135mm Schneider Componon Enlarger Lens Mount Size?

**HT Finley** · 1-Sep-2022, 10:45

Can anybody tell me the mounting ring size and thread pitch on this enlarging lens? I don't seem to find any reliable information. They seem to have made several versions of 135 over the years. Thank you.

**David Lindquist** · 1-Sep-2022, 13:32

Originally Posted by HT Finley

Can anybody tell me the mounting ring size and thread pitch on this enlarging lens? I don't seem to find any reliable information. They seem to have made several versions of 135 over the years. Thank you.

The serial number on your lens indicates it was made between January 1967 and November 1968.
A Schneider brochure I have on the Componon and the Comparon enlarging lenses with what looks like a date code of 1966 describes the mounting thread of the 135 mm Componon as having a diameter of 32.5 mm and a pitch of 0.5 mm.

Here is the source of Schneider lens date of manufacture by serial number: http://web.archive.org/web/201211150...vice/serie.htm

We have Dan Fromm to thank for making this information, formerly but no longer on Schneider's website, readily available.

David

**Conrad . Marvin** · 1-Sep-2022, 13:59

I think that 32.5 with a .5 mm thread is the same thread as a Copal or Compur shutter retaining ring so if you have one of those shutters you could see if the ring fits your lens.

**David Lindquist** · 1-Sep-2022, 15:20

Originally Posted by Conrad . Marvin

I think that 32.5 with a .5 mm thread is the same thread as a Copal or Compur shutter retaining ring so if you have one of those shutters you could see if the ring fits your lens.

Good catch! Yes, that's what the SK Grimes website shows.

David

**ic-racer** · 1-Sep-2022, 15:50

Did you measure it? With the Durst mounting cone removed, many sliver Componon lenses are left with a 39 mm metric pitch thread (not compatible with LTM!) which is really only good for screwing back to the Durst mounting cone. Likewise, the cone, with its metric 39mm thread, is only good to mount the Componon lens.

**HT Finley** · 1-Sep-2022, 17:12

Since my buddy 35 miles away has the lens and no mounting ring, all this is is an opportunity to play and learn for me. I'm about a month in on 3D printing and FreeCad, and now I've got for figure out how to make a threaded mounting ring for HIS lens. Ain't I a nice guy? But for me it's a learning opportunity. The more oddbal project thrown at me, the faster I will learn. And that's for MY benefit. If you doubt my Ender 3 can print a decent metric thread, I already made 4 M3.5 screw holes on a part I designed last week, and the screws actually went down in them. Of course I had to be caareful of starting in a cross thread, and not over-tightening, but it worked! I was amazed. I just downloaded a Freecad add-on manager for fasteners. Somehow I don't think there's going to be a 32.5mm .5 pitch threaded ring in there.

**koraks** · 3-Sep-2022, 00:51

Originally Posted by HT Finley

If you doubt my Ender 3 can print a decent metric thread, I already made 4 M3.5 screw holes on a part I designed last week, and the screws actually went down in them.

Not surprising; you don't even need to thread those holes. Material like PETg etc. will be soft enough to just screw the tiny bolts into.
The lens will likely be the same.

Now, printing a decent quality piece for the lens to screw into with the possibility to repeatedly remount it is not going to be a winner with a polymer printer. I'm sure you could fashion something the lens screws into once and then stays there.

Of course a .5mm thread pitch will be of marginal quality at best with a vertical print resolution in the order of magnitude of .1mm at best.

**lassethomas** · 3-Sep-2022, 03:16

Originally Posted by koraks

Of course a .5mm thread pitch will be of marginal quality at best with a vertical print resolution in the order of magnitude of .1mm at best.

I agree. I've tried this in both PLA and PETG and it can be made to work sort of. For filters and and other light stuff without the need to mount and dismount it can be ok.

**HT Finley** · 3-Sep-2022, 17:48

It only needs to work 1 time. But I am not good enough in FreeCad to design a 32.5 x .5 mm lens thread, And I can't find such a thread on the internet that I can download or "steal" and modify. And I can also testify that after spending a day making a half dozen rings or more, tweaking each one a hair this way or that, that this PLA cannot be made to thread itself on.

**koraks** · 8-Sep-2022, 06:34

I don't have all that much experience printing with PLA; I pretty much instantly moved over to PETG because most of the stuff I ended up printing needed to withstand things like exposure to UV and water, so PLA was out of the window pretty much from the get go. PETG isn't harder to print either.

But the Achilles' heel of regular 3D printing is really this kind of tiny shapes with tight tolerances. You'd have to resin print that sort of stuff, but that's a whole different ballgame.