Welcome to Delta

In 2021 the Digital Enlarger Lens Test Archive (D.E.L.T.A) outgrew its original home at 16-9.net – and its remit. It continues to expand, and is now the most wide-ranging resource for film-makers and photographers seeking and using enlarger, projector, macro, repro, process and cine lenses to create digital work. Spanning more than 170 years, Delta collates information on almost 4,000 universally-adaptable lenses, and contains hundreds of unique reviews and articles.

The quick-browse catalogue below orders every lens by manufacturer and can be filtered by category or keyword.

The primary archive tracks generations of lenses with more in-depth information, and ranks hundreds for sharpness and rendition. Please use the main menu and search function to access further articles, pictures and videos.

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minette-corona-75a

Minette Corona 75/3.5
Silver and black metal Japanese enlarger lens. Probably AKA Corona, Minette, Dixons Autocrat Deluxe and Kaginon 75/3.5.

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Minilen 25 25/3.5
Enlarger lens with 25mm image circle. AKA Bogen Voss

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Minilux 25/2
Enlarger lens with 10mm image circle

minolta_ce30a

Minolta C.E. Rokkor 30/2.8
Japanese half-frame enlarger lens AKA X-Rokkor. [Cat 3939].

minolta_ce50a

Minolta C.E. Rokkor 50/2.8
Reference Gauss enlarger lens marked C.E.Rokkor, X-Rokkor or C.E.Lens. Amber coating. Retail price in 1980: 520 francs. [Cat 3705].

minolta-ce80-a

Minolta C.E. Rokkor 80/5.6
Enlarger lens AKA X-Rokkor. Slightly warm cast. Orthometar. Amber / magenta coating. [Cat 3927].

minolta_e-rokkor-105mm_f4.5-a

Minolta E.Rokkor 105/4.5
Silver body enlarger lens. Black fascia. [Cat 3812].

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Minolta E.Rokkor 25/3.5
Enlarger lens with 18mm image circle

minolta-e-rokkor-30a

Minolta E.Rokkor 30/4.5
Japanese small-format enlarger lens. [Cat 3808]. Product images by Real Camera Co.

minolta_e-rokkor-50_a

Minolta E.Rokkor 50/4.5 [V2]
Japanese enlarger lens. Silver body, flat black fascia.

minolta-e-rokkor-50a

Minolta E.Rokkor 50/4.5 [V3]
Silver Japanese enlarger lens with dished black fascia. Single-coated. [Cat. 3805]

minolta-e-rokkor-75-v3a

Minolta E.Rokkor 75/4.5 [V2]
Silver Japanese enlarger lens. Single-coated.

minolta-e-75-a

Minolta E.Rokkor 75/4.5 [V3]
Silver Japanese enlarger lens. Single-coated. [Cat 3824].

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Minolta F.Rokkor QF 195/6.5
Process lens advertised as projector lens. Unknown thread.

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Minolta F.Rokkor QF 200/5.6
Process lens advertised as projector lens. Unknown thread.

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Minolta Micro 12.5/2
Bellows lens. Unknown image circle.

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Minolta P-Rokkor 125/2.8
Black metal projector lens marked 5”.

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Minolta P-Rokkor 45/2.8
Black plastic projector lens. Some marked Chiyoko. White fascia. Image circle < 30mm.

minolta_p_rokkor-75_2.5a

Minolta P-Rokkor 75/2.5
Black plastic projector lens for Mini 35. Some marked Chiyoko.

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Minox 35/2.9
Black metal body slide projector with silver nose. Probably made by Ernst Leitz. Image circle < 35mm.

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Minox Micro 15/3.5
Enlarger lens with 14mm image circle

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MMZ Belomo Chaika 28/2.8
Enlarger lens with 30mm image circle

morser_80-3.5a

Morser 80/3.5
Grey plastic lens for Pal slide projector. Made in Japan.

muller-wetzig-105mm-f4.5-a

Muller & Wetzig Doppel Anastigmat 105/4.5
German enlarger lens (made in Dresden) fitted to Filmarex III No113. Covers 6×9.

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Muller & Wetzig Dresden 55/4.5
German enlarger lens.

