Is 80mm lens OK for 35mm enlarging? (newbie)

gregmacc · Oct 3, 2009

I've just driven a 2500km return trip to pick up my new (2nd hand/ebay) LPL C7700 MX enlarger. It came with an EL Nikor 5.6 80mm lens. Will this be OK for enlarging 35mm negs to maximum size on 8X10 paper? I've had a quick play (darkroom still under construction) and with the head about 70mm up the column the lamp illuminates a neg over the full area of a piece of 8X10. So will there be any problems? I'm a bit concerned that exposure times will be a bit long because of the lens to paper distance and the max aperture of only 5.6.
Thanks

Jesper · Oct 3, 2009

It will be OK.
Using a longer focal length means that you have to raise the head higher than with a shorter focal length. If you need to do large prints this can be a problem but only then.
Don't worry about aperture as long as you can get the picture in focuse.

Good luck

chriscrawfordphoto · Oct 3, 2009

no problems, image quality-wise. As you've noticed, the lens has to be higher than it would be if you used a 50mm lens, so times will be longer and you wont be able to make large prints. You don't want to use an enlarging lens wide open, it'll be sharpest a couple stops down. So, just deal with the long times until you can buy a 50mm lens. Good enlarging lenses are cheap now anyway

Blighty · Oct 3, 2009

I routinely use a longer lens for enlarging 35mm (usually for producing small prints). Even using it full aperture, for really dense negs, there is no fall off in quality. Just make sure you use a good lens, whatever you use. Regards, B.

ic-racer · Oct 3, 2009

With that setup you can start printing right away if you have a glass carrier or a 35mm carrier. I'd stop down to f8 with that lens. You can pick up a 50mm for cheap later.

Jeff Kubach · Oct 3, 2009

Like in foremention posts 80mm lens is ok for 35mm as you don't want to make large prints. The edges of the prints are very good.

Jeff

Anscojohn · Oct 3, 2009

gregmacc said:
I've just driven a 2500km return trip to pick up my new (2nd hand/ebay) LPL C7700 MX enlarger. It came with an EL Nikor 5.6 80mm lens. Will this be OK for enlarging 35mm negs to maximum size on 8X10 paper? I've had a quick play (darkroom still under construction) and with the head about 70mm up the column the lamp illuminates a neg over the full area of a piece of 8X10. So will there be any problems? I'm a bit concerned that exposure times will be a bit long because of the lens to paper distance and the max aperture of only 5.6.
Thanks

*****
As long as you can make the size print you desire, the answer is no.

gregmacc · Oct 4, 2009

Thanks all ... sounds like I can jump right in and start printing ... I don't intend to do anything larger than 8X10 until I've got all other aspects of this analog thing sorted.
Cheers

2F/2F · Oct 4, 2009

80mm is my standard enlarging lens for 35mm to 6x6. It works great. Get started!

mikebarger · Oct 4, 2009

I too use the 80mm for 35mm and a 105mmfor 6x6.

Mike

BobNewYork · Oct 4, 2009

I use longer lenses as standard: 80mm for 35mm; 100mm for 6x6 and 6x7 and 150mm for 4x5. I seem to remember reading somewhere, (could have been Fred Picker) that in using a longer lens you use only the central portion of it which results in sharper images. This was back in the days when I was setting up my first darkroom and whatever I read was "gospel" Since then, very little is gospel to me - but I still use the longer lenses! I do have a 50mm for those times when I want to print 11x14 or larger from 35mm - but it doesn't get a lot of use. I also have a fungus-ridden 50mm f2.8 that I use on an MF enlarger which is strictly for 8x10 contacts simply because the head can be set lower and I get shorter exposure times.

Use you 80mm and have the fun, (and sometimes frustration ) that we all do.

Bob H

Ronald Moravec · Oct 18, 2009

Projection distance makes NO DIFFERENCE. 5.6 is 5.6. Exposure is the same.

The difficulty is the head has to be very high to fill an 8x10. 80 mm is for 2 1/4 negs and will make 8x mag at full height. 8x for 35 mm is but 8x8.

eddym · Oct 18, 2009

Ronald Moravec said:
Projection distance makes NO DIFFERENCE. 5.6 is 5.6. Exposure is the same.

This is true. I've been using an 80mm Schneider Componon-S to print 35mm negatives for about 30 years now. What changes the exposure time is the magnification of the image. You should not have excessively long exposure times with this lens. I don't.

fschifano · Oct 18, 2009

You have a very good lens there and you will have no problems using it to enlarge 35 mm negatives. Maximum print size will be smaller than if a 50 mm lens is used, but that's only a problem if your enlarger is shaky when the head is high up on the column. With the setup I have, I often use an 80 mm lens for making small prints from 35 mm negatives. My enlarger will not allow the head to go low enough to make a 4x6 inch print from 35 mm negatives, and a 5x7 inch print just barely squeaks by.

olleorama · Oct 18, 2009

How weird isn't this, I was about to ask the exact same question, then I thought I would do search first, after I checked the enlarging section, and this thread pops up. Eerie!

Anyway, I also read somewhere that there were some pros of choosing a slighty larger lens. So now I can safely sell my 35mm enlarger and just use the big one. Maybe I'll pick up a 50 mm componon someday, but omega lens plates are rare here, so there are quite a few items on my shopping list before this one.

Is 80mm lens OK for 35mm enlarging? (newbie)

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