List Camera Manufacturers That Also Made Enlarging Lenses

[Ian C]

About 2010, I acquired an old uncoated enlarger lens about which I had no knowledge. It was made by the German camera maker, Wirgin. Here’s a description. It appears to be 3-element, but I can't be certain, as the front cell seems to be permanently glued shut.

Wirgin Wiesbaden Gewironar 1:4.5 7.5 cm ​

Thread: 1.150” = 29.21 mm ϕ x 0.5 mm p, This is probably 29.5 mm x 0.5 mm ϕ pitch. It is threaded onto a relatively thick, black-enameled brass flange having 3 mounting holes.

This was mounted on a machined cast-aluminum male helicoid of 2.728” diameter x12 threads per inch (verified with Lufkin thread-pitch gage) triple-start 60° V-thread, probably off of a very-old enlarger, or some other equipment that used a long helicoid focus.

It is uncoated and optically is a “stinker.” The metal parts are nicely finished. The aperture has no detent mechanism. The contrast is noticeably low when merely viewing through the lens. I cannot resolve grain when viewing the projection with a 25X Microsight (8.5” wide projection of 6 x 6 cm T-Max 100 negative.

I switched lenses to a 75/3.5 Beslar (Japanese-made Cooke triplet) and the grain is well resolved. Here is a rather poor photo of a 50/3.5 version with its flange.

Vintage Wirgin Wiesbaden Gewironar f=5cm 50mm 1:4.5 f/7.5 Lens - F/S from USA | eBay

Here’s a better photo, minus the mounting flange.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312537080171

Here is some information I found on Wikipedia on the now-extinct Wirgin camera company.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirgin

 

[xkaes]

Wirgin made several high quality 16mm cameras, so it would not surprise me if they made an appropriate enlarging lens in the 20-28mm range. Maybe you have it.

http://www.subclub.org/shop/wirgin.htm

 

[apbphoto]

PZO, Minolta, Ross, Taylor Hobson, Tomioka, Hoya, Computar, Canon, Komura, Osawa, Zeiss Jena, Som Berthiot, Angenieux, LPL, Fujimoto, Zenit, Seagull,

 

[ic-racer]

About 2010, I acquired an old uncoated enlarger lens about which I had no knowledge. It was made by the German camera maker, Wirgin. H

Yes, Wirgin! I recently restored my Wirgin/Edixa (though it is pictured here with an ENNA 24mm wide angle LITHAGON lens).

 

[kykr]

Canon made an enlarger lens just before WWI as well as an enlarger, Ross (Ensign) made a range of enlarger lenses

I always wondered about Canon. Nearly every other camera manufacturer made enlarging lenses and this is the first time I’ve heard that they did, albeit over a century ago. Not that it’s useful information, but any ideas why they wouldn’t ’back in the day’, when so many people used their film cameras?

 

[xkaes]

It's true that most camera makers made enlarging lenses, but most only made them for the film formats for their cameras -- like Minolta (16mm to 120). Nikon and Fuji, on the other hand, were exceptions and made enlarging lenses for camera formats they never produced.

And then there were lens manufacturers that made enlarging lenses, but they never made ANY cameras.

 

[Pieter12]

Nikon and Fuji, on the other hand, were exceptions and made enlarging lenses for camera formats they never produced.

Nikon and Fuji also made camera lenses for formats they never produced--LF.

 

[ic-racer]

An intersting off-topic to this thread would be Camera Manufacturers that also made Enlargers.

Since I have a Minolta enlarger, that is the first that comes to mind.

 

[ant!]

An intersting off-topic to this thread would be Camera Manufacturers that also made Enlargers.

Since I have a Minolta enlarger, that is the first that comes to mind.

Agfa, Rollei, Leitz, Zeiss Ikon?

 

[xkaes]

That would be anther long list -- Minox, Beseler...

 

[ic-racer]

Beseler USA imported camera. I don't think they were a camera manufacturer, were they?

