rodenstock lens question

[Gregg Cook]

which rodenstock 135 or 150 is sharpest?

i have seen ysarons cheaper, but how do the lines go as far as Enlarging lenses for 4 x 5?

I mean low to high, doublet , triplet, to good four element lens as far as nomenclature.

[Nick_3536]

Rodagon-S I think S. Unless they have an APO line.

[Vlad Soare]

Rodagons are six element lenses. The highest-end line is APO Rodagon.

[Bob Salomon]

For normal size prints (up to 12 or 15X) with a properly aligned enlarger and printing at optimal aperture with a glass carrier:

From worst to best:

Rogonar S
Rodagon
Rodagon WA
Apo Rodagon N

If printing beyond normal sizes then the Rodagon G. But if the G is used at normal print sizes it would not be as good as the Rogonar S.

[Bob Salomon]

If you are asking about taking lenses then it would be Apo Sironar N then the Apo Sironar S.

[Drew Wiley]

The current version of the 150 Apo-Rodagon would be the sharpest at typical magnification ratios. There are some older Apo-Rodagons which were essentially process lenses. But expect some light-fall off toward the corners. This is will be less
with the 150 than the 135, but you really don't get even illumination until you're into the 180 range if you're trying to print 4x5. I use a 150Apo for medium format film and it's wonderful, but for 4x5 only when I want a fall-off effect. Of course, you can always burn in orgrind a diffuser to offset the difference.

[Nick_3536]

From worst to best:

Rogonar S
Rodagon
Rodagon WA
Apo Rodagon N

.

Is the wideangle better then the normal?

[Bob Salomon]

Is the wideangle better then the normal?

yes

[Bob Salomon]

The current version of the 150 Apo-Rodagon would be the sharpest at typical magnification ratios. There are some older Apo-Rodagons which were essentially process lenses. But expect some light-fall off toward the corners. This is will be less
with the 150 than the 135, but you really don't get even illumination until you're into the 180 range if you're trying to print 4x5. I use a 150Apo for medium format film and it's wonderful, but for 4x5 only when I want a fall-off effect. Of course, you can always burn in orgrind a diffuser to offset the difference.

1: There has not been an Apo Rodagon made in years. The current series is the Apo Rodagon-N which are very different optically from an Apo Rodagon.

2: Apo Rodagons longer then 180mm were process lenses. Apo Rodagons from 50 to 180mm were enlarging lenses that were also produced as process lenses.

3: There never was a 135mm Apo Rodagon or Apo Rodagon-N.

4: The evenness of the 150mm Apo Rodagon-N is much better then the 180mm Apo Rodagon.

5: There was never a 150mm Apo Rodagon.

[BradS]

Hey Bob,

What is the 135mm f/4.5 Omegaron?

[Bob Salomon]

Hey Bob,

What is the 135mm f/4.5 Omegaron?

Roganar S

[Gregg Cook]

Bob you are a wealth of knowledge, thanks again.

I probably still can't afford an apo rodagon n, but I know anyhow.

[Drew Wiley]

Bob - Thanks. I was referring to the practical distinction between the 150 Apo-R-N,
the 135 Rodagon, and the 180 Rodagon, all current models, I believe. In any event,
I've used them all considerably, and the 180 ordinary Rodagon has a much more even field of illumination than the 150-A-N. It's a damn good general enlargement lens,
even though the 150 ARN is better corrected for certain uses. I've made hundreds of
prints with each of these lenses, both color and b&w, on several different enlargers.
In some cases I even employ different diffusers in the colorhead for different lenses.

[BradS]

Hey Bob,

What is the 135mm f/4.5 Omegaron?


Roganar S

Wow! if that's the bottom of the barrel lens (sorry for the pun), the others must be really amazing.
Thanks.


Oh, am I mistaken or does the Omegaron have 4 elements in 3 groups?