Table of Contents
- What Is an Enlarger Lens?
- Suitable for Macro Photography
- How to Use an Enlarger Lens for Macro Photography
What Is an Enlarger Lens?
An enlarger lens, as the name suggests, is used to enlarge a negative by projecting it onto photographic paper in order to create a print.
Although darkroom printing is far less common today, these lenses have found a second life in macro photography.
Suitable for Macro Photography
To produce the best possible prints, enlarger lenses must deliver extremely high image sharpness and resolution. This characteristic makes them ideal for macro photography and capable of producing high-quality macro images.
Lens manufacturers such as Rodenstock even mention in their manuals that their enlarger lenses can be used for macro photography and may offer performance equal to or even superior to dedicated macro lenses.
How to Use an Enlarger Lens for Macro Photography
An enlarger lens does not include a focusing helicoid for focusing.
It therefore needs to be mounted on bellows, a focusing helicoid, or extension tubes in order to be used.
The lens should be mounted in reverse in order to maximize macro performance.
You should also make sure to cover any openings used to illuminate the aperture markings, if the lens has this feature, in order to avoid light leaks.
The overwhelming majority of enlarger lenses use the M39 mount (like Leica lenses), making them very easy to adapt.
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