Make 4x6 prints with 6x7 negatives

[67II]

Hi - new to this forum and just started my darkroom - so the learning begins. I have made postcards on 4x6 Ilford paper using 35mm negatives and a 50mm lens. I'd like to make the same size postcards (or very close) from my 120 film - 6x7 negatives. My lens for the 6x7 negatives is 105mm. My enlarger is a 23cII.
I fiddled around trying to make that work today but it may not be possible with a 105mm lens?

Appreciate your guidance/recommendations. My 1'st grader niece loves my analog postcards!

Thanks

 

[mshchem]

James's Camera Collection: Manuals and Documentation

Acknowledgements, Links and References.

www.jollinger.com

According to this should be OK. Look here for the manual. 90mm is standard According to Beseler. Make sure the condensers are positioned correctly

 

[67II]

Thanks - I'll check it out.

 

[reddesert]

It should work, you just have to remember that a 4x6" print from 6x7 (negative is about 2.25 x 2.75") is only about 2x magnification. This means that for your 105mm lens, the negative-to-lens distance will be about 150mm, and the lens-to-paper distance will be about 300mm. This means the enlarger head may be higher, but the lens is racked further out, than you are used to from printing 4x6 from 35mm negatives.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Keep in mind that a 6x7 negative doesn't match a 4x6 print in the format ratio, as does a 3:2 35 mm negative. So you're going to have to crop to fill the paper or leave white borders on the paper if you wish to print the whole negative image.

 

[koraks]

I fiddled around trying to make that work today

Welcome to Photrio! What issue did you run into while trying to make it work? As said above by @reddesert, it's mostly a matter of whether the focus bellows will rack out far enough. I don't doubt it will since your use case isn't particularly extreme.

 

[67II]

Acquiring an 80mm lens will resolve all the issues correct?
I appreciate the responses.
Thank you.

 

[67II]

Keep in mind that a 6x7 negative doesn't match a 4x6 print in the format ratio, as does a 3:2 35 mm negative. So you're going to have to crop to fill the paper or leave white borders on the paper if you wish to print the whole negative image.

Thanks Alan - an 80mm lens will ease all the constraints correct?

 

[koraks]

Acquiring an 80mm lens will resolve all the issues correct?

It will make the distances smaller. The fundamental principle of having to rack out the bellows relatively far is inherent to making small enlargements.

Thanks Alan - an 80mm lens will ease all the constraints correct?

The aspect ratio of course remains the same.

 

[MattKing]

Acquiring an 80mm lens will resolve all the issues correct?
I appreciate the responses.
Thank you.

Only some 80mm lenses have sufficient coverage to handle 6x7 lenses.
And for the ones that do, the corners of the negative might not be quite as well resolved as with a longer lens, such as the more usually recommended 90mm lens..
Of course, with small prints like 4"x6", you most likely won't be able to see any difference in those corners.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I'd simply stick with the 105 lens. You're not going to see any optical improvement with something shorter. The only hypothetical advantage would be a shorter column height position, which might in fact make dodging and burning more cramped. A purist might look for a 105 duplicating lens like a Rodagon D, designed for such a small magnification ratio; but no sense going down that rabbit hole if the regular 105 works OK. I've never used anything shorter than 105 for 6x7 work.