lens to enlarge 8x10 mural size

chris77 · Apr 13, 2017

hello apug.
after shooting mf for 2 years and doing murals (emulsion work) i begin to consider 8x10.

as i will build an enlarger my main interest right now is the lens.
so far, researching here on apug and other sites, a componon 300mm which is not so easy to find, is optimized for 4x enlargement.

i am looking for a lens optimized for 7x enlargement (up to 10x). a g rodagon 300 is over the top and out of reach (too expensive).

are there 8x10 taking lenses that could be used?
my main focus is on print quality and affordability.
ease of use (focussing, weight, etc..) is not important.

any input welcome.
thanks.
chris

Leigh B · Apr 13, 2017

Any taking lens can be used as an enlarging lens if the physical issues can be resolved.
Making large prints brings you closer to the range the lens is optimized for.

This tactic reached its peak with the Graflarger, which turned a Graphic press camera with its standard lens into an enlarger.

- Leigh

Ian Grant · Apr 13, 2017

I use a 240mm Componon S on my De Vere 5108, it wasn't expensive, it's designed for 10x8.

Ian

chris77 · Apr 13, 2017

Leigh B said:
Any taking lens can be used as an enlarging lens if the physical issues can be resolved.
Making large prints brings you closer to the range the lens is optimized for.

This tactic reached its peak with the Graflarger, which turned a Graphic press camera with its standard lens into an enlarger.

- Leigh

hello leigh.
i have been using a 110mm sekor z lens as enlarging lens for 6x7 on a durst m800. it worked pretty well!

so i figure a normal lens (240-360) should work pretty well for 8x10.
i just asked because i thought there might be fellow apug'ers who have experience to share..
as money is a limiting factor i am always looking out for the ultimate cost/gain ratio.
cheers,
chris

Old-N-Feeble · Apr 13, 2017

Some people swear by Apo Nikkor and other process lenses. They're optimized for 1:1 magnification ratio but due to their symmetrical design, they're reputed to be quite good at most ratios so perhaps they could be used for mural-size prints.

grahamp · Apr 13, 2017

My 240mm EL-Nikkor works find for standard enlargement ranges. Whether looking for an enlarging or process lens designed for more than 6x is worth it, I can't say. But I'd rather use the f5.6 El-Nikkor than the f9 270 G-Claron that is my other choice. I'd build to accommodate 240-300mm and work with what you can find. There are so many issues with enlarging to that scale that the lens may not be the most critical.

Patrick Robert James · Apr 13, 2017

The people I have met in my life that did quite big enlargements used either an APO Nikkor or an APO EL Nikkor. Since the second one of those would cost you your car, I would suggest the first! You could also try an APO Ronar, or other process lens. I believe Boyer made some, which you may run across in France.

You also have to figure out your limitation of space vs. focal length. If you have tons of space, get a longer lens. If you don't, then your options are more limited.

Bonne chance!

chris77 · Apr 13, 2017

Patrick Robert James said:
The people I have met in my life that did quite big enlargements used either an APO Nikkor or an APO EL Nikkor. Since the second one of those would cost you your car, I would suggest the first! You could also try an APO Ronar, or other process lens. I believe Boyer made some, which you may run across in France.

You also have to figure out your limitation of space vs. focal length. If you have tons of space, get a longer lens. If you don't, then your options are more limited.

Bonne chance!

merci! i will look into apo nikkor and boyer. as i have only a small motorbike to trade ..

ic-racer · Apr 13, 2017

Go longer and the need for a "High Magnification" lens is not important. That is to say, a "High Magnification" enlarging lens has a larger coverage field for getting close to infinity focus. Using, say a 360mm lens, may be just as good as a G-Rodgon 300mm. You will be horizontal anyway, so the extra enlarger-to-paper distance should not be an issue.

I only used my 360 a few times, because I don't really have enough space to process the mural-size prints.

chris77 · Apr 14, 2017

ic-racer said:
Go longer and the need for a "High Magnification" lens is not important. That is to say, a "High Magnification" enlarging lens has a larger coverage field for getting close to infinity focus. Using, say a 360mm lens, may be just as good as a G-Rodgon 300mm. You will be horizontal anyway, so the extra enlarger-to-paper distance should not be an issue.

I only used my 360 a few times, because I don't really have enough space to process the mural-size prints.

oh.. thats great! must be a pleasure to work in your darkroom! tx for sharing.

Drew Bedo · Apr 17, 2017

There used to be frequent offerings of Process lenses from commercial copy cameras. One of them might be just the thing you need. Have they all been bought up for ULF cameras now?

Am I off the mark in this?

chris77 · Apr 17, 2017

Drew Bedo said:
There used to be frequent offerings of Process lenses from commercial copy cameras. One of them might be just the thing you need. Have they all been bought up for ULF cameras now?

Am I off the mark in this?

can you recommend one?

Drew Bedo · Apr 19, 2017

chris77 said:
can you recommend one?

WEll a quick search on e-Bay gives a wide choice: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...XProcess+Lens.TRS0&_nkw=Process+Lens&_sacat=0

Search terms were "Process Lens".

DREW WILEY · Sep 1, 2017

Four-element Apo Nikkor graphics lenses are abundant, now affordable, and optically superb. They work well from f/11 down. Don't confuse these with either standard EL Nikkor enlarging lenses or with the rare hyper-expensive Apo EL version (bulkier and one stop faster).

DREW WILEY · Sep 1, 2017

A couple other tips. 4-element Apo Nikkors are the most common, but beware of wide-angle or cheaper process versions. The real deal are functional all the way from 1:1 to infinity. You just lose a stop of focus brightness versus a Rodsgon G, not actual printing speed. If you're designing a horizontal machine with sufficient floor space, get a 305 or 360 Apo Nikkor; the 240 version has to be stopped down another full stop to get perfect illumination and corner sharpness with 8X10 film. You can grind a custom diffuser to correct for falloff, but that obviously itself reduces light. Building your own enlarger can be a fun project if you have shop skills, but don't underestimate the difficulty of designing a strong even light source.

chris77 · Sep 8, 2017

DREW WILEY said:
A couple other tips. 4-element Apo Nikkors are the most common, but beware of wide-angle or cheaper process versions. The real deal are functional all the way from 1:1 to infinity. You just lose a stop of focus brightness versus a Rodsgon G, not actual printing speed. If you're designing a horizontal machine with sufficient floor space, get a 305 or 360 Apo Nikkor; the 240 version has to be stopped down another full stop to get perfect illumination and corner sharpness with 8X10 film. You can grind a custom diffuser to correct for falloff, but that obviously itself reduces light. Building your own enlarger can be a fun project if you have shop skills, but don't underestimate the difficulty of designing a strong even light source.

tx drew. will update here when finished.
right now i am happy to hace built my first back for 5x7. it was a nice little challenge..
cheers
chris

lens to enlarge 8x10 mural size

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