Wollensack 90mm F4.5 Thread

Hi all!

I have a question concerning the Wollensack 90mm enlarger lens as it seems to have a smaller thread than 39mm.

I bought an 80mm El-Nikkor 5.6. The Nikkor too has a smaller thread, but it comes with an adapter ring which makes it M39.

QUESTION: Can I use the Nikkor Ring for the Wollensack? Or how do I make the Wollensack compatible with an enlarger which only takes M39.

Thank you!

The Wollensake 90, 75, and 50, I think are all 25mm? I had the lens board of my Opemus III lens drilled to take my Wollensake 50 and 75mm. Does your enlarger have a lens board or does the lens screw into the head?

Its the Omega C760 with BW head. It has a Recessed/Extended Lens Mount with 39mm thread.

A machine shop could made an adaptor, 25mm insert for the 39mm socket. I think it would cost less to buy a 39mm thread 90mm. Too bad, Wollensake made very good enlarger lens.

In my limited experience with Wollensak enlarging lenses it was discovered they used a variety of sizes and that many Raptar and Enlarging Raptar lenses have threads which are not metric sizes, instead they use US (Imperial) sizes which are fractional inch sizes, for example one and one quarter inch. The thread pitch is also an Imperial dimension, in the case of the 135mm lens 30TPI, and the thread form is 60 degrees, which is the same as the metric thread form.
I suggest that the thread is measured for diameter and a selection of inexpensive metric adapter rings found, in the hope that one of them fits. The degree of precision required for this short length of thread, and low stress application, is not great, something close in size will do.

Thank you for all your detailed answers. I didnt buy it yet and I might consider another option like a Companon-S.

caja_de_bombones said:

Thank you for all your detailed answers. I didnt buy it yet and I might consider another option like a Companon-S.

Click to expand...

The Wollensak Enlarging Raptars are 4-3 Tessar lenses designed in the late 1940's. They are inferior to modern 6-4 designs like the el-nikkor or componon-s. Don't get me wrong, the Wollensaks are decent lenses but given a choice between the Raptars and a later design then it's really a no brainer.

I have a number of lens including 5 and 6 elements as well as the Wollensak 4 and 5 element lens, up to 11X14 I don't see any difference, Kodak on the hand made 3 element and 4 elements lens, the 4 element lens are fine, the 3 elements are somewhat lacking. I use the Wollensak on my Opemus as I make 5X7 to 8X10 with it. But on my D3 I use 5 and 6 elements lens as I can print up to 16X20 and 20X24 and the newer designs are better for high enlargement. But given the challenge of adapting a Wollensak to a C760 I would give it a pass. Not to highjack the thread, I also have a Federal Stow Away enlarger with a built in 2 elements 90mm and waterstop Fstops, with the right negative produces a very nice soft look.