Which lens is the best fit for a Beseler 23cii enlarger?

[kylie_blattman]

<p>I'm in the process of setting up a home darkroom and my photography teacher gave me one of his old enlargers that he had in storage, the only problem is that I need to find a lens for it. It's a Beseler 23cii and I shoot with 35mm and medium format film, any suggestions?</p>

[maury_cohen]

<p>A 50mm is usually standard for 35mm, while a 75-100mm for 120; depending a bit on whether you're printing from 6x4.5, 6x6, or 6x7.<br>

I believe a 75mm could work for both as long as you don't want to enlarge beyond 8x10 (or crop as freely) with the 35mm. </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I haven't used the Beseler but most enlarger lenses that I have have the same 39mm-mount or have adapters to fit those to other mounts.</p>

<p>Both high-quality 50mm and 75-80mm lenses (e.g., Nikkor) are available on eBay and elsewhere, often at incredibly low prices, so you probably don't need to compromise on a common lens.</p>

<p>Places like <a href="http://www.freestylephoto.biz/121123-Beseler-23C-Lens-Kit-Includes-Arista-75mm-Enlarging-Lens-Delta-Bes">Freestyle</a> sell kits with lens and film holder, but they are new and much more pricey.<br /> By the way, these enlarger lenses are also superb copy lenses for close-up work with a bellows on a modern camera.</p>

[john_stockdale2]

<p>As Maury said above, medium format comes in various sizes. I use 35mm and 6x6 and have found that a good quality wide angle 60mm works for both formats (Rodagon WA 60mm/f4). </p>

<p>However, the price of good second hand enlarging lenses is rather low due to large supply and low demand, so it might be cheaper (and possibly better) to get a 50mm/f2.8 and whatever focal length is recommended for your medium format (80mm, 90mm even 105mm if you do 6x9). You will want a lens board for each lens. Beseler lens boards are very simple. If the boards are unthreaded you will want a threaded ring to retain the lens. I found that one lens had such a short thread on it that I needed a lens board that was thinned down around the hole so the ring could grip the lens. I don't know if that's a common issue.</p>

<p>And you need some sort of negative holder for each format. Check with your teacher that you have the right sizes. </p>

[dave_wilson1]

I had a besselr 50mm that was decent for 35mm, but my Nikkor 75mm for the 6x6 was really great.

[john_shriver]

<p>The El-Nikkors are cheap and excellent used on eBay. Absolute drug on the market.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>The Beseler 23s are nice enlargers... but the lens stage alignment system is so damn (useless, in practice).</p>

<p>If yours came with the "normal" lens board (and bellows), you`d be better looking for the adjustable type, third party unthreaded ones. This lens boards will let you to properly adjust the lens stage; they have two plates, connected by three adjustable screws. If you like sharpness, enlarger alignment is a must, there is no other route.</p>

<p>There is a small drawback; if you use this boards, the already bit long bellows extension will get a bit longer, so a 50mm lens could be near the bellows compression limit for making small prints. If you don`t plan to enlarge too big, my advice is to start with a 75-80mm lens for full format.<br /> In the other side, a 105mm lens will let you to print the largest format size, that is 6x9. <br /> Obviously the "perfect" choice is to use 50, 80 and 105mm lenses, but for a comfortable work with the 50, IMO the lens stage should be modified.</p>

<p>I`d simply start with the lens that fit the largest format you were using; 105mm for 6x8/6x9 or 80mm for 6x4.5/6x6... with either of them you can start making 35mm format prints.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>I use a 50mm for 35mm and 75mm for medium format, both El-Nikkor. No problem making any size print I want with either.</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>Rodenstock Rodagon 50mm f2.8 , Schneider Companon 80mm f4, El-Nikkor 75mm f4</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>Craig, do you use regular lens boards?<br /> And, do you use the "standard" alignment system?</p>

[bgelfand]

<p>For 35mm film, I use a 50mm f/2.8 EL-Nikkor; there is a considerable difference between the f/2.8 and the lower grade f/4 EL-Nikkor 50mm. For 6x6 film, I use an 80mm Schneider (I would have preferred the EL-Nikkor). Both lenses work very well on my Beseler 23CII.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>I've used the Beseler 75 and 50 f3.5 lenses on my 23C since the enlarger was new in the early 70's. Of course on the used market the EL Nikkors are not that much more expensive so you might as well go for them.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>Last I looked, I thought that used enlarging lenses were overpriced, at least compared to enlargers (with lenses) where the price is approaching zero.<br>

OK, that was last year. Looks like the price of lenses is approaching zero, too. There was a 50mm EL Nikkor that sold for $0.99 (plus shipping). <br>

I thought I remembered them in the $20 to $30 range. <br>

Otherwise, go to craigslist and find someone giving away an enlarger, with lens and all.</p>