I've just bought a used 4x5 enlarger on ebay and it comes with a Kawa Phago lens, I've never heard of these before so has anyone here had any experience with them and what is the quality like?
To be honest my gut instinct tells me just to buy a Rodenstock to replace it.
Really looking forward to making my first 4x5 enlargements.
Thanks
Mike
Never heard of it.
But you deserve some sort of answer no matter how uninformed so here is my 2 (or 3) cents worth.
The great majority of f/4.5 & f/4.7 lenses for large format are Tessar designs with 4 elements in three groups. A few are the even simpler triplet design, and some are Dogmars, with a symmetrical arrangement of 4 elements in 4 groups. An f/4.5 enlarging lens is even more likely to be a Tessar. With some practice you can count the reflections from the lens surfaces in a darkened room using a pen light to identify the design. But of course, it is the results that count.
Well made Tessars are known for extreme sharpness in the center of the field, but are noticeably softer toward the edges. Also their coverage is limited compared to more sophisticated designs. It used to be commonly recommended that you use an enlarging lens for the next larger standard negative size. For example, use a 210mm lens designed for the 5x7 format, for critical enlargements from 4x5 negs. I believe that this recommendation was to accommodate this edge softness characteristic of the common Tessar enlarging lenses. (If you go that way with a condenser type enlarger, make sure your condenser configuration is compatible with your chosen focal length.)
For moderately low magnification ratios (say up to 3x or 4x) where the distance from negative to lens is greater, the corners of the negative are not so close to the edge of the field where softness is a problem. Under those conditions a Tessar enlarging lens is likely to give very good results. Very likely, if you are not interested in making prints larger than 16x20 right away, your lens is worth putting up with until you find that your bigger enlargements don't satisfy you or you can find a better lens at an affordable price.
It is a little suspicious that his lens is so absolutely unheard of. Enlarger manufacturers would often include a starter lens, perhaps just for sake of completeness. These were often labeled with the enlarger manufacturer's name or some derivative of it; Vivitar, Beslar or Omegar for example. Some of these were simple lens designs from well known manufacturers like Schneider or Rodenstock. Others could be highly suspect.
Good Luck
Thankyou for taking the time to reply.
It is a bit of an odd one....even after Google searches I couldnt find anything on this lens.
I opted to play safe and bought a Rodenstock 150mm.
If I google "phago lens" (leave out the "kawa") I end up with a bunch of references to Phago-brand enlarging lenses and teleconverters, all from the UK. Perhaps that was just a UK importer's/distributor's house brand.
And is it "Kawa" or "Kowa"?
I have one of those Phago f4.5 150mm lenses, I was given it along with some old Kentmere paper last year.
At first glance I assumed it was a 50mm lens, and it was nearly a year until I picked it out to mount on a 35mm enlarger and realised it's actually 150mm. They are quite small 39mm screw fit, but a lot of glass. Next time I'm in the UK I'll test mine, it's in mint condition.
Phago enlarger lenses were quite common in the UK when I first started in photography, I bought a 50mm Phago new in 1969.
Ian
Oren - Its actually called a Kowa Phago, my mistake.
Ian - Sounds like you have the same lens so it will be good to hear of the results of your tests.
My only concern now is if the Kowa's quality isnt all that good and I have to find a lens board for the Rodenstock which has a bigger thread.
My enlarger arrived yesterday, a LPL 7452 which is in good nick but in need of a good clean.
Kowa is a well-established Japanese manufacturer that has, over the years, made many quite good lenses, as well as some so-so ones.
Since you have the Phago already, might as well try it for yourself.
Cheap lens, but Oren has the right of it. You have it, ask it, not people who don't.
Sure, I was going to try it anyway but as these are my first LF prints I have nothing to compare them too!
Just waiting for the negs to dry and I'II report back.
You will spot quickly if the prints aren't sharp, look at the corners. If its identical to mine it does look well made.
Ian
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