80mm enlarging lens for Beseler 67c

[emurray]

I've been searching relentlessly for an answer, but have come up short.

I recently returned to my photographic roots by purchasing some old darkroom equipment, a Beseler 67c with a 50mm el-nikkor f2.8 lens. I've also recently discovered medium format with an old Rolleiflex Automat MX, so I'm shopping for an appropriate lens to be able to use with this enlarger and 6x6 negs.

I've found a 75mm F4.5 RODENSTOCK-OMEGAR (32MT) WITH RING, on KEH for $33, but I'm not sure how the lens mounting works. Will this fit the lens board that my 50mm el-nikkor lens uses? I'm guessing the "32mt" in the description at KEH refers to the diameter of the lens mount, and from the searching I've done, the 50mm el-nikkor is 39mt.

Question #2, If I do, in fact need a new lens board, can you easily make a working one out of black illustration board like you can with negative carriers?

Thanks.
eric

 

[ann]

your correct that lens will not fit the same board.

and no you can't make a lens board from mat board, it will not support the weight of the lens.

check freestyle, i believe they have genic b oards that will fit tht enlarger, or find a machince shop that can cut something for you from the proper metal depth.

take in your current board so they can see what needs to be done, and the size of the lens that you want mounted.

 

[emurray]

ann,

Thanks so much for the info. That was exactly what I was looking for. I was afraid that I might need a new lens board.

 

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, I think it's better to just buy a good quality 80mm lens with the standard 39mm mount. The lenses with names ending in "ar" are not usually the best.

Jon

 

[emurray]

Hi, I think it's better to just buy a good quality 80mm lens with the standard 39mm mount. The lenses with names ending in "ar" are not usually the best.

Jon

Jon, thanks for the reply. I've been shopping around the internet all day and for whatever reason, a lot of vendors seem to not list the 39mm mount. The el-nikkors seem to fall in my price range. Should I assume that all el-nikkors use the 39mm mount? Is there a specific size mount that is fairly typical and/or standard?

Any lens you recommend for someone on a budget?

 

[Lachlan Young]

Minolta E.Rokkor 75mm f4.5 is a superb and cheap secondhand lens - they are however not all that common. If you want to buy new the Meopta Anaret S 80mm f4.5 or Meogon S 80mm f4 are both highly regarded and cheap with staggering build quality. A lot of people engage in heated arguments over which of the 'big three' manufacturers' (Rodenstock, Nikkor, Schneider) enlarger lenses are best when lenses of equal and quite possibly superior quality are available to those who do their research!

Hope this helps,

Lachlan

 

[Jon Shiu]

Jon, thanks for the reply. I've been shopping around the internet all day and for whatever reason, a lot of vendors seem to not list the 39mm mount. The el-nikkors seem to fall in my price range. Should I assume that all el-nikkors use the 39mm mount? Is there a specific size mount that is fairly typical and/or standard?

Any lens you recommend for someone on a budget?

Hi, 39mm is the standard size lensmount. The dealer should let you know if the lens they are selling has a non-standard size mount. As for a good lens, it depends on the type of pictures and how much you are enlarging. The el nikkors are good, note that the cheaper 75mm is a 4-element design and the 80mm is a 6 element design and should be sharper if you are going to make enlargements bigger than 8x10. It is worth it to get a good enlarging lens, and you don't have to spend a lot these days, what with the low demand for used lenses. Other good ones are Schneider Componon S, and Rodenstock Rodagon.

Jon

 

[emurray]

Everybody, thanks so much for the help.

My local camera shop has a couple of Schneider Componon lenses brand new that they said they can sell me for $115.00. I doubt I will be enlarging my negs much farther than 8x10, but then again, it's probably better to be prepared for the future.