Hi all,

Does anyone have an opinion on the Durst Neotaron 75/4.5 enlarging lens? It has 'by Rodenstock' engraved on the barrel, what does this mean exactly?

I'm asking because my prints are lacking the sharpness that I was expecting, I'm shooting Agfa APX100/Rodinal Special at 6x7cm on a Linhof Tech IV and the resulting 10"x8" prints (6x4.5 neg area used) look no better than from 35mm, I usually print one or two stops down.

Now I'm using a cheapo LPL66 enlarger and I haven't checked it for alignment (next step) and I haven't got a focussing aid so these two things would probably help, but like I said, my 35mm prints (printed through a Kowa 50/2.8) look just as good...

Andrew McPhee

-- Andrew McPhee (macca27@rm.quik.com.au), August 30, 2001

Answers

Hi,

Neotaron was the label for the low-budget-lenses by Durst, the 6- elements-designs were called Neonon. Perhaps it is a Tessar- or even a Triplet-Type. As Schneider provided lenses for Durst too, the original maker ist named. Check the adjustments of your enlarger and look for a 6-element-lens.

-- Thomas Vaehrmann (TVaehrmann@web.de), August 30, 2001.

Hi Andrew, seems like the problem has to be something besides the enlarging lens as I've seen pretty impressive results through an old Kodak Ektar - enlarging 6*6, APX100 in Rodinal, and taken through Nikon glass. Best, David

-- david clark (doclark@yorku.ca), August 30, 2001.

Enlarging lenses are hardly a hot commodity these days but one sleeper to watch for is the Vivitar VHE-I can't or won't get into a "source argument", my conclusion is that it is the Schneider Componon of the appropriate era [based on studying the Schneider web site and having a box for one in my possession; others have said Rodagon] badged for Vivitar-it is a 6-element lens of excellent construction and made in Germany. The 135mm and 150mm lenses have threads for BOTH 39mm and 50mm.

-- David Stein (DFStein@aol.com), August 30, 2001.

Thanks for the replies everybody, I'll have a go at aligning the enlarger and see if that helps, my budget is severely restricted so I'll have to wait a while to buy a decent enlarger/lens, it's the first thing on my wish-list!

-- Andrew McPhee (macca27@rm.quik.com.au), September 01, 2001.