EL Nikkor 75mm f4 enlarger lens?

tomfrh · Mar 23, 2016

I just bought a bulk lot which included this lens. I already have a durst neonon 80mm 5.6 which I use for medium format enlarging.

Is this Nikkor worth keeping? I get the impression it's not as good as say the el nikkor 80mm f5.6

Ian Grant · Mar 23, 2016

It should be an excellent lens, worth keeping.

Ian

ic-racer · Mar 23, 2016

When new it was a budget lens. The 80mm EL-Nikkor would likely have better coverage and resolution if you compared them side-by-side. When you get he lens you can check it out and see if that is correct.

mklw1954 · Mar 23, 2016

It's a 4-element lens, not 6-element, so on that basis, in general it may not be as good as the 6-element 80mm f5.6 Nikkor lens. However, what counts is if it gives you results you like. It may give you excellent results.

This idea also applies to your other post on the C.E. Minolta lens - see if you like the results. Just going by the brand or model doesn't take into account the condition of the particular lens you have.

DREW WILEY · Mar 23, 2016

It's a nice lens for 35mm work, where you're only using the center of the optic. But for actual medium format printing, so-so at best up to 6x6,
poor corner resolution anything bigger. The 80/5.6 is much better in that respect.

jjphoto · Mar 23, 2016

tomfrh said:
...Is this Nikkor worth keeping? I get the impression it's not as good as say the el nikkor 80mm f5.6

The other way to look at it is, is it worth selling? They are not worth much.

The El-Nikkor 4/75 is a very sharp lens around the centre but I suspect it's not nearly as sharp around the edges as either the El-Nikkor or Durst 80's (because they are 6E-4G so are better corrected but not necessarily sharper in the centre). There is the potential for the 4/75 to have slightly better contrast as it has 2 less elements than the other lenses you mention, so less potential for reflections, veiling glare or surfaces to have haze. Not sure if this difference is visible in practice. I have all three lenses (I'd have to double check but I think I have both the old and new 'N" 4/75) but I've never directly compared them all. You should just try them and see what you think.

By the way, the El-Nikkor is for 60x60 whilst the El-Nikkor 5.6/80 is for 60x70, see http://photocornucopia.com/1061.html

DREW WILEY · Mar 23, 2016

The 75 also has focus shift between wide open and a stop down, something I've never seen in premium enlarging lenses. My favorite for MF printing is
the 105 Apo Rodagon N. Longer is better in general.

BobMarvin11225 · Mar 23, 2016

The only REALLY good 75mm enlarging lens I know of is the Kodak Ektar, which is a 5-element heliar-type design

RalphLambrecht · Mar 23, 2016

tomfrh said:
I just bought a bulk lot which included this lens. I already have a durst neonon 80mm 5.6 which I use for medium format enlarging.

Is this Nikkor worth keeping? I get the impression it's not as good as say the el nikkor 80mm f5.6

keep it but there is nothing wrong with the Durst lens either

tomfrh · Mar 23, 2016

DREW WILEY said:
The 75 also has focus shift between wide open and a stop down, something I've never seen in premium enlarging lenses.

I've noticed the durst does this a little.

jjphoto said:
The other way to look at it is, is it worth selling?

It wouldn't be to recoup any costs, more to avoid accumulating gear for no reason.

frank · Mar 23, 2016

Use it on a mirrorless digi body with an adaptor.

(Forgive me father for I have sinned.)

tomfrh · Mar 23, 2016

frank said:
Use it on a mirrorless digi body

Ugh. I *hate* mirrorless digital cameras.

jjphoto · Mar 24, 2016

BobMarvin11225 said:
The only REALLY good 75mm enlarging lens I know of is the Kodak Ektar, which is a 5-element heliar-type design

I have the 75mm Ektar. It is a special lens and I love it, but I don't think it's the best 75mm any more. The 75mm Ektar has been made since the mid 1940's! I'm fairly sure the Ektar has been superseded since the 1980's. I like the Fujinon EX 4.5/75 and especially the APO-Rodagon-N 4/75 ( http://photocornucopia.com/1070.html ).

So why do you say it is the only really good lens in this focal length?

Dr Croubie · Mar 24, 2016

jjphoto said:
I have the 75mm Ektar. It is a special lens and I love it, but I don't think it's the best 75mm any more. The 75mm Ektar has been made since the mid 1940's! I'm fairly sure the Ektar has been superseded since the 1980's. I like the Fujinon EX 4.5/75 and especially the APO-Rodagon-N 4/75

I'm glad someone else mentioned that, I just received a 75mm Fujinon EX in the mail but haven't tried it yet so I'd hope it at least ranks as 'decent' (at the least it'll be better than the Fujinar-E it's replacing).
Aside, is the EX any good for 6x7? Or just keep it for 6x6 and 645? (I shoot all 3).
Of course, I would love an Apo-Rodagon-N or Apo-Componon-HM, but I couldn't justify the cost...

