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Focotar II 100mm - Shabby enlarger lens?
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:46 pm
Post subject: Focotar II 100mm - Shabby enlarger lens?
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:46 pm
Post subject: Focotar II 100mm - Shabby enlarger lens?
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Tried out an older enlarger lens (Leitz FOCOTAR II f5.6 / 100mm) today @f5.6, pretty great weather, our "Indian Summer"...

















Last edited by kds315* on Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:06 pm; edited 2 times in total


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:26 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:26 pm
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Fantastic images! Thank you for sharing.


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:37 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:37 pm
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These look great! Great processing also.
What lens, camera and what is an enlarger?


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:30 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:30 pm
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Three words to sum up my feelings:

Stunning. Beautiful. Inspirational.

Mark


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:53 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:53 pm
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Nice work Klaus.

I've yet to find an enlarger lens that didn't work well as a taking lens, even the very old uncoated Wray Supar triplet and the Dallmeyer Popular tessar both worked very well.


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:04 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:04 pm
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Nice shots Klaus.


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:39 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 9:39 pm
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Very, very nice, Klaus. But then I would expect nothing less from you. I especially like the painterly looking background in the first one and the textures in the second to last one.

Whenever I see close-ups taken with enlarger lenses, I mentally kick myself for selling my old EL 50 Nikkor and two Rodenstocks.


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:01 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:01 pm
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First, fantastic photos, well done and to answer our friends question...

asterinex wrote:
These look great! Great processing also.
What lens, camera and what is an enlarger?


This is an enlarger, read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlarger



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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:03 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:03 pm
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Well, thanks guys. It's not shabby at all, one of the best enlarger lens I ever used... a Leitz FOCOTAR II f5.6 / 100mm :BIGGRIN:

And I just could not stop taking pics...







I'm not a Leica "fanboy", but what Leitz has made here .. Chapeau!

Last edited by kds315* on Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:07 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:08 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:08 pm
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bummer, forgot to mention that it also handles very subtle colors like pastels in high and low key very well...







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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:41 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:41 pm
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drjs wrote:
Fantastic images! Thank you for sharing.

+1 your pictures clarity is always wonderful.


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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 12:13 am
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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 12:13 am
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More details about the lens please.... Smile
I ask because I wonder if it's the same one I have, but have not yet had time to shoot it yet.
I can't forget to say "great shots!"


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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 3:00 am
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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 3:00 am
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Stunning quality and beautifully taken. Shocked


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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:47 am
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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:47 am
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I think I am sort of learning composition,
but I have to admire your skills on that

Like the first image, stunning

even if sharper by resizing and probably lots of Paintshop magic: stunning


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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 12:24 pm
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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 12:24 pm
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Wow, really great colors, fine details, sharpness,... stunning IQ Shocked
Your "shabby lens" could be an Apo-El-Nikkor Wink
Please let us finally know which lens it is Smile


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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:06 pm
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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 2:06 pm
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It's a Leitz FOCOTAR II f5.6 / 100mm lens and no, no Photoshop or any other manipulation software has been used (don't even have that), just jpg's from the camera resized/resharpened by my image archiving software - that's it.

Last edited by kds315* on Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:07 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 6:10 pm
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Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 6:10 pm
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kds315* wrote:
It's a Leitz Focotar lens and no, no Photoshop or any other manipulation software has been used (don't even have that), just jpg's from the camera resized/resharpened by my image archiving software - that's it.

Then the lens is a real gem and you master it perfectly at close focus.
Lovely images with perfect color, sharpness and contrast.
What focal length has your Focotar?


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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 4:52 am
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 4:52 am
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Mine is like this: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Focotar_-_1_1:4.5_/_50_mm
I think I'll be dusting mine off after seeing these shots, part of the reason it has sat so long is that 50mm enlarger lenses don't reach infinity on my bellows.


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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 5:57 am
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 5:57 am
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A stunning series, Klaus!


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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:59 am
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:59 am
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Thanks a lot guys, I too was impressed by this old lens!


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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:55 am
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:55 am
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Edited

Last edited by bernhardas on Tue May 03, 2016 10:17 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:25 am
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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:25 am
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WOW, that's quite an amazing serie Shocked ......


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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:33 am
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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:33 am
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ForenSeil wrote:
Wow, really great colors, fine details, sharpness,... stunning IQ Shocked
Your "shabby lens" could be an Apo-El-Nikkor Wink
Please let us finally know which lens it is Smile


Hmm, maybe I should give my Apo-EL-Nikkor a spin indeed and make some comparative shots...

Last edited by kds315* on Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:38 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:36 am
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Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:36 am
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Haha - the price of Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Focotar f=5cm 1:4.5 DOOCQ Enlarging Lenses just tripled on ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281173142283?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649


Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
OH

Just re-checked - oops, my mistake - the price hasn't tripled, it has sextupled ..... Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked


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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:08 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:08 pm
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Forgot to be precise, it is a Leitz FOCOTAR II f5.6 / 100mm and here is the full image set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/sets/72157635953058455/
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