Enlarging lens fitted to 35mm body

Thomas Bertilsson · May 8, 2007

In your opinion, what are the differences optically between an enlarging lens and a camera lens? Why would one design be used for one purpose over another?

Curious,

- Thomas

Donald Miller · May 9, 2007

Thomas, For one thing an enlarging lens is normally considered to be a flat field lens design. They usually are of a higher fstop maximum aperture than a lens designed for taking camera use.

There are lenses that are of that design that are also used as taking camera lenses...examples would be the repro claron and g claron lenses from Schneider. Both of these lens lines have a maximum aperture of F9. Others that fit into that catagory are the RD Artars. The Clarons have very good coverage when used as a taking lens.

I am not sure how one would go about mating an enlarging lens to a 35 mm body.

Thomas Bertilsson · May 9, 2007

Interesting. On my Pentax I have a Schneider Componar, 105mm enlarging lens that has been fitted onto a focusing ring, attached to a 1.7" barrel, and finally screwed into a K-mount.
I meant to test it last weekend on a trip, but the camera I used (a Pentax ME) had shutter problems. It's on my KX now, and I'll see if I can get something decent with it.

I just wanted to know why or why not it should be considered as a serious attempt. Now I'm even more curious to see the results.

Thanks, Donald! I appreciate your reply.

- Thomas

chrisofwlp · May 9, 2007

Enlarging lenses are designed to take a small 2d image and make it into a larger 2d image. Camera lenses are designed to compress 3d into 2d with the least quality loss possible. Camera lenses are coated in order to handle the excessive amount of blue light in our atmosphere.

If you are interested in the science of printing you must read "Post Exposure" by a color photographer and printer by the name of Ctein (not a typo). This book contains an entire chapter on enlarger lenses. I found the book riveting.

Sincerely;

Thomas Bertilsson · May 9, 2007

I suppose my question must have sounded a bit naive. I aim to try this out anyway, my intent was to try it as a portrait lens. I'm sure I can find a stuffed animal or something to try it on in a studio setting.

Thanks for the suggestion on the book. When I have more time, I might try to obtain a copy.

- Thomas

Woolliscroft · May 9, 2007

I seem to remember that, in the early days of 35mm, Leica expected you to use the camera lens on the enlarger, which is probably why the L39 screw fit was standard on both for so long. These days you might get the enlarger lens on a camera, but there aren't many where you could focus it. Enlarger lenses have no focus ring or scale but I suppose you might get one on a large format or other bellows focus camera.

David.

Ole · May 9, 2007

I use a 90mm Russian enlarger lens with adapters on bellows for macro photography. It's just great!

Thomas Bertilsson · May 9, 2007

That's interesting. I actually have a focusing ring on it. I can get as close as maybe 5 feet to infinity. It's a rotary focus with a stop. That part works great, since the maximum aperture is f/4.5 it's nice and bright - and I can see depth of field by stopping down.

- Thomas

Woolliscroft said:
I seem to remember that, in the early days of 35mm, Leica expected you to use the camera lens on the enlarger, which is probably why the L39 screw fit was standard on both for so long. These days you might get the enlarger lens on a camera, but there aren't many where you could focus it. Enlarger lenses have no focus ring or scale but I suppose you might get one on a large format or other bellows focus camera.

David.

AgX · May 9, 2007

Donald Miller said:
I am not sure how one would go about mating an enlarging lens to a 35 mm body.

Enlarging lenses can be a good idea to form a light, quite long focus length camera lens to use with tilt/shift devices. (Their angle of view though is typically not on the wide side.)
The results could be on the wild side though...

The small German ZörK (Zoerk) company offers such devices and adapters.

Dan Fromm · May 9, 2007

Thomas, enlarging lenses are often, not always, optimized for enlarging at 5x or 10x, which is equivalent to shooting at 1:5 or 1:10, respectively. Taking lenses are generally optimized for shooting at infinity, not closeup. So in general enlarging lenses will shoot poorly at distance. But there are exceptions.

