tight croppings and enlarger lenses

[mikezvi]

This seems like it might be a sort of remedial question, but I have this photo:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6122/5984345927_f031e2c715_b.jpg

This is printed at absolutely the maximum enlargement on my Omega d2 with a 150mm lens on 8x10 paper.

I want to print it on 11x14. I shoot almost exclusively 120 and 4x5, so if I'm going to spend money, I'd like to do it on a 80mm, but will it be sufficient for this project?

Also, won't that crop to the middle of the negative? The bird is located about a third of the way to the right and up, so it seems like I would have to reposition the negative if my lens doesn't have enough image circle for 4x5. Am I over (or under) thinking this? My negative carriers lock into place and have little metal bumps to lock the top to the bottom, so I can't exactly just move the negative around.

edit- I mean I suppose I could hack something together but it seems like this is a common enough thing that there is probably a known solution out there.

[Heroique]

If I understand your question, perhaps a 135mm would get you close enough to 11x14, plus it would continue to cover the entire 4x5 frame, like your 150mm.

I'd also get an 80mm lens which is great for both 35mm and MF, but I'm not sure it would be the ideal choice here. My first choice would be to try a 135mm.

BTW, if you also do 35mm work on your D2, I prefer an 80mm lens for the extra headroom it provides, compared to a 50mm lens. The 80mm could do double-duty for 35mm and MF.

[ic-racer]

If you image area on the negative is about 6x7cm then the 80 should work. Yes , you will have to put the center of the crop area at the center of the lens. Another reason why you need a 5x7 enlarger even if you 'only' do 4x5 :) ;)

[Doremus Scudder]

ic-racer has the right approach: Measure the dimensions of the area on the negative you wish to enlarge and use the appropriate lens for the "format" of the area to be enlarged. 4.5x6cm or 6x6 cm = 75mm or 80mm 6x7cm = 80mm or 90mm. If it's bigger than that, you will need a longer lens: 105mm should cover 7x9cm, 135mm lenses are usually made to cover 4x5, but will get you a bit more.

Judging from the fact that your enlarger is cranked all the way up, I would imagine that a shorter lens is going to do the trick for you.

Best,

Doremus

[jose angel]

I understand the print you show came from a portion of the projected full 4x5" image.
I`d think that keeping the column`s height, a 80mm lens will let you to enlarge at almost double magnification (150/80=1.87x). The projected image should be doubled, but... think that a 80mm lens` coverage is almost half of 4x5"... so the final print size will depend on the crop.
A 105mm lens will give you a magnification near 1.4x the 150mm lens, that is, the equivalent final print should be roughly 11x14", but the coverage is still a problem; you must crop the film to say, 2-1/2x3-1/2".
A 135mm lens will give you 1.1x, so not enough for a 11x14" equivalent print.
There are also "wide angle" enlarging lenses, they have a wider projection in shorter focal lengths (e.g., 80mm for 6x9), but probably not the best option for "normal" use.

[mikezvi]

If you image area on the negative is about 6x7cm then the 80 should work. Yes , you will have to put the center of the crop area at the center of the lens. Another reason why you need a 5x7 enlarger even if you 'only' do 4x5 :) ;)

The real question is whether or not I can get it into my 450sq ft 6th floor walk up.

[Doremus Scudder]

About centering the portion of the negative you wish to enlarge; it's really not all that hard. You will have to improvise a negative carrier for that neg. I've used mat board hinged with tape and the proper size hole cut in it. Position the neg in the carrier and tape the carrier into the enlarger if the tension won't hold it tight.

For the opposite case, i.e., when I've needed to enlarger clear out to the edges of a negative and the carrier was too small, I've simply taped the negative to a piece of glass and used that as a carrier.

Best,

Doremus

[Bob Salomon]

The 120mm Rodagon-WA will give you 30% more enlargement size at the same head height on your enlarger. An 80mm Rodagon will cover 6x7cm but not 4x5" and the WA would perform better overall.

[Neal Chaves]

Just cut out the bird part of the negative, making it the right size to fit in a smaller format carrier. I have frequently done this with my 8X10 "mistakes". Wave a 4X5 carrier over it before you trash it. You'll be surprised at what you might find!

[mikezvi]

Ok I got the 80mm from B&H because its nearby and I could always return it and it is a nice El-N. If I turned the negative sideways, I could center the necessary part of the image, and everything worked out very well. Now I just need to make a nice print :)

On a related note, has anyone ever used Moersch SE6 on MG 300? I normally love this paper and the finish helps here because it disguises the level of enlargement, but the tone is far too .... yellow for this particular print.