Can a 35mm taking lens be used for enlarging?

[htmlguru4242]

I'm currently without an enlarger, and I need to make some prints. Is it possible to rig something up for enlargements from a light source and a 35mm taking lens? I have some old 52mm Canon lenses that I'd be willing ot use. Is it possible? How?

 

[Timothy]

Try this link. These guys are very helpful and they will explain what you need and why, and what you might use instead.
http://www.khbphotografix.com/

good luck.

Tim R

 

[tpersin]

can use the entire 35mm camera!
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1980_November_December/An_Inexpensive_Photo_Enlarger

(i've never tried it... good luck, report back if you do!)

though for the effort, you could get one of the old bogen enlargers and do less work, for probably not much more money
eg:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bogen-X35B-Enla...ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting


tp

 

[srs5694]

I've never tried it without an enlarger, but camera lenses can certainly be used as enlarging lenses. Just for kicks, I tried it with an Industar-50 (50mm camera lens) and it worked. I also once used a 37mm Mir-1 to make an enlargement from an old 110 negative. (Both of these lenses are Soviet M39 SLR lenses for some of their ~1950s-1960s SLRs. Because they've got M39 mounts, they fit many enlargers without modification.)

Note that most camera lenses aren't designed to project a flat field, so you may get blurrier edges than you would with a real enlarger lens. If you've got a flat-field macro lens, you might want to use it.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

50 3.5 elmar make a very passable enlarging lens. Use a coated one.

Any maro lens should be more than passable. I used to use a 50mm Macro Takumar F4.0. It was a good as an enlarging lens od the day. My current 65 Elmar 3.5 is way more than good enough. Chrome version only OK.

F 2.0 lenses and such will not be as good unless well stopped down in general.

 

[Randy Stewart]

Anything is possible, but no camera lens will perform as well as a mediocre enlarging lens, because they are designed to different standards. A macro non-zoom taking lens would be possible, but would cost far more than a top quality used enlarging lens.