Choosing the Right Enlarging Lens for Your Film Format

Рет қаралды 19,804

Күн бұрын

There are many different film sizes, and many different enlarging lens focal lenghts. This video breaks it down to help you choose the right lens for the size film you are using.
A good rule of thumb is to use the same focal length lens that is considered “normal” for your camera size:
35mm- use a 40-60mm lens
6x4.5 and 6x6- 75-80mm
6x7- 90-100mm
6x9- 100-120mm
6x12- 100-135mm
6x17- 135-150mm
4x5- 135-180mm
5x7- 180-240mm
4x10- 210-300mm
8x10- 240-360mm
Any of the big three brands, Rodenstock, Schneider, or El-Nikkor will work. I use Schneider Componon-S lenses. Just do a little research and find a good 6 element lens, it will perform better than a budget design 3 or 4 element lens.
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Пікірлер: 74

@peteanddrake4242 5 жыл бұрын

I work at Kodak (Alaris) and love your videos. Have a pretty big lab and darkroom of my own but your videos are helping me upgrade and make better prints. Love it.

@Keckegenkai 9 ай бұрын

tell them to make film cheaper and bring old stock back. thanks

@michaelbryant5174 3 жыл бұрын

Best most informative explanation on this subject I’ve yet heard.

@JohanSvenssongbgpixtures 5 жыл бұрын

Very helpful and great videos youre producing!

@MrPetermc199 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for clearing that out.

@tamassanta6819 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, I just have one more question. Do you know if there is any difference in performance as sharpness...etc. between the Componon and the Durst Componon lenses? Or only the design for mounting? What else is diferent? Thank you: Tamas

@alessandroveronese601 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tutorial. Does the height of the enlarger's head affect sharpness? Thank you

@edward_grabczewski 2 жыл бұрын

I'm using super-small formats. The Minox B camera has 8x11mm negs and needs a 15mm lens but they're only made my Minox and impossible to find, so I'm using a 30mm Rokkor instead. Using a Durst M800 with a 32mm recessed lens panel I get approx. 9" x 14" prints. Is there a formula for relating the lens length to the size of print?

@Portraetpoesie 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

@randallstewart1224 3 ай бұрын

The one thing about 40mm lenses is that they tend to be used to maximize enlargements on enlargers with limited capacity. Their makers tend to optimize them for greater degrees of enlargement than for their 50mm lenses, although the function differences are quite small.

@severedsixteen 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks this is really informative..:)

@christiancardona9889 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you 😊

@neilpiper9889 3 жыл бұрын

I have a 100mm 5.6 Schneider Componon S and a 50mm 2.8 Schneider Componon S which covers all the sizes that I use up to 6x9.

@neilpiper9889 3 жыл бұрын

I use a 100mm 5.6 Schneider Componon S lens with 6x6 and 6x7 negatives on a condenser enlarger. Perfect Quality.

@TheNakedPhotographer 3 жыл бұрын

I use the same lens for 6x7 because my enlarger uses different depth recessed lens boards for different focal lengths and I don’t have one for my 80mm lens.

@ianpearson2872 4 жыл бұрын

You mentioned pano formats (mainly 120) and appropriate lenses. Is it the same regarding 135 pano? Ex: 135 in my Diana F+/Holga

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

I would use a lens for medium format, so 80, 90, or 100mm to ensure enough coverage

@terrywbreedlove 4 жыл бұрын

I have 45 Universal and a 810 beseler enlargers. I have three lenses 50 and 80mm El Nikkors and Schneider Componon-S 150mm f/5.6. No lens for the 8x10 enlarger yet because I don’t have a 8x10 camera yet but I will. I shoot 4x5 and Hasselblad 503 mostly and haven’t shot 35mm in a long time.

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

Sounds like you are covered.

@terrywbreedlove 4 жыл бұрын

The Naked Photographer working on it I stopped upgrading digital cameras and went all in on film :)

@tamassanta6819 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, I have a question. Will I have different quality on the darkroom print if I use 100mm enlarging lens for a 35mm negative insted of the 50mm? Let's say both lens (the 50mm and the 100mm) are Schneider Kreuznach Durst Componon. I enlarging the negative to the same size. Appreciate your help and your work!

@TheNakedPhotographer 3 жыл бұрын

Theoretically the 100mm would be using the center of the image circle so any corner aberrations would be cut off but the 50mm lens wouldn’t and might have lower quality corners, but in practice that isn’t always visible in the print

@tamassanta6819 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer Thanks a lot for your help :)

@wd9283 4 жыл бұрын

Do you recommend a certain 80mm lens for the Omega B22?

