enlarger lenses for old 5 X 7" enlargers?

[rpiontek]

I'm looking at buying an old 5 X 7" (13 x 18cm) enlarger that could perhaps be described as antique. What I'm wondering is if it is generally possible to purchase a lens which will fit for older enlargers, as sometimes they do not come with a lens. There is not a specific model I have in mind at this point, I'm just wondering if standards have changed over the years which would make it difficult to find a lens which will fit.

 

[Jerevan]

Well, if it is an obscure model it may have a different thread size, but most of the enlargers I have seen and know about uses the 39 mm thread.

If you know the name of the enlarger you've been looking at, then it is easier to figure out.

 

[dentkimterry]

I bought an old Durst 5x7 enlarger and had no trouble finding a lens for it. It needs a 180mm or 210mm. 210mm seems easier to find. The thread size will vary with the brand of lens. My older Componons have a 60mm thread which is difficult to find retaining rings for. Nikon EL lenses have a huge thread like 72mm I think.

Terry

 

[Jerevan]

Sorry, too little coffee around here... I was thinking of small and medium format enlargers. Let us know the name of the enlarger and we'll sort it out.

 

[fotch]

You can usually make a lens board either out of wood or aluminum, and make a proper size hole for any lens. You may not have a retaining ring on an older lens so you can try to find one or epoxy the lens onto the lens board.

 

[Wade D]

I have one of the very old wooden Elwood 5x7 enlargers. The lens I use is a 210mm 5x7 Rapid Rectilinear from about 1915. Not a flat field lens but it works well on a home made lens board. It's in an old Kodak ball bearing shutter so the mounting was easy. Set to 'T' for enlarging. I also use it on my 5x7 and 4x5 cameras. Great old lens and can be found very cheaply.

 

[ic-racer]

Look for a 210mm. They come up on ebay frequently. The 210mm enlarging lens market was not littered with as many cheap 4-element lenses, so just about any 210mm that is free of fungus should be fine.

What kind of enlarger? Elwood and Kodak are two 5x7s that were common in the USA quite a few years ago.

Enlarging lenses mount with either a threaded lensboard, or a non-threaded lensboard. The non-threaded lensboards hold the lens in place with either a threaded flange bolted to a lensboard, or a locking ring that threads on the back of the lens and holds it in place. What setup do you have now?