Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

Hi All,

Thank you all for your great contribution to this NG.
I am looking to improve the quality of my prints and I was wondering if
upgrading to a Nikon 50mm f2.8 or similar 6 element lenses you might
recommend would show an appreciable difference? I use Tmax 100 in Tmax Rs
and print to 11x14.
Regards
Shawn...

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

"Shawn H" wrote

Thank you all for your great contribution to this NG.
I am looking to improve the quality of my prints and I was wondering if
upgrading to a Nikon 50mm f2.8 or similar 6 element lenses you might
recommend would show an appreciable difference?

FWIW: I had a 50/4.0 which I sold with my old enlarger and a 2.8
I bought with my new one.

I can't tell the difference in the prints I made with one lens or the
other - and that's with 11x14's examined under a 30x stereo microscope
(the only thing to use when spotting prints!).

The 2.8 is one stop faster, but I normally use f8 for printing, so I
never noticed the speed advantage. Maybe the 2.8 works better at f5.6.
I am sure it works better at f4.0. And it is easier to focus.

But better prints? - can't prove it by me.

As usual YMMV. There can be a lot of variability in lens performance
from unit to unit and so others may have had different experiences.

Remember: Some of the world's greatest pictures have been taken by
some of the world's worst lenses.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

There is reason the F4 costs less. I have one of the 50mm f2.8 and love it.
There is that much of price difference between the two and since any print
you goes through the enlarger lens its not the place to scrimp. As with all
things the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The final print is
what matters, but it can to achieve with lesser equipment. Most six element
enlarging lenses are far better than 4 element lenses. The main difference
is usually is contrast in fine, especially at the edges. The El- Nikkor 50mm
2.8f is bargain at its price.

Sheldon Strauss
www.shel.focalfix.com

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

Sheldon Strauss wrote:
There is reason the F4 costs less. I have one of the 50mm f2.8 and
love it. There is that much of price difference between the two and
since any print you goes through the enlarger lens its not the place
to scrimp. As with all things the chain is only as strong as its
weakest link. The final print is what matters, but it can to achieve
with lesser equipment. Most six element enlarging lenses are far
better than 4 element lenses. The main difference is usually is
contrast in fine, especially at the edges. The El- Nikkor 50mm 2.8f
is bargain at its price.

I do not have one, and I very much doubt they were made in 50mm focal
length, but I betcha an Apo-Artar would be a fine enlarging lens. And
they were dialytes: 4 air-spaced elements, IIRC.

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
/V\ Registered Machine 73926.
/( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org
^^-^^ 8:40pm up 49 days, 8:01, 2 users, load average: 2.19, 2.19, 2.12

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 19:40:36 GMT, "Shawn H"
wrote:

Thank you all for your great contribution to this NG.
I am looking to improve the quality of my prints and I was wondering if
upgrading to a Nikon 50mm f2.8 or similar 6 element lenses you might
recommend would show an appreciable difference? I use Tmax 100 in Tmax Rs
and print to 11x14.
Regards
Shawn...

I would doubt that you would see any difference at all in
B-&-W and probably not even in color negative. Perhaps in printing
Cibachrome or color separations you might notice a small degree of
increased contrast with the 2.8 version.

Regards,

John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.darkroompro.com
Please remove the "_" when replying via email

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

"Shawn H" wrote in message ...
Hi All,

Thank you all for your great contribution to this NG.
I am looking to improve the quality of my prints and I was wondering if
upgrading to a Nikon 50mm f2.8 or similar 6 element lenses you might
recommend would show an appreciable difference? I use Tmax 100 in Tmax Rs
and print to 11x14.
Regards
Shawn...

Provided
1/ your enlarger is aligned
2/ you use glass negative carrier
3/ you avoid diffraction (small apertures eg F16 etc)
4/ The F2.8 lens is a Good Sample

You should see substantial improvement!
The best approach is to get the lens on approval and test it!
Rgds Emerson

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

"Sheldon Strauss" wrote in message ...

The El- Nikkor 50mm 2.8f is bargain at its price.

Any comments on a comparison to the El-Nikkor 63mm?

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

The El- Nikkor 50mm 2.8f is bargain at its price.

Any comments on a comparison to the El-Nikkor 63mm?

All El-Nikkors are quality 6-element designs except the 50mm f/4 and the
75mm f/4. The El-Nikkor 63mm would be excellent for 35mm so long as you
don't need to enlarge past 11x14 on your baseboard. The longer focal length
might make it harder to make very large prints with most enlargers.

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

O.K. I can hear the sighs from here, but how do I align an Omega DII
enlarger? Is a glass carrier required as well in 35mm format?


Shawn H" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Thank you all for your great contribution to this NG.
I am looking to improve the quality of my prints and I was wondering if
upgrading to a Nikon 50mm f2.8 or similar 6 element lenses you might
recommend would show an appreciable difference? I use Tmax 100 in Tmax
Rs
and print to 11x14.
Regards
Shawn...

Nikon 50mm f4.0 vs. 50mm f2.8
 

Mike wrote:
O.K. I can hear the sighs from here, but how do I align an Omega DII
enlarger? Is a glass carrier required as well in 35mm format?


Glass carrier isn't necessary for 35mm IMHO.

It depends. You migth see quite differences when grain becomes visible
and is all but sharp in the corners. With smaller print-sizes the
differences become less important.

If you enlarger isn't
aligned perfectly, just stop down to f11 or higher.

I tried thos once. You will not get sharp grain even in a 8x10" print if
your enlager is slightly out of alignment. Stopping down as far as your
lens allows (approx. f32, beyond the marked range on that old componon)
was not sufficient to solve this problem. Anything but aligning it asap
ist a waste of time IMHO.

best regards

Stefan