Anyone Using Their Nikon 120 AM ED Lens as Enlarger Lens?

[Andre Noble]

Hey , remember a while back when we all bought a copy of Nikon 120 AM ED macro lens just because B&H was selling them dirt cheap? I read about Sal S. Suggesting this lens can be used as a superior enlarging lens for printing 4x5 negatives at small magnifications at f16 to appx 8x10 size prints.

Anyone else tried this? If so, what were your results?

Also, I bought a 32.5mm lens board ring to mountt this to my Saunders, so I have a question, do the front cells of the Nikon lens face toward the negative (ie, does one mount this backwards on the enlarger?) When properly mounted?

[Sal Santamaura]

...do the front cells of the Nikon lens face toward the negative (ie, does one mount this backwards on the enlarger?) When properly mounted?Mine is mounted with the front (shutter) side facing the print. For an 8x10 enlargement, that's equivalent to camera use when making a 4x5 negative at half the subject's size. Since it's essentially a symmetrical lens, and I doubt the Copal would fit inside a Saunders lensboard, I never considered trying it the other way around.

[Andre Noble]

OK Sal, thanks. Can't wait to try it.

[EdSawyer]

I have one (and the 210 bigger brother) and will try to compare them sometime soon. Also have Apo Rodagon N 90 and 150, and Apo El Nikkor 105 to compare with as well. I know, I am overdue on this. ;-)

[Sal Santamaura]

...it's essentially a symmetrical lens...Just got around to checking the Nikon brochure. Quoting verbatim: "...completely symmetrical lens construction..."

[Andre Noble]

Wow Ed, you have some serious enlarging lenses there

[EdSawyer]

That's just the longer ones... also: Apo Rodagon N 45, 105, and El-Nikkor 150/5.6A, Componon-S 150mm. Sold a few off, incl. Apo Rodagon N 50, 80, and Rodagon G 50, among others. The only one I really still want is an Apo El NIkkor 210/N but I am hoping the 210 AM-ED is close enough. ;-)

This is relevant (use google translate to translate it), esp. the part about the AEN vs. the AM-ED and their similarities:

http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/Nikon_EL-Nikkor_lenses/00_pag.htm

[Sal Santamaura]

...use google translate to translate it...Or just go straight to the translated page:


https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.marcocavina.com/articoli_fotografici/Nikon_EL-Nikkor_lenses/00_pag.htm&prev=search

[EdSawyer]

Well, some people might be able to read it in the original Italian. ;-)