BobMarvin11225 · Mar 24, 2016

"why do you say it is the only really good lens in this focal length?"

I said it was the only one I knew of; I didn't know any other 75s had >4 elements. Now I know better. However the 75mm Ektar, made at a time when Kodak may have made the best lenses available, IS a really good lens.

jjphoto · Mar 24, 2016

Dr Croubie said:
...Aside, is the EX any good for 6x7? Or just keep it for 6x6 and 645? (I shoot all 3)...

Fujifilm states that the 75 is good for 56x56 (6x6) and that the 90 is good for 56x84 (6x7). See http://photocornucopia.com/1056.html

BobMarvin11225 said:
"why do you say it is the only really good lens in this focal length?"

I said it was the only one I knew of; I didn't know any other 75s had >4 elements. ...

True, most 75's were Tessar or even triplets, relatively few were 5 or 6 element.

There are several 75mm lenses that are not just Tessars or triplets ( see http://photocornucopia.com/1061.html )

To name just a few;

Komuranon-E and Komuranon-S 5.6/75, 6E/4G

Beseler ColorPro, Omega Omicron EL, Hoya EL are almost certainly all Osawa Tominon EL 4.5/75, 6E/4G. There might be a Yashica 4.5/75 there too, but I'm not sure.

Fujinon EP 5.6/75, 6E/4G

Fujinon EX 4.5/75, 6E/4G

Apo-Rodagon-N 4/75 is a fairly recent lens, maybe 10-15 years old or so.

Rodenstock Rogonar-SC 4/75, 5E/4G

BMbikerider · Mar 24, 2016

tomfrh said:
I just bought a bulk lot which included this lens. I already have a durst neonon 80mm 5.6 which I use for medium format enlarging.

Is this Nikkor worth keeping? I get the impression it's not as good as say the el nikkor 80mm f5.6

The 75mm/F4 was designed to be used for 6x6 med format negs. the 80/f5.6 will cover 6x7 negs with no cut off.

Patrick Robert James · Mar 24, 2016

Lest you be confused by the smattering of information above, your Nikon lens is probably optimized for smaller prints (most 4 element lenses were) so you may find a use for it when making small enlargements. It may be better than the Neonon (which if I am not mistaken is made by Pentax) for small prints.

Zathras · Mar 24, 2016

BobMarvin11225 said:
The only REALLY good 75mm enlarging lens I know of is the Kodak Ektar, which is a 5-element heliar-type design

I agree completely. I love the Enlarging Ektar lenses. Even the 4-element 100mm is quite good.

kreeger · Mar 24, 2016

I use the early 75mm EL-Nikkor F/4 to print any of my 35mm negatives up to 8x10 on my 45MCRX with a cold light head, no complaints.
I find the 105mm F5.6 EL-Nikkor is also excellent lens for MF negative sizes 6x4.5-6x7.

mdarnton · Sep 15, 2024

This is an interesting thread to me because last night I again ran through all of the lenses I have that I bought as potentials for camera-scanning 35mm negatives with my Nikon Z5/PB-4 bellows and slide stage, including three generations of Micro-Nikkors and some top-level 6-element enlarging lenses. Once again, the 75/4 El-Nikkor is the winner. I won't list the ones I have that I tried, but although they were all almost-good lenses for the job, the 75 El-Nikkor was better in the corners than any of the others.

So there's that.

xkaes · Sep 15, 2024

BobMarvin11225 said:
The only REALLY good 75mm enlarging lens I know of is the Kodak Ektar, which is a 5-element heliar-type design

The Fujinon-EX 75mm f4.5 is a 6/6 (full air-spaced) beauty.

Nikon's 75mm was the only 4-element enlarging lens they made at that time (~1990). All of the others -- from 40mm to 300mm were 6-element lenses. Strange, but true.

Dali · Sep 15, 2024

EL-Nikkor 4/50mm was also a 4 elements lens.

Mal Paso · Sep 15, 2024

What is a neonon? It sounds like a second tier off brand lens that was included free with an enlarger.

MTGseattle · Sep 15, 2024

Durst made/makes nice equipment, but the naming sounds like Ikea products.

EL Nikkor 75mm f4 enlarger lens?

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