Enlarger Lenses

[maddog10]

This was an impulse buy Click here to see on Ebay (1 of way to many that I make). Does anyone know anything about these lenses? Can they be used on a DSLR? I know nothing about them, but the price seemed reasonable. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[F16SUNSHINE]

Nice flat field with enlarger lenses. You can use them for macro with a bellows unit. The 80mm should work well enough. The 50 will give you less working distance so prepare to use it within quite "cozy" quarters. I don't think the 30mm will project a large enough circle to cover your sensor or film. That lens was probably used for doing enlargements with old 110 cartridge film. I could be wrong however. Actually I don't recall ever seeing or working with an enlarger lens smaller than 45mm.

[luisalegria]

You should be able to use all of them on bellows or extension tubes, if you can work out the hardware mounting issues.

Some may be M39 threaded, you will need an M39-M42 adapter, and from there its easy.

Alternately, often its possible to mount these things on a T-adapter with the inner ring removed.

Alternately, I have had some success with drilled M42 body caps. If you make the hole the right size the thread will screw right into the plastic; or if the lens is small enough and has the flange, the body cap becomes a lens board.

Otherwise, tape, epoxy, etc. all have their uses !

I've done all the above.

The 80mm may focus to infinity on a bellows, it depends how short yours can go and what hardware you have to add to do the mounting; mine will only take @100mm to infinity. A focusing extension tube like the Accuras often found on ebay will almost certainly get that to infinity.

The 50mm will be macro-only in any case, but it should work perfectly well and give you great magnification on a bellows.

The 30mm is of course macro-only also, but it will almost certainly cover full frame on the DSLR to boot, as coverage increases the more macro you go; the smallest image circle is at infinity. I have 8mm movie lenses that give full coverage in macro. It certainly is going to be a very "up close and personal" lens, but with great magnification.

I agree that the 30mm was probably intended for some small format, 110 or the 16mm "spy camera" formats of the 50's-60's.

[maddog10]

Thanks! I need to wait for them to arrive and see what I am working with I have Nikon and Pentax bellows, plus an assortment of tubes and adapters, so hopefully I can come up with something presentable.

[poilu]

congrats Mike! all are very good quality