Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/07

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Enlarging with camera lenses
From: walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson)
Date: Wed Jun 7 14:44:10 2006
References: <200606060536.k565ZrGs058100@server1.waverley.reid.org> <6f0225a0a50278629c719902f772e3ca@optonline.net>

Larry

That's interesting to know....Years back had to get an adapter for my 
Focomat 1B  to use EL Nikkor. Had several of those but and the enlarge 
came lensless.  The 40mm Leitz lens on my V35 was a marvelous performer. 
Still, having spent decades in the dark you'd have to tie a rope around 
my neck to pull me away from Photoshop. Unload M3, process in Rodinal 
and stick it in a Coolscan. From then on, I'm in the 21st century.

Walt

Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:

>
> On Jun 6, 2006, at 1:36 AM, lug-request@leica-users.org wrote:
>
>> I though enlargers needed flat field (enlarging lenses) and did rather
>> poorly with camera lenses?
>>
>> Walt
>>
>> p.s.Marc will know
>>
>> Frank Filippone wrote:
>>
>>> Could be, but I have never heard of putting a 35mmm or 85mm Contax 
>>> lens on an enlarger... a 50, yes.
>>>
>>> Most likely a Contax lens to Leica ( or other) adapter for close 
>>> ups.....
>>>
>>> Frank Filippone
>>> red735i@earthlink.net
>>>
>
> Leica advocated using its 50 mm camera lenses on both the Valoy and 
> Focomat enargers. I quote from the 1947 edition of the Morgan and 
> Lester "Leica Manual."
>
> For the Valoy - "The focusing lens mount will accommodate the various 
> Leica lenses. The 50 mm lenses (except the Xenon f1.5) are recommended 
> for use in this enlarger."
> For the Focomat - "The Focomat Ib enlarger can adapted for use with 
> any 50 mm Leica lens except the Xenon f1.5."
>
> Indeed, the 50 mm Leica lenses were so commonly used as enlarger 
> lenses that the 39 mm Leica thread mount became the defacto standard 
> for mounting enlarger lenses of all makes. I used my 50 mm Elmar as an 
> enlarging lens for years. Stopped down to f5.6 or f8.0 it works as 
> well as any other enlarging lens I have used. My current Fuji 50 mm 
> enlarging lens works slightly better at wide apertures but still 
> retains the 39 mm mount. The LTM 35mm f.3.5 Summaron works well as an 
> enlarger lens for big blowups or for enlarging 1/2 frame negatives.
>
> Larry Z
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>


Replies: Reply from red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone) ([Leica] Re: Enlarging with camera lenses)
In reply to: Message from lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin) ([Leica] Re: Enlarging with camera lenses)