I have the opportunity to purchase a Schnieder Componon-S 360mm/6.8 enlarging lens for roughly $450. Is this a good enlarging lens for 8x10? What kind of lens coverage can you get with this lens?

-- Bill Williams (bjwilliams@city.surrey.bc.ca), January 08, 2002

Answers

Check your magnification ratios by determining your negative to lens and lens to easel proportions. Unless you have a huge amount of bellows on your enlarger, you will be printing murals with this lens and that may not be the ratios that you want.

I had a Beseler 45VXL that was a great enlarger, but could not use a 300 Componon S lens as it did not fit into the lens carrier. That is another variable that you can look into. They are great lenses, but you need to deal with their size and focal length.

Good Luck

-- Michael Kadillak (m.kadillak@attbi.net), January 09, 2002.

That lens will most probably cover 11X14. It is actually on the long side for 8X10. Somewhat like using an 80 for 35mm film. (Even if that fact doesn't do any harm at all, unless you are limited in enlarger height and want to make large enlargements.) A 300 is considered normal and a 240 will do. The lens as such is an excellent enlarging lens. You'll not find anything better.

-- Björn Nilsson (b.w.nilsson@telia.com), January 09, 2002.

$450 ? That's a steal of a deal. I bought one a couple of years ago that ran me close to $1,000. Then, I bought an enlarger and got another one tossed in with the deal for no extra charge.

Fantastic lens though. You will be very pleased with it, providing your enlarger can handle it.

-- Roger Urban (roger_urban@yahoo.com), January 12, 2002.