Want to Buy WTB - 105mm enlarging lens

[Adrian Twiss]

Has anyone got a 105mm enlarging lens they are wanting to part with. For preference I am looking for Schneider Companon S, Rodenstock Rodagon or EL Nikkor (6 element).

I have just acquired a 6x9 roll film back and have found that my 80mm Rodagon does not have the coverage and my 135mm EL Nikkor is too long.

I am not looking to pay peanuts for a good example and am more than happy to pay PayPal fees if anyone can help.

Thank you

 

[Tom Stanworth]

I'd recommend a 105 rodagon. Mine is tack sharp from wide open and by f6.7 has great nice sharp corners on 20" prints. Its a much better lens than the 80mm f4 I also have.

 

[Adrian Twiss]

Tom - thanks for your input. As luck would have it I managed to get 3 6 element EL Nikkors of Ebay one of them was a 105mm. The other two were a 50mm f2.8 and a 63mm f2.8.

 

[JMC1969]

Sent you a PM at LF for a Rodagon if something should fall through.

 

[Tom Stanworth]

Adrian - nice one! The 63mm 2.8 is incredible. I used to have terrible trouble with good corners past 16" from 35mm using 50mm lenses on my 10x8 enlarger. I had no idea what the trouble was but using the slightly longer 63mm sorted it... and what an incredible lens it is.

FWIW I directly compared a 50mm componon-S with a 50mm Durst Neonon (pentax made I believe) and while they were both sharp there was something about the tonality of the images, contrast etc with the Neonon and subsequent Nikkor 63mm (and 60mm Rodagon) that seemed much preferable to the Schneider. Not something I expected at all...

While I had issues with soft corners I actually used my 105mm for 35mm prints up to 20"! It produced immaculate sharpness wide open, which is more than I can say for the 80mm, which could not compete until F8.

 

[Adrian Twiss]

Tom

Thanks for your input. I don't do much 35mm these days but will be keeping the 63mm for the rare times I do. I compose and print from the whole of the negative to use as much of the film as possible. Going on from what you say does this also apply to 5x4. I currently use a 135mm EL Nikkor f5.6 which works wonderfully with 6x12. Should I be looking at between 180mm and 210mm for 5x4 negatives? My print size is usually 16 inches on the long side?

 

[ic-racer]

Should I be looking at between 180mm and 210mm for 5x4 negatives? My print size is usually 16 inches on the long side?

So, if you are printing 4x5 negatives to 16x20, that is 4x, so you will be fine with a 'standard' 135mm or 150mm lens.

If you get into mural size prints (20x and up), then your edges will start to get blurry and you can correct that with a Rodagon-G 150mm or going to a 'standard' 210mm.

 

[Tom Stanworth]

I agree with the above. I have always been fine with 135mm for 5x4 and a 240 for 10x8. I have a 180 for 5x7 but have not used that yet. My issue with needing something longer than 50mm for 35mm was due to my enlarger set up. Still don't know the cause, but it not longer matters as the 63mm sorted everything.

 

[23mjm]

FWIW--I have printed to 16X20 from a 4X5 neg using a old Nikkor 135mmf/5.6 lens, I have never noticed any corner softness or other shaprness/light fall off issues.

 

[Ian Grant]

I'd agree with the others a shorter lens is more practical for enlargements, so a 135mm is perfect for 20x16 and larger from a 5x4 negative, Schneider's 135mm Componon & the S version are specifically designed for 5x4 work.

Ian