Minolta C.E. ROKKOR -X enlarger lens

[gminerich]

Hi:

I just got a 30mm, 50mm & 80mm Minolta C.E. ROKKOR -X enlarger lenses (like new). Does anyone have any experience with them or know anything about there quality?
Thank you!
George

 

[Stan160]

I have a 50mm f/2.8 CE Rokkor. It is equally as good as the Rodenstock Rodagon 80mm f/5.6 that I also own.

I would add that both lenses probably outclass my printing abilities by a big margin ;-)

Ian

 

[gminerich]

I have a 50mm f/2.8 CE Rokkor. It is equally as good as the Rodenstock Rodagon 80mm f/5.6 that I also own.

I would add that both lenses probably outclass my printing abilities by a big margin ;-)

Ian

Thank you!

George

 

[patrickjames]

People really ignore these lenses but they are extremely good. They are the equal of most any of the big three (Schneider, Rodenstock, Nikon)

Patrick

 

[Dave Miller]

I have the 50mm, and the 80mm. I've always regarded them as of the very highest quality, and use them in preference to any other.

 

[gminerich]

Thank you all for the information! My 80mm Schneider has died and I was planning on replacing it with a Rodenstock or Schneider. After your comments it looks like the "Good Lens Fairy" has taken care of my problem!

Regards
George

 

[CraigH]

I have the 50mm f2.8. An excellent lens.

Craig

 

[OPTheory]

How do you think the 50mm f/2.8 Nikkor would compare to the 50mm f/2.8 Rokkor? I love my Nikkor but hey, a better lens is a better lens.

 

[ChuckP]

I doubt you will gain anything going from a Nikon to Minolta. To step up go for one of the newer APO lenses. Prices are OK for 50's. My Rokkor experience showed my 80 Nikon was slightly better than an 80 Minolta. But I would say on average they are equals.

 

[Arvee]

I informally tested my Minolta 50s against my Nikkor 2.8, Rodagon 2.8, Beseler HD 2.8 (Rodagon) at 11X14 and could not see any difference using a 10X loupe. Maybe there are differences at 16X20 but I never go there.

Fred

 

[dynachrome]

CE Rokkor-X Lenses

I have the 50 and the 80 and I would like to find a 30. They are all modern designs. I also have many other enlarging lenses including both old and new versions of the 80/5.6 EL Nikkor, an old version of the 50/4 EL Nikkor, a current 50/2.8 EL Nikkor, a 50/2.8 Beseler. Over the last few years I have mostly use the two CE Rokkor-X lenses. They are quite good. Where the APO lenses are concerned, if you close down a few stops and are doing only b&w printing, I don't know if you will see any advantage in them.

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi !
IMHO, enlarging lenses formulas are perfectly known since WWII. The formulas are quite the same for all six lenses.
So the main difference is quality of workmanship and piece to piece variability.
If you want something "special" you have to try the wide angle or zoom lenses. Here, the differences will be more acute from brand to brand.
I said so because I had a Rodagon, and a Nikon bought new which where very bad. they showed lenses de-centering. Dropped in transit ? Or poor quality control during manufacture ? They where exchanged rapidly and without trouble by the importer.

 

[OPTheory]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a 30mm enlarging lens would be used for 16mm film, right?

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Humm !
Maybe yes, maybe not.
You're right that a 30 mm lens has limited coverage, so it is normally used for small format.
But Computar made I think a 30 mm designed for 24x36 printing, Angenieux had a 40 for the same use. Maybe the Minolta was for half frame ?
Now, with Minolta being dead, finding information will be difficult.

 

[kiku]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a 30mm enlarging lens would be used for 16mm film, right?

You are correct. The literature for my Minolta Enlarger Mod III states that "the 30mm lens covers 110 and 16mm or smaller negatives".

Howard Tanger

 

[Dave Miller]

Someone mentioned APO lens, I have always understood that these lens are colour corrected; or should that be corrected for colour work?