Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/03/13

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Subject: Re: OFF TOPIC--Englarging lens questions
From: Steven Blutter <sblutter@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 17:13:10 -0600

Alan Bearden wrote:
> 
> At 06:55 AM 3/13/97 -0400, you wrote:
> >What, if any, practical effect does the aperture setting of a enlarging
> >lens have? If you print a negative at f/16, will you have a greater
> >"depth of field" in the sense that if the negative is not perfectly flat
> >in the carrier, that area of the negative will print sharper than if you
> >printed the same, not-perfectly-flat negative at f/2.8?
> >
> >Thanks for your thoughts.
> >
> >-----Yes!

again, i'm no lens guru, but having taken the advise of many greats over 
the years and plain old trials, most lenses are at their sharpest 2 -3 
stops from OPEN.  yes, logically the depth of field would seem a 
benefit, but enlarging lenses are very nice in that they don't want you 
to have 3+ minute exposure times, thereby losing any benefit you might 
have had.  my schneiders are definatly sharpest at 2 from open, and even 
1 from open is damn sharp, right to the edge on 16 x 20's.
please make sure you've got everything calibrated (level). everything!