Not burned, just "lightly singed"...

[Ole]

All right, that's not the most descriptive thread title, I know.

But the point is that I just bought a bunch of enlarger lenses on ebay. Nice lenses, nice price, but when they arrived I discovered the packaging had been a little less than optimal: A Componar 135/4.5 was dented (outer ring), and a Componon 135/5.6 was not only dented but had three loose aperture blades, and a "Kodak Enlarging Ektanon" 161mm f:4.5 had two small dents on opposite sides. An Elgeet Colorstigmat 135mm f:4.5 survived unscathed, as did a Componon 60mm f:5.6.

I checked the picture in the auction closely, and it appears that all the damage has occurred in the mail. Bummer. At $50 I'm not bothering to complain, though. Especially as all the lenses except the Elgeet came with mounting flanges.

So: Does anyone have any experience with any of these lenses? Should I expect the Componar to be much worse than the Componon, or are they just optimised for different enlarging ratios? And what about the Kodak and Elgeet - are they decent or letter presses?

 

[Nick Zentena]

The Kodak is supposed to be quite nice. Top quality for it's time.

I picked up a 135mm Componon-S last week but haven't had a chance to compare it to my Nikon. I expect it to be equal in quality but I'll need some time.

IIRC the componar are all four element.

But with all used lenses alot depends on condition.

 

[Ole]

But with all used lenses alot depends on condition.

That's the sad thing - all five lenses were[/] in pristine condition. The glass still is, not even a hint of a scratch in the coatings. But dents and dings make some of the apertures hard to operate, even if I've managed to "reattach" the loose blades.

I believe all but the Componons are Tessar-types; the Componons are six elements in four groups.

Oh well. I'll do a practical comparison test during the holidays, I think. If I can find a super-sharp 4x5" (or 9x12cm) negative. And a way to get the lenses to stay in place, well aligned and centered, on my Durst - without needing to scour ebay again for lens boards (I only end up with more lenses that way).

 

[jstraw]

Please, for everyone's sake...leave feedback that reflects the seller's poor packing.

 

[Terence]

My Kodak is my oldest, but best, enlarging lens. It's slightly less contrasty than my newer ones, but like an old camera lens, makes a beautifully rounded image. Not unsharp and not out of focus, just different. Tough to describe.

 

[ricksplace]

I actually use my 161 enlarging ektanon on my speed graphic as a taking lens. Stopped down, it is surprisingly good. Maybe yours will be too. You never know until you try. I also have a 150mm f4.5 D.O. Industries (fuji) that I sometimes use as a taking lens. One of these days I'll try some of my other enarger lenses as taking lenses. I haven't had good luck with componons as taking lenses.

Does you durst have round lensboards like a 606 I used to have? I made lensboards for that critter out of stiff cardboard.

 

[Parsifal]

The Elgeet would have been considered a semi woofer....

 

[Curt]

Ole, where did the lenses originate? By what mail method did they use?

Curt

 

[epatsellis]

Ole,
packed somewhere I have a barrel for the 135, I bought one and just for kicks put it in a #0 shutter, needless to say, it never left and I have the barrel packed up, somewhere. (I'll be glad when I find a place in WI and get all my s#$% moved)

erie

 

[Ole]

The lenses were sent from the US by USPS. I'm not blaming the carrier in this case, it was clearly a case of insufficient padding.

Enlarger lenses in metal barrels are small, compact, hard, high density items. One single layer of bubble wrap won't change that much - they're still small, hard, high density. Put five of them in a small cardboard box with a little extra space, and they will move. Being small high-density objects, they will impact each other.

Any other time of year I might have been lucky, but anyone who has been in a major post office sorting central in December (I worked in one for five years, after school) knows that everything must be double-extra-super-padded in December!