enlarger lense

[tim_kimbler]

What is the difference between a 135mm and 150mm lense? I have found a Nikon 135 for $180.00. I have not been able to find a 150mm Nikon for less than $300.00. I have found a lot of Raptar 162mm for around$50.00, are they any good? What other 150mm enlarger lense would be a good one in the $200/$300 range? When printing only a part of the negative would a 50mm or an 80mm be best? Dose raising the cold light do the same thing to print only a section of the negative?

 

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Tim............

[darron_spohn1]

Generally a 150mm lens will cover a wider area than a 135mm enlarging lens. This allows you to print a

4x5 negative full frame with less light fall off in the corners, especially at larger magnifications (16x20

vs. 8x10). I had a 135mm Raptar for about six months and sold it when I found a Nikkor 150/5.6 for

$375 mounted on a Beseler board. The Raptar was an excellent lens for the price, but not as sharp as the

Nikkor, and did not exhibit the smooth tonal gradations I get with the Nikkor, but I couldn't see the

differences unless comparing prints side-by-side.

 

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I guess if you are only printing from the center of a 4x5 negative you could use a shorter lens, but then

why shoot 4x5? Raising the cold light in the housing causes vignetting in the corners of the projected

image on my Beseler 4x5 enlarger.

 

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I'd stick with the major brand names for enlarging lenses: Nikkor, Rodenstock, Schneider. Be patient and

look around. Used enlarging lenses are relatively cheap. I found an old Schneider 150/9 lens last winter

for less than $100.