Rodenstock 80mm f/4 APO-Rodagon N Enlarging Lens USA

Comments about Rodenstock 80mm f/4 APO-Rodagon N Enlarging Lens:

I had used the regular Rodagon 80mm for some time, making color and B&W enlargements up to 24"x42" and was quite happy. Then I was loaned the APO by the Rodenstock reps. Using a DeVere 4x5 single bulb color head, from 645 negatives enlarged bigger than 16x20, there was a marked increase in sharpness, contrast(at least 1/2 a grade on B&W) and the contrast and corner sharpness as well as even-ness of illumination across the image field was surprising. I've been a professional lab technician/photographer(mostly industrial/commercial) since 1973. I've never used a better quality lens, for the finished results. It IS breathtakingly exspensive. It will cover with no fall-off at f8 the Fuji 6X8 cm format. If you have older generation enlarger lenses, even very good lenses, you are short-changing yourself without the APO series lenses. No new HDTV for me this year...three new APO Rodagon N's for me(50, 80, 105mm the 150 will have to wait a year). I have had no qualms about using this lens at F5.6 on 20x24's. It's grain-sharp into the corners. I really like the feature of using continuously variable f-stops with an on-easle densitomiter. F7.3 at 12 seconds maybe perfect. BTW: by a Minolta Flash Meter III, the F-stops are with-in .3 stops of "perfect" from wide-open to f22. I know lots of you silver B&W guys are using old glass because you have it and it looks OK. Try an APO, and you'll spend twice as much time in the darkroom, making far more much better prints. Yes, I am hyped. Ricky Earp