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

I like El-Nikkor and Componon-S lenses

@brentdrafts2290 4 жыл бұрын

Doing wildlife photography; I'm mostly cropping in, usually in a 16x20 or 20x24 print.

@jameslane3846 4 жыл бұрын

You also photograph wildlife on film? 😍

@brentdrafts2290 4 жыл бұрын

@@jameslane3846 Yes.

@jameslane3846 4 жыл бұрын

@@brentdrafts2290 awesome! Do you have a website or social media page I could have a look at your work?

@MyJuancho2010 5 жыл бұрын

another question ... how and what does the final image affect if it is printed on a condenser enlarger that the light is direct vs. indirect light enlarger? Thank ou...Jhon.

@TheNakedPhotographer 5 жыл бұрын

That is a complex topic that I will address in another video sometime in the future.

@david4god78 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer I hope you will cover the topic of light boxes. I have a 4x5 enlarger with a 4x5 light box can I print all formats up to 4x5? Or I have a 6x7 enlarger with a 35mm light box, Can I print 6x7 with the 35mm light box?

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

Yes. I don’t bother changing my light box in my enlarger when using smaller film

@randallstewart175 4 жыл бұрын

@@david4god78 No. (NP misread your question.) You can use a 6x7 diffusion box to enlarge a 35mm (smaller) negative. Compared to using a 35mm box, the light will b e less bright because the output is being spread over a larger area by the 6x7 box. If you install a 35mm box and try to enlarge a 6x7 negative, the light will cover the center part of the negative, an area somewhat larger than 35mm, but will not illuminate the rest of the negative.

@wd9283 4 жыл бұрын

This was helpful. Thank you. Will any lens fit on any enlarger? Or is it brand specific? Thank you!

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

Any brand lens will work. Most lenses use a standard size mount, but you will need a lensboard specific to your enlarger. This video goes over how to attach the lens to the board: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nq6om7hp3azJn3k.html

@wd9283 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer , THANK YOU!!!!

@wd9283 4 жыл бұрын

SORRY! One more question please. Will any lens carrier work on any enlarger? I imagine that is brand specific, right? Thank you!

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

Usually specific to the model enlarger you use, so shop carefully.

@wd9283 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer , thank you!! There's just so much to learn!

@HouseofJello Жыл бұрын

The el-nikkor 80mm lens I have says it’s specifically designed for 6x6 and 6x7, but would you still say I need a 90mm for printing 6x7? If so, why?

@TheNakedPhotographer Жыл бұрын

You would need a 90mm or longer for 6x9, but your lens should be fine for 6x7

@HouseofJello Жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer Ok thanks!

@erome5903 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, I wanted to ask you a question, I'm about to buy a 6x4,5 medium format camera and I don't have lenses to enlarge, I can buy a 105mm lens but I don't know if it will work well, I have a meopta opemus 6 enlarger that is not particularly tall, it will be fine with that lens? Best regards

@TheNakedPhotographer 3 жыл бұрын

Any lens from 75mm to 105mm will work, but the longer the focal length the higher the enlarger will need to go. If you can, look for a lens that is 75-80mm.

@erome5903 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer Thank you very much for your reply, I really appreciate it. greetings from Chile!

@simaosk8life 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer I’m having the same problem, I want to make 6x6 negative prints but it’s hard to find a 75 or 80mm lens with the same mount as the Opemus 6. If I use a Anaret 105mm lens will I get good size prints even with the enlarger not pulled to the top?

@TheNakedPhotographer 3 жыл бұрын

The Opemus 6 manual says it takes standard M39 mount lenses. Your options are any 75-80mm lens from Schneider, Rodenstock, or Nikkor.

@jameslane3846 4 жыл бұрын

Rodenstock says on their PDF of enlarging lenses that my 80mm from them is for 6x7. Does this mean I can print a tiny bit bigger than a 90mm?

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

Yes it does

@jameslane3846 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer nice! I might be able to do a bit bigger than 24 inches on the long side then! My Durst can already do 24 inches natively for 6x6

@randallstewart175 4 жыл бұрын

If they say so, I'm sure that there is coverage for 6x7cm negatives. However, you will be right on the raw edge of adequate coverage. (I know of no 75mm lens which will cover 6x7cm for example.) I'm not conveneced that my 80mm El Nikkor is adequate at the corners, although it has "coverage". I have settled on the 90mm Fuji Fujinon EX as my perfect 6x7cm lens, which represents 90% of my enlargements.

@AI-Hallucination Жыл бұрын

You know how hard it is to find spares for an enlarger in the uk

@MyJuancho2010 5 жыл бұрын

and how about the quality of the lens ... does it have a different result according to the optics or the brand of the lens?