Your Componar is a cheap triplet enlarging lens, the bottom of Schneider's range of enlarging lenses. I have no idea how well it will do in the application you have in mind. The best way to find out is to try it. 35 mm film is cheap ...

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

Richard Kelham · May 9, 2007

Ole's got the best idea (as usual) stick it on a bellows and use it for close-ups. If the lens is long enough, or the bellows short enough, you might even get it to focus at infinity. For what that's worth. Should at least be able to manage portrait length.

Most bellows makers can provide L39 mounts for the front end...

Richard

nicolai · May 9, 2007

Just put the thing on there and see what happens!

Thomas Bertilsson · May 9, 2007

I actually did stick it on there, and it works. I am yet to print anything, but due to a shutter problem on Camera 1, I'm moving the lens to Camera 2. More tests to follow.

Thanks for all your time and suggestions everybody!

- Thomas

AgX · May 9, 2007

I have an 80mm Rodagon attached via a swivel-type tilt device plus helical mount (both Zörk) to my T90.
The swivel device however needed a lot of work to make it have the right amount of friction and not de-adjust when turning the locking ring.
A similar problem yields the aperture ring turning the helical mount when set on click-stops.

Chan Tran · May 9, 2007

I had the hardest time to find an adapter to mount the enlarging lenses on my Nikon bellow. I finally got a 39 to 42mm adapter in combination with a 42mm to Nikon F mount. It works great. With the 135 and 105mm lenses I can focus to infinity.

Dan Fromm · May 10, 2007

Chan, this is too late for you but Nikon made an El-F adapter that has a female M39x1 mount in front and a male Nikon F at the rear. Novoflex made several similar adapters, NIKLEI, -K, and -P. I think -- haven't checked recently -- that B&H has new NIKLEIs.

Chan Tran · May 10, 2007

I knew of the EL-F adapter but the only one I found on Ebay the guy wanted $200 as the starting bid. So if I can get one inexpensively I would still want one.

Dan Fromm · May 10, 2007

Chan, look for a Novoflex NIKLEI. I have one, use it. Also a NIKLEI-K. The "-K" is short for Kurz, short, and the -K is a little thinner than the regular NIKLEI. I don't have a NIKLEI-P, but it is a thicker adapter that is orientable, rather like a T-2 mount adapter. Any of the three will do for you.

Google will find at least a couple or three of 'em priced a little under 90 euros.

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

Chazzy · May 10, 2007

Where are the Zörk adapters available in the United States? And do they have a web site? German is okay, but English would be better.

AgX · May 10, 2007

Hey, you want things delivered on a silver plate...

Search for Zoerk! I indicated this. They in addition have an English version of their site.

Chazzy · May 10, 2007

http://www.zoerk.com/

Jim Jones · May 10, 2007

Like Ole, I sometimes use an enlarging lens on 35mm camera bellows via adaptors. There are shortcomings: a longer than normal enlarging lens is necessary to permit focusing on distant subjects, the smallest aperture sometimes doesn't give adequate DOF for macro photograhy, and one must calculate the effective f/number. I've been happy with the images.

Clay2 · May 11, 2007

Enlarger lens on camera

Hi,

When I remove the front adaptor ring from my Novoflex
bellows, the M39 Female threads fit the threads on
my EL-Nikkor 50mm f/4 Enlarging lens. Use it on a Nikon F2AS
for extreme close up, flat field photography. Stamps,
coins, and the like. Works fine, except bellows won't
compress enough to get to infinity, which is why I
have a 50mm f/1.4 for normal work.

/Clay

Thomas Bertilsson · May 14, 2007

Well, I shot a roll through the camera last weekend, and the upcoming weekend I'll be printing from it. So far the negs look good, but since it's 35mm it's difficult to tell without a decent lupe. They appear to have normal densities, good sharpness, even contrast control looks well managed.

Thanks again for all of the enlightening contributions. I'll be sure to post my results here some time next weekend.

- Thomas

fschifano · May 23, 2007

Heck. You can use that enlarging lens as a decent loupe as well.

Enlarging lens fitted to 35mm body

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