Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Leica Users digest V6 #85
From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 12:39:58 -0800

jimmy katz wrote:
> 
> Dear luggers- I'm glad I found some people crazy as I am.
> I am a obsessive darkroom worker and use Rodenstock Apo Rodagon 50/2.8,
> 80/4, 105/ & 150/4 lenes.  (I do a lot of medium format work.)  First, I
> have never tested these against other enlarging lenes and I'm wondering
> if anybody has tested these against what else is out in the new or used
> market.  Second, I am also interested in what luggers think are the best
> apertures to be using enlarging lenes at.  Strangely, after aligning my
> enlarger, I have found in my own tests that F/11 is often better than
> F/8. I know this should not be the case but it is.  Has anybody done any
> testing themselve on this? All the best Jimmy

I like to stop 2,3 or even 4 stops like yourself but their seems to be a
prevailing ideal that this is not good because of flair or whatever and
that  you stop down 1 or 2 or none. I would have to get some laser
enlarger calibration deal before I even thought about this as I like
corner to corner consistent grain and sharpness.
The thing to do I would think is to make matching prints at different f
stops and see what differences might be visible.
Mark Rabiner