What is this all about? UV-Lens??

[Patrik Roseen]

Hello,
I happened to see this item on ebay and the information about using this lens for UV-photography. Having seen a recent thread about doing Pt/Pd using an enlarger I became puzzled about this lens for that purpose.

Enlarger lens for UV photography

Maybe someone could explain why this lens is so suitable for UV-photography and how this differs from enlarging using UV-lightrays.

Secondly, this lens to me looks like any other El-nikkor enlarger lens...so can the same be said for e.g. the El-nikkor 150mm? (And will this boost the price of the one I own?

[Dan Fromm]

Patrik, the 63/3.5 El-Nikkor has reasonably high transmission down to 350 nm. IIRC --the documentation is at home, I'm at work -- other El-Nikkors of that vintage (before the -N suffix) cut off at 370-380 nm. More recent El-Nikkors (-N and later) cut off at a longer wavelength still, supposedly because they have different coating.

The people I know who have a 63/3.5 El-Nikkor and use it as a taking lens use it mainly for closeup work. Bee's eye view of flowers, that sort of thing.

The big difference between using UV for printing and taking pictures with all or most exposure coming from the UV part of the spectrum is that when printing one has, effectively, all the time in the world. When shooting one wants reasonably short exposures. Given how dark out-of-doors can be in UV, this calls for a lens that has high UV transmission.

Cheers,

Dan

[Patrik Roseen]

Thank you Dan,
clear answer as always!

I understand that the el-nikkor 63mm/3.5 is a special lens...I also found that there are UV-nikkor lenses too.

I did read somewhere that 'normal' el-nikkors are famous for being 'corrected' also for UV-light.
Is this specific only to el-nikkors or can this be said for componon and rodagon lenses too?

[Dan Fromm]

Patrik, I'll have to check my El-Nikkor documentation -- as usual it is at home and I'm in the office -- to see where the various El-Nikkors' transmission cuts off but I do know that my UV nut acquaintances are adamant that -N El Nikkors have coating that acts as a high-pass filter and makes those lenses useless for UV photography. The nuts say that earlier El-Nikkors (pre -N) are the ones to use. Also that when I bought an early 105/5.6 El-Nikkor for another purpose one of the nuts was politely scornful.

As for Rodenstock and Schneider, I suggest that you visit Linos' and Schneider's sites.

Cheers,

Dan

[Vivek Iyer]

Patrik, I'll have to check my El-Nikkor documentation -- as usual it is at home and I'm in the office -- to see where the various El-Nikkors' transmission cuts off

The old type (metal barrel) 50/2.8 and the similar vintage 210/5.6 El-Nikkors have the same characteristics as the 63/3.5. This isn't printed anywhere that I know.

..but I do know that my UV nut acquaintances are adamant that -N El Nikkors have coating that acts as a high-pass filter and makes those lenses useless for UV photography. The nuts say that earlier El-Nikkors (pre -N) are the ones to use. Also that when I bought an early 105/5.6 El-Nikkor for another purpose one of the nuts was politely scornful.

These 'nuts' could also be impolite if you wish!

Besides the coatings, the materials used (glass and glue) also changed thus cutting UV transmittance.

[Dan Fromm]

Patrik, some years ago my friend Vivek Iyer very kindly sent me copies of Nikon documentation that included a few pages on early El-Nikkors. It reported "Correction wavelength range" for them. 50/2.8, 370 nm - 700 nm. 63/3.5, 350 - 700. 80/5.6, 370 - 700. 105/5.6, 380 - 700, 135/5.6: 380 - 700. It also mentions 160/5.6 and 210/5.6 Fax-Nikkors, both 350 - 700. Some time ago Vivek told me that the old 210/5.6 El-Nikkor is identical to the 210/5.6 Fax-Nikkor.

I have a 1982 Nikon catalog that lists, among others, this characteristic of then current El-Nikkors: 50/2.8N, 50/4, 63/2.8N, 75/4, 80/5.6N, 105/5.6N, 135/5.6, 150/5.6N, 180/5.6, 210/5.6N, 240/5.6, 300/5.6N, and 360/5.6. All 380 - 700.

Now, the range of wavelengths for which the lenses are corrected need not be the range for which they have useful transmission. That said, I have to wonder how the UV enthusiasts are measuring useful transmission.

Cheers,

Dan

[Will S]

I have that exact lens. I use it and a few other Nikkors for enlarging onto Azo using UV lights. I paid around $35 for it I think, which makes me wonder if it isn't time to sell....

Best,

Will

[Patrik Roseen]

I have that exact lens. I use it and a few other Nikkors for enlarging onto Azo using UV lights. I paid around $35 for it I think, which makes me wonder if it isn't time to sell....

Best,

Will

Will, it's always nice with a respons from someone with his own experience.
So which nikkors can you recommend for AZO using UV-light. And which source do you use for the UV-light?

Please elaborate on your UV-enlarger setup.
Many thanks, Patrik