What lens to keep ?

[gliderbee]

I'm rebuilding my darkroom, and nearly ready.

Since the 80mm I needed came with a 50mm in the deal, I now have two 50mm lenses:

- Rodenstock Rodagon F2.8
- Schneider Componon F4

Which one should I keep ?

Thanks,
Stefan.

 

[Finder]

The Rodenstock. It is the better lens.

 

[payasam]

The Componons I have used have been excellent. I do not know if, in these times, you will get a decent price for an enlarging lens.

 

[DNG]

Rodenstock Rodagon F2.8

Faster -- read brighter image to focus with
Great IQ the Rodagon line is a quality line.

But, the Componon line is no slouch either. but the image won't be as bright to focus with... Not a big deal---really. f/4 brightness is focusable also.
Use both, and pick the one you like.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

As everyone else has said, the Rodenstock is better. I used Componon-S lenses, which were newer Schneider lenses and they were extremely good. I still have them, no one will give me anything for them so i keep them.

 

[gliderbee]

Ok, then I'll start with the Schneider, and try the Rodagon next (and hope I'll see the improvement 🙂).

I bought them both S/H (the Rodenstock came with the Durst 1200, the Schneider came in the deal with a 80mm Schneider Componon).

I guess the Schneider 80 is better then the Meopta Anarets ? I have two of those: 75mm and 80mm; one came with a S/H Meopta 5 color-enlarger (that I got for free), the other was with my first Meopta 5 from 30 years ago ..

Stefan.

As everyone else has said, the Rodenstock is better. I used Componon-S lenses, which were newer Schneider lenses and they were extremely good. I still have them, no one will give me anything for them so i keep them.

 

[douwe]

Generally speaking the Schneider 80mm lens will beat the meopta lenses. You might want to test this though, because the variation between lenses of the same make can be quite large. This will require a glass negative carrier and a well aligned enlarger.
The Rodenstock Rodagon 50mm f/2.8 will be a better lens than the Schneider 50mm f/4 lens, because it is a 6 element double gaussian design, and the Schneider probably isn't. Four element tessar type lenses are always slower, because the abberations at larger openings would be very bad. I expect the Schneider to be a tessar design.
With proper alignment of your enlarger, and a glass negative carrier, you can use the Rodenstock at f/5.6. Otherwise, print at f/8