@TheNakedPhotographer 5 жыл бұрын

The brand is irrelevant if it is a modern lens. Higher quality six element lenses (six pieces of glass inside) correct for aberration better than three or four element lenses. The better lenses tend to be Schneider Componon-S or APO Componon HM, Rodenstock Rodagon-N, and EL Nikkor with apertures of 2.8 (or 5.6 for longer lenses). Corners are sharper and color is better rendered.

@randallstewart175 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer Agreed. Given the abundance of used enlarging lenses in the market and their low prices relative to what they cost new, there is no reason to buy the older 3 and 4 element lenses. Shop for lens models made in the 1980s and newer to insure that your purchase is multi-coated. (Same cost; slightly better contrast and color saturation.) IMO avoid the labelled APO lenses, They rarely perform better than non-APO lenses in the real world, and the APO designation is used as an excuse to greatly increase their price. Unless your enlarger height is necessarily limited, avoid the wide angle lenses (i.e.,seek 50mm, not 40mm, for 35mm film). While the wide lenses usually perform well, they command a premium price and do not deliver a better image than their less exotic "normal" focal length models.

@jesperbent3685 Жыл бұрын

Hi there. Great video 👍🏽 i still dont get it . I just got a rodenstock rodagon apo 75 mm f4. X1d thinking this is the shit but when i mount it on my m805 i really vignette sone on a 6x4.5 neg. Even when i take the head low i does . Changing to my 80 mm i looks perfect ( i allwsys use 80 mm for my 6x4.5 , 6x6 - now i just had the chance to buy this 75 mm very cheap) . On the baseboard it had some black corners and i gues they will turn out white or faded on s print . If i cant use this lens for 6x4.5 what then can i use it for - any idea?

@jesperbent3685 Жыл бұрын

… maybe its not even an enlarging lens ( allthough it says so in some rodenstock documents on the internet)

@TheNakedPhotographer Жыл бұрын

Is it a condenser enlarger?

@TheNakedPhotographer Жыл бұрын

Ok, I looked it up. It’s for CCD security cameras. Since those sensors are very small it may not be designed to cover more than 35mm film.

@jesperbent3685 Жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer yes i think you are right unfortunatly - the guy i bought it from mentioned that this particular was used in some bank to count / film money counting . But actually what i can read in some Rodenstock dokuments says that it actually covers 6x6 with no vingnetting when stopped down to 5.6 but when i do i stili cuts the corners. Oh well i guess i have to use it for 35 mm then - its ok. Many many thanks again for your ever helping answers 👍🏽

@jesperbent3685 Жыл бұрын

No its with the colorhead/ diffusion

@dolnoslaski345 Жыл бұрын

Will 80mm focal length lens distort my 35mm film or it's gonna just zoom?

@TheNakedPhotographer Жыл бұрын

Actually less distortion, but yes, it will zoom a little

@dolnoslaski345 Жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer Okay, thanks, I won't have to buy 50mm lens for my "new" czech enlarger

@PHONYJOSEPH 4 жыл бұрын

I just got my first enlarger and lens for my home color darkroom. Do you have any techniques or tools for aligning the film stage, lens, and printing surface? I read several times on forums that it is important to align your enlarger. I have an Omega Super Chromega D Dichroic II with a 3-lens turret if that makes a difference. Thank you so much for these great photography videos! I am excited to set up my darkroom and your videos are making the process much more digestible and less stressful. Thanks again :)

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

I have a series coming up covering that very topic. Stay tuned.

@PHONYJOSEPH 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer thanks. You rock.

@user-ss6zt2mo1l 4 жыл бұрын

Now I need a 150mm lens

@jarrettleake4563 4 жыл бұрын

What aperture do you set on your enlarging lens? And do you change the aperture while printing ever?

@TheNakedPhotographer 4 жыл бұрын

I typically close it down two stops from its brightest stop. For most lenses that is the sharpest stop. I rarely change that.

@jarrettleake4563 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheNakedPhotographer thank you! Appreciate the help

@terrywbreedlove 4 жыл бұрын

Yep I also stop down 2 stops. Was taught to do that years ago and haven’t changed.

@ronaldmoravec2692 Жыл бұрын

Stick to 50,80, 150 for appropriate neg or smaller. The rest are wide angle and there are problems. Leica uses a 40 on the V35, BUT they redesigned the mix box to even out the exposure. Take that same 40 on their condenser enlarger and the image is garbage. 135 will work on 4x5 for small prints because there is lots of extension. I can not define small because I have forgotten.