enlarger lens

[Yong-ran Zhu]

I have old D2 enlarger with Omegaron f4 135mm lens for my enlargement printing f rom my 4x5 sheet film. It is OK for enlarging the image to 11x14. However, it is not sharp any more on 16x20 paper. Should I buy better 150 mm lens? Is any one knows the quality of Omegaron lens (actually it is a Rodenstock lens)? Are enlar ger lens very important for making good quality prints. Thank you very much for your assistance.

[Alan Gibson]

Yes, the quality of the enlarger lens is vital. Manufacturers make different qualities of lens, at different prices. It is possible that your Omegaron lens lens is from Rodenstock's "cheap" range.

In the Schneider range, you might look at the Componon-S lenses.

[Richard Fish]

Any 150mm lens will work better for you with 4x5 - even the Omergaron - which IS a Rodenstock. Using the 135, you're right on the edge of the lens's capability, but with the 150 you're well within the range of sharpness. Used enlarger lenses are very inexpensive, so you should be able to test this infor without spending much.

[Mike Dixon]

A good enlarger lens is important for making quality prints. But it's also important to use your lens at its optimum aperture (probably about 1 stop down from maximum for most 135mm) and to have your enlarger properly aligned. You should check these aspects before spending the money on a new lens.