Any Virtures to old, metal enlarging lenses?

chip j · Aug 22, 2019

Besides their fabulous build quality?

choiliefan · Aug 22, 2019

I have a coated 7-1/2" Wollensak which is a very nice lens and wasn't expensive.

Cholentpot · Aug 22, 2019

I've dropped mine on concrete and the concrete got chipped.

guangong · Aug 22, 2019

All my enlarging lenses...ccompenen, focotar, Minolta, rodenstok, Minox...are all made of metal, when did they begin making plastic enlarging lenses?

choiliefan · Aug 22, 2019

My "newer" 50-80mm Companon lenses are mostly plastic.

Paul Howell · Aug 22, 2019

I have a couple of 3 element lens that are mostly plastic barrels, along with a newer 60mm Companon. The rest of my my 4 and 6 element lens have metal barrels but do have a few plastic parts,. More recent lens are likely made of plastic. In terms of optical performance, doubt that there is a difference a plastic or metal barrel lens of the same design, or if there is difference it would be favor newer lens with a plastic barrel.

choiliefan · Aug 22, 2019

My 50mm APO Rodagon appears mostly plastic.

BAC1967 · Aug 22, 2019

So far the only virtue is chipping concrete?

John Koehrer · Aug 22, 2019

Please! It's not plastic, It's polycarbonate resin. Big words make it more expensive and plastic is for amateurs.

chip j · Aug 22, 2019

I think older lenses have lower contrast, which suits me fine.

Cholentpot · Aug 22, 2019

BAC1967 said:
So far the only virtue is chipping concrete?

Still functioned fine after.

To be honest, my glasses are made out of plastic and I see everything through them. I'm beginning to think that glass might be over rated.

jimjm · Aug 22, 2019

I have a 75mm Kodak Enlarging Ektar from the mid-50's. Chrome finish, 5-element, nothing but metal and glass. Only thing I wish it had is an illuminated aperture like more modern lenses.
Prints with this lens are pretty much indistinguishable from those with an 80mm Schneider Componon-S. Kodak made some outstanding lenses back in the day.

Hilo · Aug 22, 2019

chip j said:
I think older lenses have lower contrast, which suits me fine.

Yes, older lenses are a bit less contrasty, but in the end you yourself determine your contrast, not the lens.

Like some others here I have only metal lenses. The ones I prefer most when it comes to being metal are the Meopta Meogon 50mm and 60mm. Because they are heavy and they have a large metal zebra ring for the aperture settings. Best operation ever. And they were tested in the eighties with many other 6 elements lenses and came out on top. You find them at less than 100 euros . . .

chip j · Aug 22, 2019

I read where one guy's plastic 50mm Componon S came apart in his hands! Another bought a set of old metal El-Nikkors solely because they were manufactured during Nikon's glory days.

Marco Gilardetti · Aug 29, 2019

I'd rather revert your question: which are the virtues of newer plastic lenses, aside of cost-cutting and thus higher profitability on the producer's side?

chip j · Aug 29, 2019

Too clinical??

Jim Jones · Aug 29, 2019

I see little difference in performance between the original DeJur Tessar type lens from perhaps 1950 and a newer Nikkor six element lens. Both are completely satisfactory.

voceumana · Aug 29, 2019

Plastic body lenses were designed solely to reduce manufacturing costs. I think some of the last metal Nikon lenses were the same optical formula as the newer plastic body lenses--this may be true of other manufacturers as well.

Barry Thornton mentioned that one of his plastic body lenses had the outer ring split in half--probably won't have that happen with metal. (The lens still functioned fine.)

RalphLambrecht · Aug 29, 2019

John Koehrer said:
Please! It's not plastic, It's polycarbonate resin. Big words make it more expensive and plastic is for amateurs.

plastic is fantastic but only steel isreal!

John51 · Aug 29, 2019

Most of the buyers of those plastic lenses got it right. They got to buy more consumables with their savings. By the time the plastic shell broke, it didn't matter, they'd gone digital.

DREW WILEY · Aug 29, 2019

When was steel ever used? Aluminum alloy or brass. Plastic is more of a current thing because it goes into the recycle bin at the end of each week - you know, being environmentally responsible. Flatten it with your foot like a soda can first. But weight is due to focal length in relation to maximum aperture. It has nothing to do with something being old or not. The glass is a lot more heavy than the housing itself, or should be. If not, stomp and discard as already prescribed.

Arklatexian · Aug 29, 2019

John Koehrer said:
Please! It's not plastic, It's polycarbonate resin. Big words make it more expensive and plastic is for amateurs.

+1

Marco Gilardetti · Aug 30, 2019

John51 said:
Most of the buyers of those plastic lenses got it right. They got to buy more consumables with their savings. By the time the plastic shell broke, it didn't matter, they'd gone digital.

Got you... But savings? Which savings? Same price but made of ~~crap~~ plastic instead of metal! That was the business...

DREW WILEY said:
Plastic is more of a current thing because it goes into the recycle bin at the end of each week - you know, being environmentally responsible.

Don't know about the US, but here before all that useless plastic kicked in, empty glass bottles had to be returned in order to be reused and refilled, and the supermarkets paid you for getting them back. It was few cents of course, but still enough for compelling poor people or kids to go around and rescue abandoned or trashed empty glass bottles in order to rise few bucks. That was being environmentally friendly, if you ask me...

Truzi · Aug 30, 2019

Marco Gilardetti said:
Don't know about the US, but here before all that useless plastic kicked in, empty glass bottles had to be returned in order to be reused and refilled, and the supermarkets paid you for getting them back. It was few cents of course, but still enough for compelling poor people or kids to go around and rescue abandoned or trashed empty glass bottles in order to rise few bucks. That was being environmentally friendly, if you ask me...

Yep, it used to be that way in here the US. Groups would even have pop-bottle drives to raise money for youth groups, scouts, little league teams, etc.

bdial · Aug 30, 2019

Most grocery stores here have one or two brands of milk from small, local producers that are in glass, and there is a deposit to pay which you get back when you bring the bottle back in. It's generally better tasting milk than what comes from the large dairies, but it's quite a lot more expensive.
As for the plastic in lens bodies and such, it doesn't have to be inferior to other materials, though no "modern" plastics have made it to 100 years yet, much less beyond that, so maybe time will tell. I've been wearing plastic lens spectacles for many years now, and IMHO, plastic lenses for eyeglasses are very much superior to glass.

Any Virtures to old, metal enlarging lenses?

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