lenses when printing 6x6 / 35mm...
Andrea
i'm probably gonna get a 6x6 Enlarger. but i'd like to use it to print 35mm
as well.
i saw some posts discussing the use of different lenses to print MF or 35mm,
and 'condensers'.
- can i use a MF lens to print 35mm? if yes, with which limitations? is it
just better to use the proper lens or is it necessary?
- what are the condensers? is it necessary to switch condensers between
formats?
- are there other advices / tips when switching from one format to the other
when using the same enlarger?
thanks all,
Andrea
Nick Zentena
> Hi all,
> i'm probably gonna get a 6x6 Enlarger. but i'd like to use it to print 35mm
> as well.
> i saw some posts discussing the use of different lenses to print MF or 35mm,
> and 'condensers'.
>
> - can i use a MF lens to print 35mm? if yes, with which limitations? is it
> just better to use the proper lens or is it necessary?
Yes but the longer the lens the smaller the print from the same height.
If your enlarger goes high enough then it might not matter but you may find
it shakes more. 80mm enlarger lens are relatively cheap used now. So are
50mm lens.
> - what are the condensers? is it necessary to switch condensers between
> formats?
Sort of look like big magnifying glasses. Switching depends on your
enlarger. You may have to do nothing. Remove one. Or adjust in some other
way. Condensors are used in condensor enlargers. Not all enlargers are of
this type.
> - are there other advices / tips when switching from one format to the other
> when using the same enlarger?
Get a lens mount that is threaded. That way you can just screw in the
right lens. I'd also suggest setting up your work so you can do a bunch of
one format then the other one.
Assuming you're talking about B&W you might want to keep an eye out for
a 4x5 enlarger instead of a 6x6 one. The price increase isn't much today.
Nick
Andrea
> If your enlarger goes high enough then it might not matter but you may
find
> it shakes more. 80mm enlarger lens are relatively cheap used now. So are
> 50mm lens.
thanks, that's clear. at least i'm glad to hear there are no focusing
problems.
some time ago i had my uncle's enlarger (a 35mm). i remember the head could
be rotated around the rail so the projected image could go out the working
plane, being so able to get virtually very big prints, just putting the
paper on the floor. isn't this a feature of all enlarger (rotating head?)?
> Get a lens mount that is threaded. That way you can just screw in the
> right lens. I'd also suggest setting up your work so you can do a bunch of
> one format then the other one.
i guess the thread mount isn't standard, is it?
>
> Assuming you're talking about B&W you might want to keep an eye out
for
> a 4x5 enlarger instead of a 6x6 one. The price increase isn't much today.
that would make sense (i also have a 4x5" camera), but it takes so much room
and my darkroom (bathroom) is VERY small... and 4x5" enlargers are not easy
to find here in italy..
Andrea
Manny Bhuta
should consider. You will need to raise the head higher for the same
size print and more important the lens will most likely not be as sharp.
Let me explain. Each lens is designed to be optimal at a specific
magnification. Since 35mm negatives are printed at a higher
magnification than medium format negatives, 50mm lenses are optimized at
higher magnifications. My enlarger has a turret with three lenses,
50mm, 80mm and 150mm. Each is Rodagon APO N series. I did a series of
experiments to see how many line pairs can be resolved by each of the
three lenses at different magnifications. It was quite obvious that for
the same size print, 50mm lens was superior for 35mm negatives and 150mm
lens was superior for 4x5 negatives
--
Manny Bhuta
Randolph, NJ USA
"Andrea" <andre...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:asi9f0$rf5r7$1...@ID-157727.news.dfncis.de...
Nick Zentena
>
> thanks, that's clear. at least i'm glad to hear there are no focusing
> problems.
> some time ago i had my uncle's enlarger (a 35mm). i remember the head could
> be rotated around the rail so the projected image could go out the working
> plane, being so able to get virtually very big prints, just putting the
> paper on the floor. isn't this a feature of all enlarger (rotating head?)?
I don't think so. Mine can be unbolted and turned around so instead of
being over the counter it's over the floor. But unless I wanted fairly large
prints [bigger then 11x14 ] there is no need.
>
>> Get a lens mount that is threaded. That way you can just screw in the
>> right lens. I'd also suggest setting up your work so you can do a bunch of
>> one format then the other one.
>
> i guess the thread mount isn't standard, is it?
I'm not sure anything is standard. With newer lens they all tend to be
39mm threads but older ones can vary. Once you get over 105mm the lens need
bigger mounts.
>
> that would make sense (i also have a 4x5" camera), but it takes so much room
> and my darkroom (bathroom) is VERY small... and 4x5" enlargers are not easy
> to find here in italy..
