Enlarging the grans

[Pherdinand]

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!

 

[FujiLove]

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?

 

[FujiLove]

Oh, and less distortion (barrel, pincushion etc).

 

[Bille]

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"???

See chapter 6 / Page 57 ff.
http://ctein.com/PostExposure2ndIllustrated.pdf

Hope this answers some of your questions

 

[Steve M.]

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]

Thanks Bille, interesting book.