Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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