RD Artar as an enlarging lens

[Daniel Stone]

hey guys,

I've been eyeing a 4" and a 6" RD Artar at the local camera swapmeet the past 2 months, and have got to thinking that either of them might make a good enlarging lens for MF negs(primarily color btw).

Anyone have any idea? I know these were intended for taking use, however, would they work for enlarging? I know that many of you "swear" by your El-Nikkor, Rodenstock and Schneider lenses, however, being somewhat on a budget for this right now, these price-wise might be up my alley.

once again, these are for 6x6 color neg's/transparencies.

Looking for high resolution, and super of course, sharp corner-->corner.

thanks!

-Dan

(add) I've only brought this "MF" topic here because no one on APUG has responded .

[johnielvis]

of course it will work--I uses a kodak 203 ektar taking lens as my enlarging lens for 8x10--it is designed like a process lens and covers at the 1:2 1:1 range for 8x10

if using 6x6 then be sure to get one for the format--using a huge lens to enlarge a tiny lens works, but you're not getting the full umph of the lens......

it's kind of like spreading out sharpness like peanut butter with coverage--the bigger the coverage, the "thinner" the sharpness is spread out...like there's only so much sharpness allowed, so you spread it out on coverage---so if you got a sharp hasselblad negative, you want all the sharpness in the middle--thick---so short focal length--designed for small coverage---a macro lens would work too---get a s-planar 135 or 120 hasselblad lens--them will work the BEST...for 6x6 enlargements particularly in the 16x20 or so range...what they're designed to do.

[Daniel Stone]

well,

I guess I'll be testing out a 4in RDA now

180698949336

-Dan

[ic-racer]

Why not this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/EL-Nikkor-105mm-...#ht_500wt_1062

Link points to 105mm El-Nikkor for $125

I usually use process lenses for enlarging when they came with a box of other stuff or if I'm doing 1:1 or mild enlargements and or reductions.

[Sevo]

Lenses are inherently symmetric - a taking lens intended for a 4:1 reduction would work exactly as well as a 1:4 enlargement lens. Most process lenses however were designed for magnifications around 1:1, which limits their usefulness for small or medium format enlarging. Given the current affordability of MF enlarging lenses with a more appropriate range, I would not buy a process lens for that purpose.