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Thread: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

  1. #11

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Quote Originally Posted by AtlantaTerry View Post
    Polyglot, I am familiar with the term "bokeh" but never heard of "nisen-bokeh". What is that?
    It simply means harsh or distracting bokeh, often characterised with a double line effect with straight edges that are out of focus, or a kind of onion ring or doughnut effect in out of focus highlights. For example (Edit, the effects below where created artificially but they illustrate the point):

    vs
    or
    vs

    It's worth noting however that the same lens will often have a very harsh bokeh one side of the plane of focus and quite smooth on the opposite side. Some lenses are smooth on both sides.

  2. #12

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Quote Originally Posted by AtlantaTerry View Post
    I am working on a series of portraits that would really look good with a pictorial / soft focus lens on my 4x5 Cambo but I really can't afford to buy another lens.
    For pictorial effects, check out the inexpensive lenses made by Reinhold; http://www.re-inventedphotoequip.com/Home.html
    There are several examples in other threads.

  3. #13

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Cool beans. Thanks.

  4. #14

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    The larger Componons are the same formula as the plasmat (f5.6) Symmars, but tweaked for enlarging and macro. Early pamphlets show them as having one air spaced element and two cemented elements in the rear group while later literature shows three cemented elements in each group, exactly the same as the Symmar. The tweaking is probably no more than the spacing between the front and rear groups so I wouldn't expect a dramatic difference between your 240 Componon and a 240 Symmar of the same vintage.

  5. #15

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Quote Originally Posted by AtlantaTerry View Post
    Having a good dose of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), somewhere along the line I picked up a 240mm enlarging lens along with the Durst mount that it came with.

    I don't have a Speed Graphic with focal plane shutter so would have to mount the lens on one of my Cambo 6x6 lens boards then use the old "remove the lens cap" method of exposing.

    But before I go through all the time and trouble of adapting the lens to a Cambo board, what kind of image should I expect to get on my negative? Would it be sharp, soft, mushy, what?

    Thanks,
    Terry

    Terry,

    Just use the lens, and have some fun.

    I use several barrel lenses with my Cambo SC2. Most of the time I use 5mm thick foamboard and lots of tape, to mount the glass on the Cambo.

    The pic. below was made like this, with a unknown barrel lens (320mm f5.6)

    2013-SC2-010.jpg by HoodedOne, on Flickr

  6. #16

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Ewins View Post
    The larger Componons are the same formula as the plasmat (f5.6) Symmars, but tweaked for enlarging and macro. Early pamphlets show them as having one air spaced element and two cemented elements in the rear group while later literature shows three cemented elements in each group, exactly the same as the Symmar. The tweaking is probably no more than the spacing between the front and rear groups so I wouldn't expect a dramatic difference between your 240 Componon and a 240 Symmar of the same vintage.
    Paul, are you sure?

    IIRC, early Symmars are dagor types, later ones (the "convertible" Symmar, -S, ...) are plasmat types. From '61-on (see http://web.archive.org/web/201009220...hiv/archiv.htm ) Componons have been plasmats.

    Changing cell spacing upsets corrections and changes focal length.

    Re using an enlarging lens as a taking lens, polyglot gave the standard answer in post #9 in this thread. I've tested a number of decent ~ 100 mm enlarging lenses as taking lenses at distance; none was worth using, but some were acceptable (or better) at near distances. Others have reported getting good results with longer (including Terry's 240 mm) at all distances.

    Terry, shorter Componons' cells are direct fits in standard shutters. Check your 240's cells to see if they fit a standard shutter.

  7. #17

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    Terry, shorter Componons' cells are direct fits in standard shutters. Check your 240's cells to see if they fit a standard shutter.
    I have never done something like that. How? Would I have to disassemble the lens? Or can I simply screw the lens into a shutter?

    BTW, I don't own a shutter that large - it appears to be as large as the Copal 3 on my 300mm f5.6 Rodenstock Sironar-N and I am not about to disassemble the Rodenstock.

    Since I have the Durst threaded enlarger ring I could attach that to one of my Cambo lens boards then use the lens-cap-for-shutter way of exposing.

    Thanks for all the information.

    Terry

  8. #18
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    I know of studio photographers who did prefer Componons for tabletop product photography. But the G-Claron lenses were the ones marketed for this application, which were more versatile anyway. Some graphics lenses work superbly for both enlargement and generally shooting, but are slower than typical dedicated enlarging
    lenses. "Bokeh" is a different subject altogether, and I can't think of many of these lenses I'd consider ideal in that category.

  9. #19

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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Quote Originally Posted by AtlantaTerry View Post
    I have never done something like that. How? Would I have to disassemble the lens? Or can I simply screw the lens into a shutter?

    BTW, I don't own a shutter that large - it appears to be as large as the Copal 3 on my 300mm f5.6 Rodenstock Sironar-N and I am not about to disassemble the Rodenstock.

    Since I have the Durst threaded enlarger ring I could attach that to one of my Cambo lens boards then use the lens-cap-for-shutter way of exposing.

    Thanks for all the information.

    Terry
    You have to unscrew the front and rear cells out of the barrel mount that they come in. Then screw those in to the front and rear of your shutter.

  10. #20
    Jim Jones's Avatar
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    Re: What would happen if I used a 240mm enlarging lens to take photos?

    Terry, enlarging lenses don't need great Depth of Field, and thus the minimum aperture is often less than we sometimes desire where greater DoF is preferred.

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