It's more the weight. My 4x5 isn't a great deal bigger then the MF
enlarger but it's heavy. Not something you would want to move very often.
How hard/easy is it to find 4x5 film in Italy?
Nick
Michael A. Covington (Portable computer)
> - can i use a MF lens to print 35mm? if yes, with which limitations? is it
> just better to use the proper lens or is it necessary?
Yes, but your maximum print size will not be as large. Most enlargers will
do 8x10 enlargements of 35-mm negatives with a 75-mm lens (which would
normally be used for 6x6 negatives). For bigger enlargements you need a
50-mm lens (which is what is usually used for enlarging 35-mm film).
When making smaller prints (5x7 and less) from 35-mm negatives I often
prefer to use the longer lens in order to get more room between the lens and
the paper, for burning and dodging.
> - what are the condensers? is it necessary to switch condensers between
> formats?
Condensers are lenses in the lighting system of the enlarger, above the
negative. Whether you have to change anything depends on your enlarger.
Clearly, an enlarger that is set up for big negatives will illuminate small
ones just fine; it just won't be putting all its light into the smaller
negative area.
Getting specific here, I've used several enlargers, and here's how they
work:
Bogen 22B Special -- Nothing to adjust; same illumination system for both
neg. sizes.
Beseler 23C condenser head -- There's an adjustment for the size of the
negative.
Beseler 23C color head -- Nothing to adjust.
> - are there other advices / tips when switching from one format to the
other
> when using the same enlarger?
Most enlarger lenses have a standard 39mm thread.
If you can't afford top-of-the-line lenses right now, remember that most
cheaper lenses are just fine when stopped down to f/8 or so.
--
Clear skies,
Michael Covington -- www.covingtoninnovations.com
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
and (new) How to Use a Computerized Telescope
Andrea
could
> > be rotated around the rail so the projected image could go out the
working
> > plane, being so able to get virtually very big prints, just putting the
> > paper on the floor. isn't this a feature of all enlarger (rotating
head?)?
>
> I don't think so. Mine can be unbolted and turned around so instead of
> being over the counter it's over the floor. But unless I wanted fairly
large
> prints [bigger then 11x14 ] there is no need.
it was just to understand if it was possible to get bigger prints using an
80mm lens for 35mm negatives without buying a 50mm lens...
> How hard/easy is it to find 4x5 film in Italy?
it's pretty ok in rome a buch of pro shops have it, maybe in a couple of
days.. it's getting harder, but buying online in the worst case is ok. it's
jsut awfully expensive the processing (2.5 EUR per photo)
Andrea
Max Perl
Rodagon WA 60/4 which can cover 6x6 and should also be able to give
you enough magnification for 24x36.
The Rodagon WA 60/4 is a nice lens optically also. But it is important that
it is a WA lens.
Max
"Andrea" <andre...@yahoo.com> skrev i en meddelelse
news:asi9f0$rf5r7$1...@ID-157727.news.dfncis.de...
maf
quality regular lenses bought used. Make sure you get an 80mm because most
75mm lenses are not 6 element designs. The El-Nikkor 80mm f/5.6 is probably
the best bargain and very good quality. The El-Nikkor 50mm f/2.8 is also a
good bargain. Avoid the 50mm f/4.
"Max Perl" <max_...@post11.tele.dk> wrote in message
news:3dece865$0$234$edfa...@dread12.news.tele.dk...
Max Perl
It was below USD 100. For the regular lenses I can strongly recommend the
Schneider K. Componon S 50/2.8 and 80/4. I also have the El-Nikkor 50/2.8
but
the Schneider is much nicer to focus because it is sharp corner to corner at
2.8.
The Nikkor is a bit soft in the corners when focusing at 2.8.
Max
"maf" <m...@switchboard.net> skrev i en meddelelse
news:w76H9.358$Lb5....@news.uswest.net...
Nick Zentena
>
>> How hard/easy is it to find 4x5 film in Italy?
>
> it's pretty ok in rome a buch of pro shops have it, maybe in a couple of
> days.. it's getting harder, but buying online in the worst case is ok. it's
> jsut awfully expensive the processing (2.5 EUR per photo)
Do any of the shop in Rome have websites? I'm only worried about B&W.
Nick
Andrea
http://imago.tin.it/sabatini/
but i'm afraid they dont have email (at least i couldn't find it)
to buy B&W online, www.fotomatica.it is the best. they have email and online
support. if you're coming here on vacation, you may ask to deliver to your
hotel
Andrea
Nick Zentena
Thanks. The price for film doesn't look bad at all.
Nick