80mm Rodenstock Rodagon f5.6

[geraldatwork]

I just received this lens I "won" on ebay to enlarge my 6X6 negatives.I wanted a faster lens than 5.6 but at $30 including shipping I couldn't pass it up. It is a beautiful well build lens.

I know that most enlarging lenses are best stopped down at least a stop but if I have to use this lens wide open how is the performance for an 8"X10" or an 11"X14" enlargement? I would tend to think this lens would be good wide open because fully opened I can see the blades coming in a little at the edge maybe about 15 percent or so, as if they could of made this an f4 lens if they wanted to. Hope this makes sense.

 

[papagene]

Puff - Puff! Just ran down to my darkroom to check and I have a Rodagon 80mm f4 enlarging lens. It is a 6 element lens. Is the lens you have a 6 or a 4 element?
Even so, unless your negs are overly dense, you should be able to use f8 or f11 with that lens.

gene

 

[geraldatwork]

Gene, from what I understand all Roda"gons" are the better 6 element lenses whatever the focal length . Not sure if they offer the 5.6 lenses anymore in the 80mm length and just make the f4. BTW did you notice if the blades in yours go all of the way to the perimeter or slightly in as mine? The lens is in good condition and appears to be working perfectly with the aperture ring either in the click or continuous mode. Just want to make sure the blades coming in slightly is as should be for this lens.

 

[Ed Sukach]

No kidding!! I have one of those too!

One should remember that every lens is designed with a certain set of criteria. Usually in an enlarging lens, the OPTIMUM aperture will be at the center of the range. With an 80mm Rodenstock Rodagon, that will be at .. uh ... f/8. However, this, by NO means indicates that it is totally useless anywhere else. The average sane (well ... semi-sane, anyway) darkroom practioner, without an optical bench or MTF equipment will have a difficult time, REALLY difficult - determining *which* aperture was, in fact, used - unless the enlarging lens is a fugitive from a destructive testing lab - a complete wreck - or was obtained as a prize in a box of troglodyte Cracker Jacks. Rodenstock, Schneider, Nikon, and I'm sure - a host of others - are far more than "acceptable" at the extremes of their aperture ranges.

I am certainly as much of a perfectionist as the next guy, but I'll spend my "perfectionist energies" elsewhere, rather than fussing over optimum enlarging lens apertures.

 

[JohnArs]

Hi

In the past I asked Rodenstock personally in German because on some of the older german cameras was the sharpest f stop marked red or green and I asked if they could say me wich is the sharpest f stop on my f4 80mm Rodagon. I got the following answer: " On the APO Rodagons is it just 1 f stop from fully open on the others is it 2-3 F stops from fully open" end of citat Rodenstock!

 

[papagene]

Gerald,
Just got out of the darkroom from developing some film. And no my 80mm Rodagon does not show any of the aperture blades when fully open. But my 135 Schneider Componon-S f56 does, with no bad side effects. Go figure?!
The Rodagon is a very good lens though and you should be pleased with it.
gene