Rodagon 80mm f/4 or Componon 80mm f/5.6

[melanger]

I had been planning to purchase a new Rodagon 50mm f/4 lens to make 16" x 20" prints from 6 x 7 negatives. Today a friend gave me a Schneider - Kreuznach 80mm f/5.6 Componon lens, which he said he last used 40 years ago. (The lens looks like it's in near-perfect condition and, judging from it's serial no., appears to be about 50 years old.) Does anyone have as sense as to whether the Rodagon would perform significantly better than the Componon, or vice versa?

Thanks much.
Matt

 

[brian steinberger]

Matt first of all, you won't want to use a 50mm lens for enlarging 6x7. Atleast an 80mm is needed, better a 100mm. I have the Schneider 100mm componon-s and love it. I would recommend that to you. I also have an 80mm rodenstock APO which I do favor slightly over the componon. Give the componon a try! I bet you like it!

 

[melanger]

Arrgh--I missed the typo. The sentence should have stated that I had planned to purchase a new Rodagon 80mm f/4 lens. But thanks much for your suggestion, Brian.

Matt

 

[BobMarvin]

I have both a fairly old 80 mm f4 Rodagon and a VERY old 80mm f5.6 Companon. Both are excellent, I doubt that you'll see a difference in quality. I only bought the faster lens because my previous enlarger required rather long exposures and I wanted to print with a larger apature, while still stopping my lens down 2 stops (f8 v. f11).

You mention a 50 mm lens to print 16 X 20s from 6 X 7 negatives. I don't think there is such a thing, but I use a 60 mm WA Companon (also rather old) to print that size from 6 X 6 negatives. I like it very much, but I don't know if it would cover 6 X 7.