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

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?

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Originally Posted by Andre Noble

...do the front cells of the Nikon lens face toward the negative (ie, does one mount this backwards on the enlarger?) When properly mounted?

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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.

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

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. ;-)

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Originally Posted by Sal Santamaura

...it's essentially a symmetrical lens...

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Just got around to checking the Nikon brochure. Quoting verbatim: "...completely symmetrical lens construction..."

Wow Ed, you have some serious enlarging lenses there

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_...ses/00_pag.htm

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Originally Posted by EdSawyer

...use google translate to translate it...

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Or just go straight to the translated page:

https://translate.google.com/transla...tm&prev=search

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