Enlarger lens mount sizes

[Muggins]

For some reason I had it in my head that enlarger lenses all used L39 as a standard mount. However, while rummaging through my connection of weird junk, I realised c that I have at least 4 enlarger lenses with at least 3 different mount sizes between them - including a Meopta lens that is closer to 20mm than 39mm.

ETA make that 5 lenses... and two enlargers, both with different mounts!

Can anyone ease my confusion?

 

[Oren Grad]

KHB Photografix is an enlarger specialist. Scroll down to the "Lens Mounts" section on their LPL 4x5 page and see how many different mount sizes they offer:

The LPL Enlarger Guide: LPL model 7452L 4x5 Enlargers

EDIT: By the way, some enlarging lenses are switch-hitters. The main barrel of the 135mm f/5.6 EL-Nikkor A that I own has a 50mm mount, but the lens came standard with an adapter ring to reduce that to the more common 39mm Leica thread.

 

[rfaspen]

The 2 most common would be 39 and 25mm. Looking through all of my enlarger lenses I think I only have those 2 sizes. The longer lenses (135 and 150) might be larger than 39mm, but don't appear to be. I haven't used any of them for a while, especially the long FL ones. Kind of sad.

 

[Muggins]

Thanks - I suspect mine may be 32.5 and 39mm (and that one funny Meopta lens must be 25mm, or even smaller), but I'm going to have to get the calipers out and measure. Annoyingly, I think I might be ending up using one enlarger for some formats and the other for others because of the different sizes relative to what lenses fit! Ah well, good job I'm used to muddling along...

 

[santino]

39mm totally makes sense. There were parts of the world where one had a camera, an enlarger and only one 50mm lens with m(L)39 mount.

 

[Cascadilla]

My 50, 80 and 105 El Nikkor enlarging lenses are all 39 mm, but my 150 El Nikkor is 50 mm. When I had an Isco 50 mm on my Durst M 600 it was 25 mm. Older enlarging lenses were often slower so they could have smaller barrels, and thus smaller thread sizes. The idea of using camera lenses used to be much more common--Zeiss made a 35 mm enlarger in the 1930's and made an adapter to use Contax 50 mm lenses on it for enlarging.

 

[rfaspen]

I know I have at least 2 lensboards for my current enlarger (Omega). Pretty easy to switch lenses and formats. But if I had room (and time), two enlargers might be nicer. I'm just not doing so much film or darkroom anymore. Cyanotype doesn't really qualify.....does it?

 

[Muggins]

Finally got bored enough to get the calipers out. The tiny Meopta one appears to be ~23.5mm, I have a larger Meopta one that seems to be about 31mm (someone has glued it into a cardboard mount), I have a Gino anastigmat which is LTM (fits an LTM adapter I have), and the 3 1/4" Wray Supar that was in the Gamer enlarger seems to be 31mm.

So, as it stands, I don't think I can do 6x9 with any of them unless the modded Belar can be somehow attached to the Gnome enlarger... which would probably then need a different condenser... though I might have to use a diffuser instead... fun & games!

 

[Muggins]

Obllox! Have just bought a Meopta lens on an adapter expecting it to be 39mm... and it's 50mm!

 

[Photar]

Obllox! Have just bought a Meopta lens on an adapter expecting it to be 39mm... and it's 50mm!

I have two enlarger lenses with M50x0.75 mount (EL-Nikkor 135mm A and 150mm A). However, both can be converted to L39 (LTM) by unscrewing the default mount. I don't know any Meopta lenses, but maybe worth checking whether the same holds for your lens.

 

[Muggins]

I have two enlarger lenses with M50x0.75 mount (EL-Nikkor 135mm A and 150mm A). However, both can be converted to L39 (LTM) by unscrewing the default mount. I don't know any Meopta lenses, but maybe worth checking whether the same holds for your lens.

Unfortunately this baby is 20 or 23.5mm.

 

[Photar]

Meopta also produced macro lenses (similar to Luminar, Photar, etc.). These often come in RMS mount. Maybe your lens has an RMS mount? 20mm sounds close to it.

 

[Muggins]

Sounds possible, though TBH if I can just get a 75/80mm lens on my enlarger I doubt I'll investigate further.

 

[mrtoml]

I've owned a couple of Meopta enlargers in the past. As I recall they sometimes came with different plates of different sizes so that different enlarger lenses could be used.

 

[Muggins]

I've owned a couple of Meopta enlargers in the past. As I recall they sometimes came with different plates of different sizes so that different enlarger lenses could be used.

Apparently Mr Cad used to be Meopta distributors, and a phone call might bring the goods dor an adapter. Alternatively, I have a lead on some 3d-print Meopta downloads, so hopefully...

 

[mrtoml]

Apparently Mr Cad used to be Meopta distributors, and a phone call might bring the goods dor an adapter. Alternatively, I have a lead on some 3d-print Meopta downloads, so hopefully...

Mr Cad has a lot of discontinued stuff. I recently bought some Tetenal toner which is really hard to find. They had several bottles.

 

[rfaspen]

Just a thought; years ago I had to fabricate my own lens board for my Omega to use my old 50 ektar (25mm mount). I traced the 39mm board on a sheet of 3/16 (?) thick aluminum and cut out with a smattering of tools -- drill, jigsaw, files. Lucky that I had a drill bit just about 25mm (7/8 or 15/16- inch I think) to make the center hole. Voilla, a coat of flat black spray paint and I could use my old ektar!

That was at least (!) 20 years ago. Folks would 3d print now-a-days.

Sorry all measurements are imperial.

 

[Muggins]

Just a thought; years ago I had to fabricate my own lens board for my Omega to use my old 50 ektar (25mm mount). I traced the 39mm board on a sheet of 3/16 (?) thick aluminum and cut out with a smattering of tools -- drill, jigsaw, files. Lucky that I had a drill bit just about 25mm (7/8 or 15/16- inch I think) to make the center hole. Voilla, a coat of flat black spray paint and I could use my old ektar!

That was at least (!) 20 years ago. Folks would 3d print now-a-days.

Sorry all measurements are imperial.

I can handle imperial, no probs about that. Well, until you get to barleycorns and bushels. It looks at the mo as though an acquaintance will 3d print one which is handy as I'm a near- beginner at metalwork.

 

[Dralowid]

Sorry all measurements are imperial.

I used to visit the US just for the feet and inches...

 

[rfaspen]

When you work in the sciences (as I do) you find yourself simultaneously confused and skilled at guesstimating/ converting between the two. Unless you're a scientist in a SI country. Lucky devils. 😉