Best/cheapest enlarger lens for Beseler 23CII for big BW prints from Kodak Medalist 6x9 negatives?

[68degrees]

The camera has a 100mm Ektar lens. I want to make up to 16x20 black and white prints. The enlarger is a Beseler 23CII. The carrier is anti newton ring glass. I thought about an Ektar 100mm because the camera lens is 100mm and is also an Ektar but I read that it has only 4 elements and that is not enough to print super sharp 16x20 from 6x9. Please advise. Thanks.

 

[Arklatexian]

The camera has a 100mm Ektar lens. I want to make up to 16x20 black and white prints. The enlarger is a Beseler 23CII. The carrier is anti newton ring glass. I thought about an Ektar 100mm because the camera lens is 100mm and is also an Ektar but I read that it has only 4 elements and that is not enough to print super sharp 16x20 from 6x9. Please advise. Thanks.

If you can find a 100mm Enlarging Ektar, and you have a good, sharp negative, and are careful, you should be able to enlarge up to and including 16 x 20 black and white. If you can't, the problem will be the photographer, and not his/her equipment. Kodak Enlarging Ektars are vastly underrated, especially for Black and White.........Regards!

 

[Hilo]

There are various Schneider Componon-S 100mm or Rodagon 105mm lenses for sale well under $ 100 . . .

 

[Lachlan Young]

What Hilo said - and there are Nikkor & Durst Neonon ones that are just as good too.

 

[John51]

My 100mm Enlarging Ektar is something like 39.5mm thread iirc.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have a 100mm Enlarging Ektar, Schneider 105 and a Wollensak 90. When I enlarger beyond 11X14 I use the Wollensak, it covers to the corners and is as sharp as the others, but not as bright. The Schneider and Ektar are both 4.5 the Schneider is a lot brighter. The Kodaks and Wollensaks can be found on the cheap.

 

[mshchem]

There's all kinds of 105mm lenses out there, I always used El Nikkors, less expensive than the European models. Now enlarging lenses are very plentiful. Watch out for fungus.

 

[mshchem]

The Wollensak lenses are excellent and very cheap. The last Raptar versions are great. CHECK CLOSE FOR FUNGUS AND HAZE

 

[68degrees]

The Wollensak lenses are excellent and very cheap. The last Raptar versions are great. CHECK CLOSE FOR FUNGUS AND HAZE

thats hard to do on ebay. what do you advise?

 

[mshchem]

thats hard to do on ebay. what do you advise?

Buy through Ebay. Look at pictures. Make sure the seller knows what they are selling. A newer 6 element lens like a El Nikkor or Rodagon will cost more but are more likely to be sold by someone that knows what's good and bad. If you see spots or trails in the glass that's likely a fungus. Little dust specks are normal.
Enlarger lenses are used in damp cool places, if not stored properly stuff grows in between the cemented elements and destroys the glass.

 

[Rick A]

I have a couple of the Wollensak 90mm enlarging Raptars, one still NIB. They were designed specifically to enlarge 6x9 format and are excellent up to 20x24 in my experience. Again, actual enlargement quality is solely up to the photographer. I'm open to letting one go, I only have one retaining ring, so mounting is up to the new owner. These are 29mm mount.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

The camera has a 100mm Ektar lens. I want to make up to 16x20 black and white prints. The enlarger is a Beseler 23CII. The carrier is anti newton ring glass. I thought about an Ektar 100mm because the camera lens is 100mm and is also an Ektar but I read that it has only 4 elements and that is not enough to print super sharp 16x20 from 6x9. Please advise. Thanks.

a 100mm or slightly shorter 6-element enlarging lens should work great.

 

[mgb74]

I have a couple of the Wollensak 90mm enlarging Raptars, one still NIB. They were designed specifically to enlarge 6x9 format and are excellent up to 20x24 in my experience. Again, actual enlargement quality is solely up to the photographer. I'm open to letting one go, I only have one retaining ring, so mounting is up to the new owner. These are 29mm mount.

