Pherdinand
the snow must go on
Hello y'all,
I have read an almost infinite amount of opinions on enlarging lens sharpness.
Lenses get designed and redesigned, apochromatic and other super expensive versions surface.
Now, i don't mean to underestimate a physicist or engineer at work, myself being one. And it's definitely good to keep them nerds off the streets.
However.
My brief analog enlarging experience shows that no matter the lens, i can see the film grain (with a grain focuser, that is) with all my lenses at all magnifications.
So the question:
If two lenses can both project a sharp image of the film grain onto the paper, where the heck does it matter "which lens is sharper"???
(Let's stick with black and white for simplicity.)
Thank you for reading!
Now say something!
I have read an almost infinite amount of opinions on enlarging lens sharpness.
Lenses get designed and redesigned, apochromatic and other super expensive versions surface.
Now, i don't mean to underestimate a physicist or engineer at work, myself being one. And it's definitely good to keep them nerds off the streets.
However.
My brief analog enlarging experience shows that no matter the lens, i can see the film grain (with a grain focuser, that is) with all my lenses at all magnifications.
So the question:
If two lenses can both project a sharp image of the film grain onto the paper, where the heck does it matter "which lens is sharper"???
(Let's stick with black and white for simplicity.)
Thank you for reading!
Now say something!
FujiLove
Well-known
My limited understanding is that expensive lenses are sharp to the extreme corners and they produce very even illumination i.e. no light fall off.
Do you see sharp grain at the edges of the images with your cheaper lens?
Do you see sharp grain at the edges of the images with your cheaper lens?
FujiLove
Well-known
Oh, and less distortion (barrel, pincushion etc).
Bille
Well-known
See chapter 6 / Page 57 ff.
http://ctein.com/PostExposure2ndIllustrated.pdf
Hope this answers some of your questions
Steve M.
Veteran
What FujilLve said. There's the resolution aspect as well. Seeing the grain is one thing, and having a sharp lens is quite another. That's an apples and oranges comparison, and is really more about lens resolution and focus accuracy. Expensive (sharper) lenses tend to be faster wide open too, which makes focusing them easier. A lens w/ more contrast will give more apparent sharpness, which will make printing low contrast negatives easier. A lot of variables go into picking out the right enlarging lens. Things like focal length and coverage are relevant as well. In the end, like all things photographic, the best lens is the one you like most.
Pherdinand
the snow must go on
Thanks Bille, interesting book.