Re: [Leica] Enlarging lens

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

D Khong wrote:
> 
> >Dan:
> >
> >Thank you for the comments.
> >
> >Although I feel like I am getting excellent prints from my 50 & 80mm Nikkors
> >and 50 & 80mm Rodagons I felt that there may be another level available to me
> >by going to the Focotars.  Your words about the APO Rodenstock are positive
> >and I should take a look there before jumping into the Focotars.  Do you have
> >any experience with the Focotars?
> >
> >Thanks for your comments.
> >
> >Bob Bedwell
> 
> Hi Bob
> 
> I do not have a Focotar but did receive a set of three B&W prints from my
> friend Henry Chu, a LUGger in Denver who did a comparison study with a
> Focotar, an Elmar and  an EL-Nikkor, all 50mm lenses.  The picture was of
> his daughter seated in a convertible, wearing sunglasses, in bright
> sunlight and so the pics have plenty of bright and dark tones to look at.
> 
> Again there was a tough fight between all three.  I looked at all three
> prints after shuffling them around so that I did not know what was written
> on the back of the pics.  It took me a while to decide that I did not think
> the print with "EL-Nikkor" written on the back was not on par with the
> other two.  It just did not have the microcontrast of the Focotar and Elmar.
> 
> Then it took me a longer while to decide that the print done with the Elmar
> was a tad better than the Focotar.  I like microcontrast in shadows which
> gives me the impression that the lens possess the capacity to resolve
> shadow details well.  The Elmar did possess that quality, not in the
> darkest parts of the pictures but in the mid-grey portions.  This
> comparison is purely subjective based entirely on what I like to see in a
> picture.
> 
> As far as sharpness is concerned, all three are about equal.  Henry does
> not have an Apo-Rodagon otherwise I'm sure he would have given me the
> pleasure of scrutinising a 4th print.
> 
> Dan K.

I would like to compare grain patterns center to edge on 16 by 20s in
Black and White prints of matching contrast. That's what I would like to
see or do if I had the lenses to comparison test.
Mark Rabiner