[LargeFormat] Need recommendations for a 4X5 enlarger lens

[Clive Warren]

At 6:16 pm -0700 6/7/02, Charles Thorsten wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Clive Warren"
>
>>I am not a huge fan of Rodenstock enlarging lenses -
>>  having used several that did not match the quality of the Schneider
>>  offerings - probably suffered from use and abuse but you only need a
>>  few bad experiences to put you off......
>
>I have the same experience except the other way around.  I use
>a full set of Rodenstock enlarging lenses in my lab and they are
>consistently the best I've used.  I've had several bad Schneider
>experiences and I avoid them now.  All of the Rodenstocks are
>Apo-Rodagons, except for the two 150's which are the normal
>version (f/5.6). 
>
>I can *highly* recommend the Rodagon 150f/5.6.  It's still the
>best lens I've used for enlarging 4x5 color and B&W.  To be
>fair, I've also heard good things about the Schneider Componon
>150mm, but I've never used it personally.  I'll go with Clive's
>recommendation on that one. :-)
snip

Charlie,

Just goes to show that there is probably not much difference between 
the top brands when the lenses have been treated with at least a 
little respect during their working lives. My Rodenstock experiences 
were with lenses used at a local college darkroom that a friend 
sneaked me into during the evenings - it was a stop gap measure used 
years ago whilst I located a 4x5 enlarger. The equipment was to say 
the least "well used" and relatively new at the time. I bet that if 
the students had to buy their own lenses they would have been a 
little more careful with them......

My main taking lens for 4x5 is a Rodenstock Sironar "N" 150mm - I 
have recently been lent an APO Symmar 150mm and I bet it'll be hard 
to tell the difference in terms of resolution. Colour balance may be 
another story with the difference in coatings..... am fairly sure 
that the Sironar is APO.

Talking of Rodenstock - have just picked up a Gerogon 240mm f9 and if 
I can work out how to get it apart will try it out in a shutter as it 
is probably a bit of a "sleeper".

Cheers,
        Clive