At 04:56 5.2.2001 -0800, Richard wrote:
[...]
>the lens itself. I have no problems with a Leitz
>Focomat but I am limited to 12.5x with a Fuji 50mm.
>This problem exists with Meopta Magnafax but not on
>the 5x4 LPL, The LPL bellows fold inside themselves
>better or there is a better design.
Richard, which Magnifax do you have? I use an old Magnifax II (quite old)
for 6x9 (it's up to 9x9cm), and I have the same problem with bellows not
compressing enough. I solved it with recessed lens board, to an extent.
But still I would like to upgrade to a newer model, the IV with VC head. I
like the split-image focusing of them a lot! Even on my 40 yrs old Magnifax
II, it is still working perfectly and giving me sharp prints (it's much
better focusing method that trying to see "grain" in 120 Agfa APX 25 in
6x6cm neg ;) There just isn't any grain to focus by).
>Meopta enlarger lens are also worth looking at. I have
>a 4 element 105mm lens that at 7x magnification is
>slighlty better than a 5 element Leitz 50mm/4.5, a 6
>element Fuji 50/2.8 or a 6 element Durst 80/5.6,
>that's not what I expected. Meopta do publish MTF
>curves for there lens on there web site, cannot
>remember the address.
<http://www.meopta.cz> (it's in english)
they publish MTF, relative ilumination, even chromatic aberation graphs &
numbers on their pages! If every manufacturer did this, it would be much
easier to choose things. (it's interesting that most Western manuf. of
lenses & etc don't do this, while mostly all "ex-communist block"
countries' manufacturers publish some resolution or such numbers on their
lenses, even if the numbers are quite low!!! (they just publish a set of
numbers and don't say these numbers are for wide open! At 4 or 5.6 the
resolution of one such lens is comparable to newest Nikon lens of same
focal length! Had this tested). Yhey don't know yet much smart ass
marketing (or should I say: they don't know yet that _lying_ sell a product
now...)
they also have there a history section (like a virtual museum), quite
worth looking into! I am shopping for the Magnitaurus (an 13x18cm/5x7"
enlarger, 70kg weight), it's the only such big enlarger which can be had
for nearly a smile used (compared to other 5x7" enlargers, of course). My
dream enlarger would be the Meopta Agrand ;) Look at it and you will
understand.
The 4.5/105mm Belar is a simple Tessar formula, and Tessars (when clean
and assembled well) are second only to macro or symmetrical process lenses
in high magnification uses, IMO.
Frantisek
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