My friend gave me this Schneider 135/1:5.6 enlarger lens. It is ser number 11619003. Is it for 4x5 negs or what? How old, and how good? It appears to have some cleaning marks on the front element also. It is a Componon. Good or great or ??

-- Joe Hughes (rotab308@uswest.net), June 03, 1999

Answers

The Schneider site (here) lists the Componon-S 135/5.6 as covering 5x4. They don't show a plain Componon (no 'S' suffix). These were slightly lower quality lenses, but still quite good. There is a serial number/date table somewhere on that site.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), June 03, 1999.