I may have a problem

<p>Please don't judge me. I didn't know where to turn. I could have posted this in the B&W Printing forum, but I don't think they would understand my problem, as you my friends would.</p>

<p>You see, I am out of control. Of course I collect cameras—not like some of you. I own perhaps a few dozen cameras at most, which puts me in the category of "barely a collector", let alone someone who has a problem. <br /> I am reaching out to you, my friends, to see if anyone has the same problem as I do. Yes, it's true. There is no running from it now. There is no more hiding in the shadows... well, the darkroom actually.<em><strong> I collect enlarger lenses.</strong></em> There! I said it.</p>

<p>Worse, they collect me. A colleague needs to get rid of an enlarger because they don't use it any more, and guess what? There's a Componon or Rodagon lens or two, desperately looking for a home.</p>

<p>The picture below is just of the lenses sitting on my desk. It doesn't include the loaded D5 turret on my enlarger, or the other couple dozen lenses in my darkroom. What would really help is if I knew there were others with this problem. I can't even speak of my light meter problem, but I must start somewhere. Thanks for commiserating with me. Please don't judge me.</p><div></div>

<p>Well, it's probably better on the whole than collecting 500mm lenses, as some of us seem to have stumbled into.</p>

<p>Recognizing that you have the problem is the first step. :|</p>

<p>If you have more than 1K pieces, you may think of establishing a museum of enlargers ? :)<br>

I'm serious.</p>

<p>Or build a website ; Musee du Lense-Enlargee ?</p>

<p>I would suggest you start collecting enlargers to go with the lenses.</p>

<p>Then you can collect washing machines to put the enlargers on. (There are washing machine collectors.)</p>

<p>I hope there's a Nikkor 50mm 2.8 in there. If not, your collection is incomplete.</p>

<p>You could do a lot worse than collect enlarger lenses. They're pretty compact, very affordable now, and fun for experiments. I've used an old Wollensack 80mm for homebrewed tilt/shift lens experiments.</p>

I have a Nippon Kogaku 50/2.8 -

absolutely mint in box - for sale :-)

<p>You're not out of control, <strong>Michael</strong>, well, not totally...<em>I</em> get twitchy when a nice enlarger lens shows up on the sale sites...I guess I have six or seven, telling myself that one day I'll try them out one by one and make comparisons...But then, I'm happy with what I'm using so I probably won't. Some of them seem to get used on the DSLR's with focusing devices, and the results are sometimes spectacular. Oh my, another prospective project...</p>

<p>That's not many. I don't think you're complaining. I think you're bragging.</p>

<p>somehow my previus post did not appear.<br>

untill you get a mamiya enlahead or a janpol<br>

you do not have it all., start looking.<br>

It may be your collecting Is the reason I havbe not bee able to get ANY high quality 50mm lesn..<br>

Someone always snages then ( and empty boxes as well)<br>

for just a few dollar's more.<br>

My 50mm Braun camera lens will have to do.</p>

 

<p>I met a guy once who collects staplers. Now <em>that's </em>weird.</p>

<p>Most of us that inhabit this site have one form or another of GAS and we use this site in the hope that it will<br>

provide us with the group therapy we all need. The therapy is a complete failure because as soon as someone<br>

posts about an new camera, lens, or accessory we all start searching for that item.</p>

<p>I am now going to leave this forum and go the the big auction site and search for "enlarger lens".</p>

<p>How true, Rod. I don't even have an enlarger, but I'm going to be searching for an enlarger lens myself. ;-)</p>

<p>When you start looking for a APO version of every lens you own... even though... you only print b&w... then you might have an issue. Right now this just looks likes a case of being prepared. I do want one of those Janpols, but its a nationality thing since like I said, I (I mean not I, some hypothetical guy) doesn't even print colour;)</p>

<p>It sounds like I have nothing to worry about.</p>

 

 

<blockquote>

<p>I hope there's a Nikkor 50mm 2.8 in there. If not, your collection is incomplete.</p>

</blockquote>

 

 

Yes, I think maybe two. I don't think I'm bragging. I'm not even trying to collect them, I just end up with them. Like Tribbles.

<blockquote>

When you start looking for a APO version of every lens you own... even though... you only print b&w... then you might have an issue.

</blockquote>

Oops, I have done that Peter. This all started when I received a D2 enlarger with an Apo-Rodagon. I love the lens so much that I started looking for others.

 

 

 

<blockquote>

<p>I met a guy once who collects staplers. Now <em>that's </em>weird.</p>

</blockquote>

 

 

Dave, Is it weird if I collect red staplers?

<blockquote>

I guess I have six or seven, telling myself that one day I'll try them out one by one and make comparisons

</blockquote>

Rick, I have four enlargers set up. That said, if anyone is driving through Central Oregon and has a truck, I probably have a Besler 45 or Omega D2 you could have.

<blockquote>

Musee du Lense-Enlargee ?

</blockquote>

Too funny. I could make it with a very funky interface and have really bad English translations.

 

<p>Well this forum IS really a support group... or a group of enablers, I can't tell most of the time;) Enlarger lenses have a certain charm to them I find, they're kind of... pure. I mean, they're just lenses, no camera related do-dads attached. I think that's part of the draw. Plus, I find I can see the difference in lens sharpness much more readily in an enlarging lens than in a camera lens, perhaps because the printing process by design eliminates so many variables compared to the in camera process of taking the pictures most of us take. </p>

<i>"When you start looking for a APO version of every lens you own... even though... you only print b&w... then you might have an issue."</i><br><br>Not at all.<br>When you do not know that reducing lens faults - <i>all</i> lens faults, including the colour ones - helps improve image quality, even when "you only print b&w", <i>then</i> you have an issue.<br>;-)

QG,

Perhaps I'm just not nearly a good

enough printer, but I have not been

able to discern any print quality

improvement from an apo lens over a

high quality lens without the extensive

apo correction when printing b&w.

<p>I think it's the blind leading the blind if this is a self-help therapy group. We all are a sort of photo junkie! Uummm I got a really cool antique stapler though! Made in Sweden. Rapid 4 / Isaberg Verkstads It's kind of an oxblood (brown-red) color.<br>

I also have what I believe is an enlarger lens. I bought it for an MF SLR becasue the focal length seemed about right. It's gathering dust you want it?? http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00TKv0</p>

 

<p>Washing machine collectors...can you imagine explaining each new purchase of one of those to your significant other?!</p>

As long as you understand, Peter, that it can certainly make a difference <i>"<b>even though</b>... you only print b&w.."</i>.<br><br>Anyway, i think we only need to start worrying when we or the people close to us (more likely them) start to notice we have begun collecting collections.

<p>With 31 so far myself, I can honestly say you're normal. Only have 2 enlargers though.</p>

<p>QG when I am good enough for that miniscule difference to matter and I come across that one in a million perfect storm of circumstance where it does matter I'll be sure to raise a glass to you:)</p>