29mm mount?

 

[68degrees]

29mm mount?

is 29mm mount uncommon? Will it be hard for me to find a retaning ring?

 

[MattKing]

is 29mm mount uncommon? Will it be hard for me to find a retaning ring?

Yes.
Maybe.

 

[jjphoto]

... The last Raptar versions are great. ....

Isn't there only one version of the Wollensak Raptar ? If not then please advise how to differentiate them.

Or are you referring to the 'PRO Raptar' which is a completely different lens being 6/4 construction (the 'Raptars' are 4/3)?

There is also a series of 'Graphic Raptars' but despite trying I've never found any documentation about them. I suspect they are just 'Raptars' but rebranded for some unknown marketing reason.

 

[68degrees]

Yes.
Maybe.

well im going to need a 29mm ring nut because i took Rick A up on his offer of a mint new in box coated Wollensack Raptar 90mm that is specifically designed for 6x9 negs. I will also need a Beseler lens board with the right size hole.

 

[MattKing]

well im going to need a 29mm ring nut because i took Rick A up on his offer of a mint new in box coated Wollensack Raptar 90mm that is specifically designed for 6x9 negs. I will also need a Beseler lens board with the right size hole.

Also consider looking for a blank board, and a local machine shop who can drill a hole for you.
Just musing here - is there a chance that the actual size of the threads/retaining ring isn't metric - 1 1/8 inches.

 

[mshchem]

I believe that the Wollensak lenses are American thread. When I was a kid the only thing I could afford was a 162mm Wollensak for my 4x5. This is back when Rodenstock lenses cost as much as a decent used car. Mine was missing the flange ,of course. I ended up having a friend talk to his Dad who had a board made and threaded . It cost me 20 bucks which was a great deal of money in 1972.

One temporary fix is to cut a board out of thin hardboard, like Masonite or 5mm plywood cut a hole and "thread" the lens into the board. It isn’t great but I know guys that have done this for year.

 

[mshchem]

Isn't there only one version of the Wollensak Raptar ? If not then please advise how to differentiate them.

Or are you referring to the 'PRO Raptar' which is a completely different lens being 6/4 construction (the 'Raptars' are 4/3)?

There is also a series of 'Graphic Raptars' but despite trying I've never found any documentation about them. I suspect they are just 'Raptars' but rebranded for some unknown marketing reason.

You are correct. I don't think the last versions were anything special ,but the Graphic Raptars in black barrels with red lettering look awesome. These all had the Wolcoat lens coatings. I have Commercial Ektars and Ilex lenses, I'm no expert on LF lenses but the Americans made nice lenses.

 

[Ian C]

Although the thread OD is close to 29 mm, that’s not likely the actual design diameter. All of the Wollensak lenses I own or that I have measured for others have fractional-inch diameters and some integer number of threads per inch using 60° Unified V-thread as verified with my Lufkin thread-pitch gage.

For example, my 162 mm f/4.5 Enlarging Raptar has 2” x 30 tpi thread.

Several Kodak and Wollensak enlarger lenses (both brands made in Rochester, NY) that I have measured have 1- and-3/8-inch x 30 tpi mounting threads.

My Wollensak 3 ½” f/4.5-32 Enlarging Velostigmat has 1- and-3/16” diameter x 40 tpi thread. It measures 1.1837” diameter, or 0.0038” smaller than the nominal diameter for assembly clearance.

A focal length of 3 ½” is essentially the same as 90 mm. Both the 3 ½” Velostigmat and the 90 mm Enlarging Raptar were made by Wollensak. It seems likely that both of these lenses of about the same size from the same maker would use the same thread. This is uncertain without an actual measurement of the lens in question. 1- and 3/16-inch x 40 tpi flanges or retaining rings are about as scarce as hen’s teeth now in 2019.

