Ctein/Warner enlarger lens article (1980?)

[MMfoto]

Does anyone have a copy of the article written long ago by Ctein and I believe Warner(?) where they tested a huge array a current and classic enlarger lenses? There is a table of enlarger lenses in "Post Exposure" that appears to be from this test series, but I'm interested in seeing the whole article.

Thanks!

 

[wiltw]

I found this reference by Ed Buziak on the web...

"Interestingly, when I recently published a highly detailed lens testing and evaluation feature entitled "The World's Best Enlarging Lenses" by Ctein (one of the most knowledgeable American photojournalists and one of the few remaining master printers of dye-transfers) he nominated five El-Nikkors in his "Top Twenty" listing out of over 90 enlarging lenses rigourously tested during a six-month period. They were the 50mm f/2.8, 63mm f/2.8, 105mm f/5.6, 135mm f/5.6 and Apo-El-Nikkor 105mm f/5.6... that's right, there was a 105mm Apo El-Nikkor; it was made for scientific use plus the American space program and became an instant legend according to those who were fortunate enough to use one.

In his article Ctein said, "The 105 Apo was arguably the most perfectly made enlarging lens available, and priced accordingly. There were no detectable aberrations of any type... and it was the one true Apo on the market." On another occasion in "Darkroom User" he stated, "If you need the ultimate in colour correction this lens provides it; it costs thousands of pounds, assuming you can find one! I don't own one and you probably don't need one, but I thought you should know just in case."

 

[wiltw]

A book preview of Post Exposure has the section on The Best Enlarging Lenses in the World...

http://books.google.com/books?id=_L...=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPA77,M1

 

[Kino]

I found this reference by Ed Buziak on the web...

"Interestingly, when I recently published a highly detailed lens testing and evaluation feature entitled "The World's Best Enlarging Lenses" by Ctein (one of the most knowledgeable American photojournalists and one of the few remaining master printers of dye-transfers) he nominated five El-Nikkors in his "Top Twenty" listing out of over 90 enlarging lenses rigourously tested during a six-month period. They were the 50mm f/2.8, 63mm f/2.8, 105mm f/5.6, 135mm f/5.6 and Apo-El-Nikkor 105mm f/5.6... that's right, there was a 105mm Apo El-Nikkor; it was made for scientific use plus the American space program and became an instant legend according to those who were fortunate enough to use one.

In his article Ctein said, "The 105 Apo was arguably the most perfectly made enlarging lens available, and priced accordingly. There were no detectable aberrations of any type... and it was the one true Apo on the market." On another occasion in "Darkroom User" he stated, "If you need the ultimate in colour correction this lens provides it; it costs thousands of pounds, assuming you can find one! I don't own one and you probably don't need one, but I thought you should know just in case."

I am pretty sure these are the 105mm printing Nikkors used in the Motion Picture Industry. They cost $7K new in the 1970s and still fetch $5K used, when you can find them.

There is no equal and I think Nikon stopped making them about 5 years ago.

Pix reference: http://www.monceaux.com/enlaged_image_html/lenses/lens5.html

 

[Stephen Frizza]

Does anyone have a copy of the article written long ago by Ctein and I believe Warner(?) where they tested a huge array a current and classic enlarger lenses? There is a table of enlarger lenses in "Post Exposure" that appears to be from this test series, but I'm interested in seeing the whole article.

Thanks!

Warner is my best friend I will ask him if he has it. He should do.

 

[MMfoto]

Hey that's great Stephan. Thanks!

btw, what is his first name?

 

[AgX]

I find that introductory sentence in `Post Exposure´ (link above) "Enlarging lenses must be much better than on-camera lenses" quite weird.

Any lens should be best for a given scale, field of view and speed (putting aside costs...)

 

[Stephen Frizza]

Ken

 

[Kino]

I am pretty sure these are the 105mm printing Nikkors used in the Motion Picture Industry. They cost $7K new in the 1970s and still fetch $5K used, when you can find them.

There is no equal and I think Nikon stopped making them about 5 years ago.

Pix reference: http://www.monceaux.com/enlaged_image_html/lenses/lens5.html

Let me correct myself, the lens I listed above is NOT the enlarger lens; the lens listed above is optimized for 1:1 and larger copying.

Getting senile...

 

[Jon Shiu]

Good article. It is in the Sept/Oct 1983 issue of Darkroom Photography magazine.

Jon

 

[MMfoto]

Good article. It is in the Sept/Oct 1983 issue of Darkroom Photography magazine.

Jon

Hi Jon,

Do you still have it? Got a scanner??

 

[Peter Black]

In his article Ctein said, "The 105 Apo was arguably the most perfectly made enlarging lens available, and priced accordingly. There were no detectable aberrations of any type... and it was the one true Apo on the market." On another occasion in "Darkroom User" he stated, "If you need the ultimate in colour correction this lens provides it; it costs thousands of pounds, assuming you can find one! I don't own one and you probably don't need one, but I thought you should know just in case."

Hey, imagine if threads could only talk to one another!

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[wiltw]

MMfoto, I have the book Post Exposure in my hot little hands. what did you need from it? I am not going to violate copyright by copying more than a few pages of the more than 170 pages, and the chapter on enlarging lenses is 12 page.

 

[MMfoto]

Thanks, but I already have post exposure. I'm looking for the complete article from the early eighties magazine article that talks about a lot of lenses, not just the ones Ctein listed in Post Exposure.