[Leica] More on enlarging lenses

[Mike Johnston <michaeljohnston@ameritech.net>]

Mark,
The less said about Fred Picker, the better.

It's not unreasonable to use an 80mm enlarging lens for 35mm negatives,
if its performance is up to par (some medium-format lenses are better
than others for 35mm). When I was a custom printer, I used an
Apo-Rodagon 80mm for everything up to 6x7; the rational was simply that
it's a more versatile lens--35mm quality was very close to that of a
good 50mm, plus you can do very small prints from 35mm, plus you can do
medium format. That lens always surprised me--I even used it to enlarge
sections of 4x5 negatives with nary a problem.

The only thing it couldn't do was very large enlargements from 35mm
negatives. For that I kept a 50mm Rodagon-G around. For very small
prints from medium-format negatives, I used my 150mm Componon-S.

If you're having problems with sharpness in the corners with a good
6-element 50mm enlarging lens such as a Componon-S, a Rodagon, or an
El-Nikkor, your carrier isn't holding your negatives flat. Simple as
that.

Similarly, if the sharpest aerial grain image DIFFERS from "the sharpest
grain in the print," you've got a problem in your technique somewhere.
Or you're not focusing using white light, which you always should do.

The best grain focuser (by far) is the Peak Critical Focuser, which
sells for roughly $300--a superlative optical instrument on a par with
the best Leica lenses. With this laudable device, you can check for the
optimum aperture, check corner sharpness, test your lens for
decentering, check negative flatness in the carrier, and confirm
enlarger alignment. Very useful. A worthwhile purchase for every
committed darkroom craftsman.

For lurkers, the word "Apo" on an enlarging lens isn't a guarantee. The
old Apo-Rodagon 50mm was not significantly better than the regular
Rodagon, although the 80mm Apo-Rodagon was significantly better than ITS
counterpart. (The 50mm Apo-Rodagon-N is another story.) And the 100mm
f/5.6 Schneider Componon-S is as good for 645, 6x6, and 6x7 as most of
the Apo lenses.

As has been noted before, the only truly apochromatic enlarging lenses
were the old Apo-El-Nikkors. The Zeiss S-Planars are said to be as well,
but I've never used one. I did _see_ one once. <g>

And hate to tell you folks, but Leitz enlarging lenses aren't that great
by today's standards. The better ones are fine lenses, about on par with
garden variety El-Nikkors. But they don't come up to the standard of the
latest premium lenses from Rodenstock and Schneider. Anybody know how
long it's been since the introduction of the most recent Leitz enlarging
lens when it was new?

I will now be accused of "bashing" Leica again. (When other people spout
bigotry and intolerance, it's called "telling it like it is" and
"calling it like they see it." When I tell it like it is and call it
like I see it, it's called Leica-bashing. You know what they say: "oh
well.")

- --Mike

P.S. Although I do not claim to be an expert in all things
phototechnical, I *am* an expert on the subject of enlarging technique
and equipment.