That has to be about 35mm film. Englarging 4x5 onto 11x14 paper is not even an enlarging factor of 3. If a lens can't make a 3x enlargement, it should be fired off into outer space.
Enlarging lens are designed for optimal performance at different magnification, for armatures or home use, most folks were enlarging 5X7 to 11X14
yes please! will send a message asap
Enlarging lens are designed for optimal performance at different magnification, for armatures or home use, most folks were enlarging 5X7 to 11X14. When I taught photography at a community college I had the class do a project by printing from the same negative with 3, 4, 6, element lens and one term a student had an APO lens. These prints were judged in blind showing for sharpness by other students and staff. Every term, the 3 element lens were out performed, the 4 elements were as good or better than the 6 elements lens up to 11X14, past 11X14 the 6 element lens and the APO were much better. As we did not print color the APO lens was not really evaluated for it full potential. I have 4 and 6 elements lens, the one advantage of my 6 element 50mm is that it a stop faster at 2.8 than my Wollensake 50 and is easier to focus, at this point my largest prints are 11X14 so a good 4 element lens works just as well.
Thinking in particular at the flat field challenges that larger formats present, how did the corner response compared between the lenses in your 35mm film tests?
Up to 11X14 we did not see any issues, as I recall the negatives were printed at F8,
Now the question is, what is the absolute best lens for enlarging a 4x5 negative to lets say a 16x20 inch print?
speaking of lenses again, I picked up a bundle of darkroom stuff for about $150 USD yesterday. Including 4x5 negative carrier, 2 lenses, a cone, 3 timers, 11x14 easel, etc.
View attachment 331941
Now the question is, what is the absolute best lens for enlarging a 4x5 negative to lets say a 16x20 inch print?
Could you provide some examples of apo and 6 element lenses on ebay or their model names? Are all 6 element lenses of apo type and are there 4 element apo lenses?The six element lenses have a wider field of coverage that is sharp.
speaking of enlargers, I just got an Omega D2 today, which can take 4x5 negs for $300 CAD. I thought this was a great deal, so I took it without thinking. Here at Downtown Camera in Toronto. The condenser is a lot more beefy than my Besseler 23.
Although the lens is not for 4x5 and still needs a 4x5 carrier.
View attachment 331390
I think it's a D2
View attachment 331393
View attachment 331394
@kfed1984 --- I'm just wondering how much darkroom printing you've done. An apo enlarging lens is a significant expense. A worthwhile one that covers 4x5 will cost more than your two D2 enlargers combined.
@kfed1984 --- I'm just wondering how much darkroom printing you've done. An apo enlarging lens is a significant expense. A worthwhile one that covers 4x5 will cost more than your two D2 enlargers combined.
Thanks for the link. Looks like all the lenses I have are of the 3-4 element type. Wonder what a 6 element can do in terms of sharpness. One of the reasons I want to get the best lens is to do a YouTube video on the resolution limits of a 35mm film vs. full frame digital camera. I estimated that with a 35mm camera and a document/line film, you can get at least 100Megapixel digital-equivalent image resolution. The lens I had on the Besseler would not produce this detail on the enlarger, but when the negative was viewed in a backlit microscope, it showed all the details I wanted to see. But the Besseler enlarger blurred it out.APO lens are often 8 or 9 element, lens, Nikon 170 /APO is 8 elements in 4 groups,
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?