I’ve never encountered a 29 mm thread on any enlarging lens. Old (very old) Schneider 50 mm Componon lenses had 29.5 mm x 0.40 mm pitch thread according to some old Schneider data. See column C in the Componon data in the following link.

https://www.schneideroptics.com/info/vintage_lens_data/enlarging_lenses/enlarging.pdf

I have a very old Wirgin Wiesbaden Gewironar 1:4.5 7.5 cm enlarger lens with 29.5 mm x 0.5 mm pitch thread.

It’s often the case that folks use a ruler to “measure” an unknown thread diameter. Doing it this way is only an estimate. A proper measurement of a male thread must be done with a micrometer caliper with 0.001” or 0.02 mm resolution.

The thread pitch must be measured with a thread-pitch gage. It’s important to realize that the actual diameter of male thread is usually somewhat smaller than the nominal diameter due to the necessary assembly clearance.

 

[mshchem]

Although the thread OD is close to 29 mm, that’s not likely the actual design diameter. All of the Wollensak lenses I own or that I have measured for others have fractional-inch diameters and some integer number of threads per inch using 60° Unified V-thread as verified with my Lufkin thread-pitch gage.

For example, my162 mm f/4.5 Enlarging Raptar has 2” x 30 tpi thread.

Several Kodak and Wollensak enlarger lenses (both brands made in Rochester, NY) that I have measured have 1- and 3/8-inch x 30 tpi mounting threads.

My Wollensak 3 ½” f/4.5-32 Enlarging Velostigmat has 1- and 3/16” diameter x 40 tpi thread. It measures 1.1837” diameter, or 0.0038” smaller than the nominal diameter for assembly clearance.

A focal length of 3 ½” is essentially the same as 90 mm. Both the 3 ½” Velostigmat and the 90 mm Enlarging Raptar were made by Wollensak. It seems likely that both of these lenses of about the same size from the same maker would use the same thread. This is uncertain without an actual measurement of the lens in question. 1- and 3/16-inch x 40 tpi flanges or retaining rings are about as scarce as hen’s teeth now in 2019.

I’ve never encountered a 29 mm thread on any enlarging lens. Old (very old) Schneider 50 mm Componon lenses had 29.5 mm x 0.40 mm pitch thread according to some old Schneider data. See column C in the Componon data in the following link.

https://www.schneideroptics.com/info/vintage_lens_data/enlarging_lenses/enlarging.pdf

I have a very old Wirgin Wiesbaden Gewironar 1:4.5 7.5 cm enlarger lens with 29.5 mm x 0.5 mm pitch thread.

It’s often the case that folks use a ruler to “measure” an unknown thread diameter. Doing it this way is only an estimate. A proper measurement of a male thread must be done with a micrometer caliper with 0.001” or 0.02 mm resolution.

The thread pitch must be measured with a thread-pitch gage. It’s important to realize that the actual diameter of male thread is usually somewhat smaller than the nominal diameter due to the necessary assembly clearance.

Did the 3 1/2 inch lens come with a flange? This is good info, thanks for posting.

 

[Ian C]

The 3-and-1/2 inch Velostigmat (uncoated) is complete with a brass retaining ring with glossy black finish. The lens bears no serial number that I can find. The iris unit has no detents. The glass is undamaged. It projects a well-defined image.

I neglected in Post 21 above to mention the following lens:

I checked a Wollensak 135 mm f/4.5 Enlarging Raptar. The outside diameter of the mounting thread is 1.558” and the pitch is 30 threads per inch. The diameter is 1-and-9/16” (1.5625”) minus 0.0045” assembly clearance.

Thus the nominal size is 1-and-9/16” diameter by 30 threads per inch (60º Unified V-thread).

The old Wirgin lens has its 29 mm x 0.5 mm-pitch brass flange with glossy black finish. The iris unit has no detents.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Yes.
Maybe.

Yes, most likely

 

[RalphLambrecht]

What Hilo said - and there are Nikkor & Durst Neonon ones that are just as good too.

Durst Neonon lenaes are excellent!