus can be worthwhile (as compared to Krokus). I think the Opemus line tends to be a bit more stable and overall better than the Krokus. I started with an Opemus and got good results with it. I now use a Focomat Ic for 35mm, and keep the Opemus for the very occasional 6x6.

Greetings, Ljós
 
Drago said:
Yes, i'm in Eastern Europe. Thanks, i'll search for Opemus too, though i don't plan moving on 6x6 anytime soon. 35 mm is still enough for me
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Enlargers made for medium format will be sturdier. Every 35mm only enlarger I have ever seen reminded me of a toy. Leitz excluded. I learned to make 35mm enlargements on an Omega D2 built for 4x5. It was a rock!
I would still be on the lookout for a Beseler or Durst SOLID! enlarger.
The Nikkor 50/2.8 lens should be fairly common in Europe.

Wayne
 
this is a bit of generalsation but 6 element lenses tend to be optimised for around 10X enlargement whereas the 4 element lenses work better at lower magnifications 4X + or minus a bit.
So from a 35mm neg with a 6 element lens you can expect performance to start dropping off as you go bigger than a 15x10 image of full frame. With a 4 element lens performance will start to drop off above a 8x6 inch print.
So a 6 element lens is what most people use. Any make are decent. I use a rodenstock rodagon 50mm lens but other makes are just as good.
However, finding one that is properly assembled is another story. Many people buy several 50mm lenses and compare the results to find which is best.

as regards which enlarger take a look at the following and get the durst pdf it links to.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1858978&postcount=22

in europe you find durst are easiest to come by. The US makes are probably just as good but harder to source and find parts in europe.
 
I'd go for a Leitz Focomat 1c (use one myself with a Componon-s) or Leica Focomat V35 ( only the dedicated 40mm works). The auto focus alone make them worthwhile.
 
Anything with Leitz on it i guess would be too expensive for me. I think i'm going with something cheaper as i'v never actually did any prints, hence my newbie questions :)
 
Drago said:
Anything with Leitz on it i guess would be too expensive for me. I think i'm going with something cheaper as i'v never actually did any prints, hence my newbie questions :)
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The durst M670 is the sort of thing you should be looking at. It's not expensive but is good build quality. One with the VC head would be ideal but they are rare. Otherwise the B+W or Colour head. It will serve all your needs and will do medium format if you decide to go that route in future.

On filtration I would suggest the VC or B+W head are easiest. The VC head has filtration built in. The B+W head requires a set of Ilford filters which is no bad thing as they make life simple. A colour head with built in dichroic filters work just as well but sometimes need calibration which is difficult, especially for a beginner. You should be able to find an M670 for £200 or less.
Just make sure that whatever you buy is complete with everything you need otherwise you will be chasing odd bits which takes time and more money.

If you are on a really tight budget the M370 would work but has smaller max print size.
 
If you look hard enough you should be able to find one for free. Many people are giving them away these days because they take up space and very few people want them anymore.
 
Pablito said:
If you look hard enough you should be able to find one for free. Many people are giving them away these days because they take up space and very few people want them anymore.
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Good advice.
Enlargers are everywhere in the world.
You have to ask around and find someone who no longer use it.

We live in a very interesting time where many people gave up a wonderful craft for the sake of convenience.

Use it to your advantage.

Lens-wise, if you can find Komura brand, it's as good as those Nikkors without the price-tag. A veteran printer told me about this, and sure enough, I can visibly tell the difference in corner sharpness between prints produced using Komura vs Vivitar/Omegar lenses.
 
Speaking of corner sharpness...
I like to use a longer lens (use a 80mm on 35mm film) to get away from any problems with the enlarger lens. It can give you better image quality, but will limit the amount of enlargement.
My enlarger is mounted in a cabinet that the surface for the easel can be lowered, so I don't lose any possible enlargement.
...Terry
 
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