Industar Enlarging Lenses

gone

Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2009
Messages
5,504
Location
gone
Format
Medium Format
The reviews are mixed, as is the case w/ a lot of FSU gear. I imagine that if you get a good one you're in the gold, and if you get one that's been taken apart and put back together sub optimally, you won't have much. Some of these are on long mounts too, which is going to have an effect on achieving focus w/o burying the lens into the print. By the by, KEH had an El Niikkor 50 2.8 listed for $23 the last time that I looked. That would be a smarter move.

My personal experience w/ FSU camera lenses has been stellar. Great glass. I don't see why it would be any different on the enlarging lenses except for that pesky QC thing. My experience w/ the cameras has been the exact opposite, and I won't have one if you give it to me. Don't forget, if you don't get a good copy of a lens, sending it back would be so expensive as to be impractical. So if you buy one, buy one in your country. Just in case.
 
Last edited:

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,497
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
What are you looking for in the way of an enlarging lens?

Some of us may have an extra couple.
 
OP
OP

mehguy

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2015
Messages
519
Location
Canada
Format
35mm
What are you looking for in the way of an enlarging lens?

Some of us may have an extra couple.

I'm looking for any decent 50mm enlarging lens on a M39 mount. Doesn't have to be a name brand. Not looking to spend much.
 

gone

Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2009
Messages
5,504
Location
gone
Format
Medium Format
Then this might just be it

Dead Link Removed

If you feel lucky and are on a small budget, there's this one too

Dead Link Removed
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
53,497
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
I'm looking for any decent 50mm enlarging lens on a M39 mount. Doesn't have to be a name brand. Not looking to spend much.
I'll see what I might have.
 

Ko.Fe.

Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
3,209
Location
MiltON.ONtario
Format
Digital
KEH has too expensive shipping to Canada.
I purchased latest EL-Nikkor 50 2.8 on ebay for $50, plus cheap shipping.

Burlington Camera has big selection of enlargers, very cheap. And other darkroom supplies.
 

MartinP

Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
1,569
Location
Netherlands
Format
Medium Format
The Industar design is a tessar, so can be as good as any other four element lens - if you are lucky. Note that some of the lenses that showed up in your ebay search, are actually camera lenses so have focussing mounts and are (presumably) designed for use with the object at infinity. The Industars are now going to be old, having been scavenged from unknown storage conditions, and the coatings (if any) are less advanced than Schneider/Rodenstock/Fujinon lenses.

The 'sensible' thing to do would be to look for a six-element lens that meets your pricing requirements. That would then have more chance of giving you good results while printing larger than 8x10", for example.
 

Dali

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
1,863
Location
Philadelphia
Format
Multi Format
I'm looking for any decent 50mm enlarging lens on a M39 mount. Doesn't have to be a name brand. Not looking to spend much.

Enlarger lenses are pretty cheap these days. I am convinced you can find something very decent for a song. As already said, russian lenses can be very good like very bad. I would not take any risk and stay away from them as you have alternative solutions for a similar price.
 
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…