which rodagon

A

arcimboldo

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i am looking for a rodagon equivalent to schneiders componon s. are there different series and where are the differences?
thanks, a.
 
Rodenstock do the Rodagon range, which is probably the equivalent of the Companon. But also there's the Apo-Rodagon-N range, which is better. I picked a s/h 50mm one up on ebay years ago for not a lot - you can get very good bargains on enlarger lenses these days.
 
The APO-Rodagon is magnificent, but they seem to come at a premium compared to the Componon-S lenses. Not sure there is enough improvement seen to warrant the extra price. The size you're going to be printing would also impact the decision- smaller than 12x16" I don;t think I'd notice the difference between a COmponon-S and an APO Rodagon.
 
The APO-Rodagon N's are nice lenses. As sepiareverb says, probably not worth it if you aren't doing huge enlargements, though definitely worth it if you can pick up an 80mm APO for $50 (which I did :D ). If you can snag the 50 for less than $100-150, it's might be the thing to do.

That being said, I'd look for the best deal on a Rodagon, Componon-S, or Nikkor 50/2.8N and just go with that.

Here's a rundown of the Rodagon enlarging lenses:
http://www.rodenstock-photo.com/en/main/products/lenses-for-enlarging-and-ccd/

You'll want one of the ones with a body style like the ones pictured on the page. It will help you avoid older designs.
 
Tim Gray said:
...definitely worth it if you can pick up an 80mm APO for $50 (which I did :D ). If you can snag the 50 for less than $100-150, it's might be the thing to do.

That being said, I'd look for the best deal on a Rodagon, Componon-S, or Nikkor 50/2.8N and just go with that.
Click to expand...

Watching and waiting really does pay off- all my current enlarging lenses were quite inexpensive and all but one in nearly new condition. Not quite that kinda deal Tim, but nowhere near what I'd have paid ten years ago.

The Nikon is certainly a bargain for an excellent lens. Componon-S are going pretty crazy cheap these days but I rarely see the Rodagons at the same prices.
 
Yeah I lucked out big time on the 80. I got tired of waiting for a great deal on the 50 and just bought one on ebay for $150 I think. I figured the two averaged out :) And now I'm set for enlarging lenses for life.
 
Ctein's excellent book, Post Exposure, has an extensive section on enlarger lenses. Because it is out of print, Ctein has generously made the book a free download.
 
semilog said:
Ctein's excellent book, Post Exposure, has an extensive section on enlarger lenses. Because it is out of print, Ctein has generously made the book a free download.
Click to expand...

Wow! Thanks for the link. Reading that I start to realise how little I know about printing.... A telling quote from this book regarding this thread:

"The single most important piece of photographic
equipment you’ll ever own is your enlarging lens.
It doesn’t matter how good the camera body or
lens is or how expensive the enlarger chassis is. A
mediocre enlarging lens will make every print
mediocre."

But reading on he says for truly sharp prints anything less than 4x5 format is a waste of time... But most of us would settle for what is 'acceptable'.
 
It is a great book, but Ctein is a bit over the top sometimes. Take it with a grain of salt. I'm personally ok that my prints are 'truly sharp'.
 
The 6-element lenses are excellent. I use 50mm and 80mm Rodenstock Rodagon and EL-Nikkor lenses. The 75mm lens is the only EL-Nikkor lens that is not 6 elements.
 
The regular Rodagons are superb and I would be amazed if you can see any difference in B&W printing over and above these lenses once they are at their optimum aperture.

The 63 Nikkor 2.8 is a nice lens. V good at F4 and astonishing at f5.6.

I am sure the APO lenses are better for colour and hit their best aperture more quickly, but I am skeptical as to whether they are worth the money with B&W for anyone using anything other than double glasses in their carrier and a laser aligned enlarger for large prints. If you are making 14x11 prints from glassless carriers, you are wasting your money on an expensive lens. There are other things to get sorted first.
 
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