Topic: Enlarger v Standard Lens

[irv_b]

Right a technical question for you boffins out there.. I  have't got £750+ for a 5X4 enlarger so, I have ordered the Intrepid 5x4 enlarger kit.
 I already have cheap wooden camera and now worked out a way to make it into the enlarger body.
 Ok, so I know the enlarger lens are marketed different to the standard large format lenses but what IS the difference?
Is it a case of a spread of illlumination to make the print or some other technical  reason.
Would a projector lens do the same job?
Would a 210mm standard lens do the same job as a 150mm enlarger lens?
I am sure I can remember reading somewhere, about a war photographer using his large format camera as an enlarger, out in the field in his tent, so using a standard lens must be suitable in an emergency.
I will eventualy get a enlarger lens, I may have saved enough by the time the kit gets here (8 weeks or so) but if I can use a standard lens then I can save a bit of money in the short term.
Please dont baffle me with science, I am but a simple man
Cheers Irv

[Francois]

While you can use a regular lens for enlarging, the results won't be optimal.
This is down to the way the lens is corrected. An enlarger lens is what we call Flat Field. This means that it will have a flat plane of focus.
A regular lens has a curved focus plane, so sharpness at the edges is not as good. But you can compensate to some degree using depth of field.
Now, for the focal length, this is a whole other thing; but this time way more practical.
A longer focal length will mean that the enlarger head will be higher for any given magnification. And a higher enlarger head means that less light reaches the paper easel... so exposure times increase. Also, you will probably reach the top end of the support before getting a really adequate print format.
And then, there's the lower aperture of the higher focal length lenses.

As for the projector lens, while in theory it would work, these have a very shallow depth of field which will simply cause you some headache. Unless you get a projection lens really cheap and take it apart to add an aperture disk somewhere in them, I'd stay away from those.

On my 4x5 enlarger, I have a Schneider 135mm lens that fully covers the 4x5 negative.

[Pete_R]

Taking lenses are also corrected for a flat plane of focus but some will be better than others, but that applies to enlarging lenses as well.
However, enlarging lenses will be corrected for a best result at close distances while a taking lens is more likely to be corrected for long distances.

I would think, as a way to get started, using the taking lens would be fine as long as your bellows allows it to focus closely enough.

[Francois]

It's true, the bellows will get a good stretch, especially with longer focal lengths.

[Indofunk]

I 100% support this discussion, but just because rules are rules, I'm calling a flower foul on Francois 😁 (don't worry, it's just a yellow card flower foul, not  red card 🤣)

[irv_b]

Guys thanks for the explanations.
I will keep my eyes out for a reaonable priced enlarger lens then as the kit wont arrive for a couple of months yet.

[Francois]

I 100% support this discussion, but just because rules are rules, I'm calling a flower foul on Francois 😁 (don't worry, it's just a yellow card flower foul, not  red card 🤣)

I can see a sousaphone in that flower fowl... is it yours?

[Indofunk]

I 100% support this discussion, but just because rules are rules, I'm calling a flower foul on Francois 😁 (don't worry, it's just a yellow card flower foul, not  red card 🤣)

I can see a sousaphone in that flower fowl... is it yours?

No ... I don't gig with either of my sousaphones (yet). On that particular gig I was on (surprise surprise 😂) trumpet

[Francois]

Well... I can play a mean kazoo... Not very impressive is it? 

[Indofunk]

Depends on how mean it is, really. Could it beat up an angry bouncer? Or at least a drunk fan? 😂

[Francois]

Well, I have the mesmerizing power to make them crawl on their knees begging me to stop playing the darn kazoo

But funny thing is, there is such a thing as an electric kazoo!
Just imagine the sound with plenty of distortion and an overdrive 

[Indofunk]

I have an electric kazoo on my Amazon "buy later" list 😉

[Francois]

Just imagine going to a music store to try out amps, cranking up that big Marshall and playing Stairway to Heaven through it on the kazoo... I think the clerks would be so happy