[UV, VIS, IR] EL-Nikkor 80mm - a cheap and good alternative

Well, my orchids started to blossom again, so why not take a chance and try out an old friend: EL-Nikkor 5.6/80mm (black / chrome older version)

The sequence is: UV (through Baader-U), VIS (through UV/IR Cut filter), IR (through B+W 092)


and here the same sequence but showing left and right differentials (VIS-UV, VIS-IR):


No focus correction was done during the shots, using a single 400Ws adjustable Xenon flash and ND filters to balance out the exposure differences, so as to ensure an identical light direction.

And here a multispectral image by assigning UV->blue, VIS->green, IR->red and combining that into one image.


The fit is very well, thanks to the lack of focus shift, it was overlaid as is, no matching was applied.

I find that result quite interesting ... as it hardly shows focus shift, but hardly anyone seems to use it

Quite impressive Klaus. I suspect this is much less expensive than the Coastal Optics UV-vis-IR apo!

Am I right in thinking this is the EL-Nikkor enlarger lens?

Regards

Mike

Hi Klaus.
That is most interesting about the lack of focus shift with this lens.
I have had good success with both my 50mm and 75mm EL-Nikkors in the past but it has been quite a while since I used them, or any lens in UV/IR, so I do not recall the focus shift with those lenses.

A bit off topic but I am curious, have you tried out any of the longer EL-Nikkors for UV, specifically the 135mm?
I am looking for something in a longer focal length that would work with my PB-4 bellows at infinity focus, so I could utilize the tilt/shift function.
I would use it for visible light on a D700 but figure if I may as well make it dual purpose for a UV lens if possible.

I have a 128mm Wollensak that I have used but the quality is not as impressive as my EL-Nikkors, both in the visible and UV spectrum.

@Mike: yes it is an enlarger lens as the name EL-Nikkor implies (Enlarger Lens).

@Charlie: I made a comparison between some of them, which may be found using that LINK to my BLOG
The 135mm I only tested for transmisson, not yet for photographic results. It should be useful for UV, but I expect it to have focus shift.

Dr Klaus Schmitt said:

@Mike: yes it is an enlarger lens as teh name EL-Nikkor implies (Enlarger Lens).

@Charlie: I made a comparison between some of them, which may be found using that LINK to my BLOG
The 135mm I only tested for transmisson, not yet for photographic results. It should be useful for UV, but I expect it to have focus shift.

Click to expand...

Klaus

I should have said - the multispectral image is really quite beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

My interest in the lens is that laack of spectral focus shift suggests it should also perform well as an enlarger lens!

Mike

Thanks Mike, appreciate your words!

Yes, of course and the reverse is true, so I would also estimate it to be a good lens for enlarging.
But depending on the sensitivity of your paper and the lights in your enlarger, you may not even
need a good UV transmission and also freedom from focus shift (of the many EL-Nikkors I have
tested, some, actually most of them do have focus shift in UV, so obviously it is not that critical
with modern paper).

hi wow these are really nice picture...