For USA camera/enlarger manufacturers, I know Kodak, Omega and Argus (Argus enlarger below). I don't think Elwood made any cameras or Deardorff made any enlargers (any one have examples?)

 

[ic-racer]

Agfa, Rollei, Leitz, Zeiss Ikon?

Zeiss Ikon Enlarger, had to look that one up. Had never seen a picture of one of those before.

 

[ic-racer]

Durst made cameras but they are extremely rare in USA. I have never seen one in person. They may have been common in German-speaking Italy, or other parts of Europe at one time.

 

[ic-racer]

That would be anther long list -- Minox, Beseler...

Yes Minox! Along with Leitz, Triple-Crown Winners...High-end Camera+Enlarger+Enlarger Lens.

 

[gkardmw]

I have what must be a rare lens in the states: a Pentax-El 50f2.8

 

[ic-racer]

I have what must be a rare lens in the states: a Pentax-El 50f2.8

I'd love to see that. I suspect others would too. Can you post of picture?

 

[gkardmw]

I bought this a few years ago and have never heard anyone claim they use one. It is in like new condition; the serial number makes me think it is a prototype although I have no idea.

 

[BobD]

^ Wow! Never saw one of those before. (Pentax EL)

 

[emeraldcity_grain]

I bought this a few years ago and have never heard anyone claim they use one. It is in like new condition; the serial number makes me think it is a prototype although I have no idea. View attachment 357631

There has been talk that Durst Neonon lenses ‘Made in Japan’ were made by Pentax. I’ve observed that the coatings on my Neonons were very similar tomy Pentax lenses of the same vintage. But no one has ever posted a photo of a Pentax enlarging lens.

There is a striking resemblance to the Neonon build. 3 rows of knurled grip and a chromed ring around the tip of the lens nose. Hmmm…

 

[gkardmw]

There has been talk that Durst Neonon lenses ‘Made in Japan’ were made by Pentax. I’ve observed that the coatings on my Neonons were very similar tomy Pentax lenses of the same vintage. But no one has ever posted a photo of a Pentax enlarging lens.

There is a striking resemblance to the Neonon build. 3 rows of knurled grip and a chromed ring around the tip of the lens nose. Hmmm…

Here is another view of the Pentax-EL without the jam nut. How does this view

compare to the Durst?

 

[emeraldcity_grain]

Here is another view of the Pentax-EL without the jam nut. How does this view View attachment 357632 compare to the Durst?

Well that settles it, at least for me. It’s identical to the Durst Neonon 50mm f2.8 I own.
Same oval opening for aperture window. And greenish aperture color.
Really appreciate the photo.

 

[gkardmw]

Well that settles it, at least for me. It’s identical to the Durst Neonon 50mm f2.8 I own.
Same oval opening for aperture window. And greenish aperture color.
Really appreciate the photo.

I agree with your assessment. I was just reading a dpreview thread on this same subject and the pictures there of the Durst look just like my Pentax-El. From what they said there, I guess Schneider aslo made some Durst lenses but had a different look to them. Interesting to me is that one of the participants said that years ago the magazine Phototechnique reviewed several high end enlarging lenses and the Durst (Pentax) came out on top.

 

[Hilo]

Olympus has been mentioned, here some pictures of what may be their only enlarging lens. The 38mm for half frame negatives, from 1968. The metal colored extension ring was removed in order to attach the lens to a "color unit", whatever that was. With my lens I can't remove that.

I can confirm this is a very good lens, having printed up to 50x60cm / 20x24in. with it. I use it on a Leitz Valoy II enlarger, which was extended in order to print that large. I attach a data sheet as well and find it interesting Olympus explains this lens has a f2 design, which is masked to f2.8. Sometimes I use this lens opened full to avoid too long exposures and hardly see a difference compared to using f4. At f4 the exposure time can easily be more than a minute for this size and when burning with a 2nd exposure this can become quite an ordeal.

 

[Hilo]

To show what it means to use this lens when printing. The enlarger in the middle is the Valoy II set up for 50x60cm

 

[ic-racer]

Some great posts!