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Are enlarging lenses universal?

W_Taylor76

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Idaho
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Multi Format
I am looking at getting equipment to set up my own darkroom. I shoot medium format film and some 4x5 pinhole. I am looking at getting the 90mm lens first to be able to print my medium format film. Are the openings in the lens boards the same size from one enlarger to another, or do you have to get a specific lens based off of the enlarger you have?
 
Almost all enlarging lenses will fit any enlarger. You need a lens board to match the lens, sometimes a cone for certain Omega enlargers.
 
Almost all enlarging lenses have threaded connectors.
Some enlargers - usually very basic models oriented toward beginners - have a single, fixed threaded connector for lenses.
Many enlargers use a system that allows you to use lenses with different sized threads. The systems vary - lens boards, lens plates, cones, lens cups (like LPL).
39mm threads are quite common, but definitely not universal.
Most use metric sizes, but older US and English equipment might use other types of threads.
 
By far most lenses I have seen have 39mm threads. Some are smaller such as the older schneider lenses. I think those are 25mm but not sure.
 
Which enlarger? What kind of lensboard is on the enlarger now; how big is the hole and is it threaded?
 
You will probably want to get a different lens for your MF negatives than you use for the 4x5, buy as mentioned by others, enlarger lenses are mostly 'universal' each make/model enlarger will have a certain size lensboard, and the lens will mount to the lensboard, then the lensboard goes into the enlarger. You will probably want a lensboard for each lens that you have.
 
i get the impression that the OP
ic-racer said:
Which enlarger? What kind of lensboard is on the enlarger now; how big is the hole and is it threaded?
Click to expand...
I get the impression that the OP is thinking about buying lenses first, and then an enlarger to work with them.
 
As OP is shooting 4X5 pin hole he/she needs a 4X5 enlarger, the brand that I can think of that has a fixed lens board is Federal, the more common brands Omega, Bessler and Durst have interchangeable lens boards.
 
I have an old Besler 23CII, but since I have started shooting 4x5 pinhole and wanted to make sure that if I were to update to an enlarger that can print my 4x5 negs that my lens would work on both enlargers with just swapping out the lens boards. I guess the correct question would be to ask is if the holes in the lens boards about the same to take on most lenses, and will most lenses work any the majority of the different lensboards?
 
Here is a page from KHB's website which serves as a reference for the lens plates that are used on Omega D5 and D6 enlargers. I link to it because it lists a lot of commonly encountered lenses, and shows which mounting threads they have: http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/LensMountD5.htm
The lenses listed aren't all the lenses available, but it is a good list.
 
No. They are not universal in terms of all having the same thread, even in the same nominal focal length. But many do share the most common threads like 39mm, or 50mm for somewhat longer focal lengths.
 
Lens boards for the Beseler 45M are so simple that you can make one yourself. It is a 4-inch aluminum square, 1/8-inch thick. I used 1/16-inch thick sheet aluminum, and bent the corners up enough to imitate 1/8-inch thickness. Works well. Then you can cut any size hole you want.

Mark Overton
 
The Beseler 23C and 45M enlargers use the same 4” lens boards if that is helpful.
 
Most enlarging lenses have the so called "Leica" thread, but the deeper you dig the more variability in mounting can be uncovered. Especially with e-bay, where the seller is more-often-than-not, ignorant of photography, one can easily purchase an enlarging lens nearly impossible to mount on one's enlarger.

For example I spent years looking for 3 matching Componon-S lenses to mount here (designed originally to mount "non-S" Componons).
BTW, nothing wrong with "non-S" Componons, but all the examples I own or could locate, have fungus, separation and scratches; usually all 3 on the same lens.
 
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I have a Schneider 40mm with smaller thread than 39mm and a Nikkor 135 with 42mm thread. Others are 39mm thread.
 

Just to make sure you know: Your 90mm lens will NOT work for 4x5; it won't "see" the entire negative. Larger film formats need longer lenses. The standard focal length for 4x5 is 150mm. There are also some 135mm lenses that are designed for enlarging 4x5. Shorter than that won't work. (For some reason, no one has mentioned that in the thread so far...). However, if you're just interested in being able to use your 90mm lens to enlarge medium-format film on a future 4x5 enlarger, then no worries. Since you have a 23C already, a Beseler 4x5 enlarger would even accept the same lensboard that you use already.

Also, it is possible to enlarge smaller formats with a longer lens, e.g., you could easily make an enlargement from medium-format film with a 150mm lens; only the maximum size of the enlargement will be limited. I like longer-than-standard lenses for enlarging as long as I can get the size enlargement I need; less light fall-off in the corners.

Best,

Doremus
 
I believe the OP was getting a 90mm for medium format, not for 4x5. I do agree about using longer focal length lenses--you are using the sweet spot of the lens and unless you are making a large print or cropping a small area, it usual works out fine. Plus there is more room between the lens and baseboard for dodging and burning.
 
My favorite enlarging lens for med format, esp 6x9, is actually a 150mm Apo Rodagon N, something ordinarily prescribed for 4X5 (sometimes I use it for that too). Why? That way I'm using just the center of the optic, making it proficient at even the widest stop if necessary. But more importantly, this gives me perfect illumination of the field, so that standard burning-in of corners and edges is not even needed - one less nuisance. Scale this up, and you can understand why I often use a 180mm lens, over even a 240mm, instead of 150mm for 4x5 film, though I have distinct other reasons for keeping all these various lens options on hand.
Now I will admit that with somewhat smaller 6X7 originals this habit can lead to an annoying amount of distance between the enlarger head and the easel when using a 150mm lens, causing me to defer to a 105 Apo Rodagon N instead, which still in my opinion is preferable for 6x9 to a 90mm lens. But a 90 would in turn be preferable for 6x7 work to a 75 or 80mm, and so forth. Medium format can imply very different things in this respect. 6x9 is twice the size as 645.
 
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+1
, Also, the focal length required is typically the 'normal' focal length for that format(such as 80mm for MF and 150mm for 4x5).
 
I have a Schneider 90mm APO Componon lens, but still prefer the Schneider 135 Componon-S for medium format unless I am blowing up the neg a lot.
 
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