Thanks for the many replies to my previous enlarger lens question!

I did purchase the newer vivtar VHE 135/5.6 six element enlarger lens.

It is MUCH LARGER than that very old Omega/Schneider Componon 135/5.6 The vivitar does in fact say "made in germany" I had assumed that these lense would be very similar (silly me!) am I incorrect for assuming that the much bigger and heavier piece of glass will improve my resolution etc? I know it sounds crazy, but that old schneider must be 30-40 years old! although the Schneider is clear now that I removed all that crud from between the elements.

ALSO! I did notice the the aperture on the Schneider is made of many leaves and gives a nice round circle at all sizes. BUT, the Vivitar gives a sort of octagonal shape to the opening, not round at all. I thought I had read somewhere that a round opening gave better image quality? my brain might have made that one up.

IN A NUTSHELL: should I hang on to that old schneider lens and am I completely wrong in my expectations of this Vivitar (and, NO, I haven't actually printed from it) I actually had to cut a hole in a thin piece of wood (luan board) to get that thing mounted in the lens cone, and it aint' exactly centered (only very slightly off) as I said, it's much larger than the old schneider.

BEST REGARDS,

paul schuster

-- paul schuster (paul@schusterphoto.com), September 16, 2000

Answers

I have since printed w/ the vivitar. I do believe it to be much sharper than what I was getting from the old Schneider (when it had all the black crap in between the elements). I think I can now get all my power lines to show up!

-- paul schuster (paul@schusterphoto.com), September 18, 2000.

That Vivitar is a 135 Rodenstock Rodagon. I _think_ it's the generation previous to the current version but I'm not sure about that. At any rate, it's a premium lens.

According to Rodenstock, the 135 Rodagon mounts with the standard 39mm-drilled lensboard and jam nut. If you can't find a jam nut they're certainly available from calumetphoto.com.

I don't know what enlarger you have, but you can most likely find a lensboard on ebay.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), September 18, 2000.