Beseler Color Pro Enlarging lens

[Shen45]

This is a curiosity question but considering I've now been curious for the period I've had 3 strokes and 2 heart attacks I want to have an answer

Now to qualify -- please don't guess -- I can guess. Please don't say I had one but it was no good. Mine is excellent -- You know the crap answers people feel they need to give.

Lens details

Beseler Color Pro 1:5.6/135

It appears to be 6 elements and appears to be multi coated.

it is a 135mm/ f5.6 to f45

it is incredibly sharp with excellent coverage for my 5x4 negs in a D2v

the serial number is 15653 and it is Japanese made.

[Jim Galli]

I have identical lenses at home and at work. One says Beseler Color Pro, the other says Computar.

[Joseph O'Neil]

IMO, the proof is in the pudding, if it works for you, it works. However, if you still need affirmation of what you already know.......

TADA! the totally worthless internet advice bureau presents: The Idiot's Guide to Enlarging Lenses - how to tell in 5 seconds or less if it's any good.

Look at the number of blades in the iris. Usually the greater the number of blades, and the smoother the circle formed when you stop down, the higher the quality of the construction of the lens to begin with.

Plenty of excpetions to the above rule. For example - cleaning the front element with a Brillo pad usually = bad, and yes, I actually have a lens that look exactly like that's what happened to it. But moving on, very handy to remember when routing through an old box of lenses at a yard sale, used camera show, auction sale, etc.



joe

[Dan Fromm]

Um, Joe, if your handy dandy easily applied rule of thumb works for taking lenses, putting any lens in a Copal or modern Compur with five aperture blades will ruin its performance. Is this correct or have I misused your rule of thumb?

Steve, not to be impolite or cause you more circulatory disorders, but if the lens you have is good why does whatever anyone reports on other lenses matter?

Cheers,

Dan

[John Berry ( Roadkill )]

Dan,
Putting a barrel lens into a modern shutter would change the bokah. Personal preference would dictate whether this would be positive or not.

[Joseph O'Neil]

> Um, Joe, if your handy dandy easily applied rule of thumb works for taking lenses, putting any lens in a Copal or modern Compur with five aperture blades will ruin its performance. Is this correct or have I misused your rule of thumb?

I dunno - that reminds of a guy I knew who put a 350 V8 in a Chevy Vega. He said it improved performance, but I wasn't ever sure either way

No, it's more to do with the original manufacturing. For example, Schneider Componon S lenses have more iris blades than Schneider Componar lenses. Does not mean the latter is a bad lens, just simply that on less expensive lenses - enlarging or otherwise, one way to save costs was the number of blades in the iris. Or in 35mm, Nikon Series E lenses had less iris blades than the Nikkor line, and there are more examples.

joe

[Dan Fromm]

John, as I understand it, the word bokeh as commonly used covers a wide range of effects, ranging from the effects of aberrations to the shape of "flare spots." "Flare spots," as I understand 'em, are images of the diaphragm, so I can see that a pentagonal aperture micht give a different effect than a circular one. But how does the shape of the aperture affect aberrations?

Joe, a Symmar in barrel -- they exist, I have one -- has more diaphragm blades than a Symmar in Syncro Compur. Aren't the cells the same?

Cheers,

Dan