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Nikon Apo-EL-Nikkor 105/5.6
True apochromatic enlarger lens. Made in Japan. First generation model.

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Nikon Apo-EL-Nikkor 170/5.6
True apochromatic enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon Apo-EL-Nikkor 210/5.6
True apochromatic enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon Apo-EL-Nikkor 300/5.6
True apochromatic enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon Apo-EL-Nikkor 480/5.6
True apochromatic enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon Apo-EL-Nikkor N 105/5.6
True apochromatic enlarger lens. Made in Japan. Later, smaller version.

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Nikon Apo-EL-Nikkor N 210/5.6
True apochromatic enlarger lens. Made in Japan. Later, smaller version.

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Nikon Apo-Nikkor 150/9
Tessar photoengraving lens

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Nikon Apo-Nikkor 180/9
Dialyte photoengraving lens

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Nikon Apo-Nikkor 210/9
Tessar photoengraving lens

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Nikon Apo-Nikkor 240/9
Dialyte photoengraving lens

nippon-kogaku-105-v1-b

Nikon EL-Nikkor 105/5.6 [V1]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens marked “Nippon Kogaku Japan”. Black metal body; silver mount. Single-coated.

nikon-105-v1-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 105/5.6 [V2]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Black metal body; silver mount. Single-coated. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 135/5.6 [V1]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Marked “Nippon Kogaku Japan Ortho-EL NIKKOR”. Single-coated. Rare.

nippon-kogaku-135-v2-c

Nikon EL-Nikkor 135/5.6 [V2]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Marked “Nippon Kogaku Japan f=135mm”. Single-coated.

nikon-135-v2-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 135/5.6 [V3]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan. Marked “f=135mm”. Single-coated.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 150/5.6
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 180/5.6
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 210/5.6
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 240/5.6
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 300/5.6
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 360/5.6
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

nippon-kogaku-v0-50-2.8-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 50/2.8 [V1]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens marked “Nippon Kogaku f=5cm”. Some versions “EL-NIKKOR-C”. Single-coated. Photo courtesy Richard de Stoutz.

nippon-kogaku-vx-50-2.8

Nikon EL-Nikkor 50/2.8 [V1b]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens with fixed aperture for Speed Magny camera. Marked Nippon-Kogaku

nippon-kogaku-v1-50-2.8-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 50/2.8 [V2]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens marked “Nippon Kogaku f=5cm”. Single-coated.

nippon-kogaku-v1-50-2.8-f

Nikon EL-Nikkor 50/2.8 [V3]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens marked “Nippon Kogaku f=5cm”. Single-coated.

nikon-50-2.8-v1c

Nikon EL-Nikkor 50/2.8 [V4]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens marked “f=50mm”. Single-coated. Late scalloped ring version.

Nikon-EL-Nikkor-50-4-v1a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 50/4 [V1]
First generation Tessar enlarger lens marked Nippon-Kogaku.

nikon_50_4b

Nikon EL-Nikkor 50/4 [V2]
First generation Tessar enlarger lens.

nikon-63-v2-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 63/3.5 [V2]
First generation, single-coated, asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Marked “f=63mm Nippon Kogaku Japan”. Scalloped aperture ring.

nikon-63-3.5a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 63/3.5 [V3]
First generation, single-coated, asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor 68/3.5
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

nikon-75-4-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 75/4
First generation single-coated Tessar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

nikon-80-v1-a1

Nikon EL-Nikkor 80/5.6 [V1]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens marked “Nippon Kogaku Japan”. Black body, silver mount. Single-coated.

nikon-80-v2-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor 80/5.6 [V2]
First generation asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Made in Japan. Black body, silver mount. Single-coated.

nikon-135-a-1

Nikon EL-Nikkor A 135/5.6
Second generation orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor A 150/5.6
Second generation orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor A 180/5.6
Second generation orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor A 210/5.6
Second generation orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor A 240/5.6
Second generation orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor A 300/5.6
Second generation orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

nikon-105-n-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor N 105/5.6
Second generation multicoated orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

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Nikon EL-Nikkor N 40/4
Second generation orthometar enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

nikon_50N-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor N 50/2.8
Multicoated second generation orthometar made in Japan. Serials from 2412706 – 2438797 are made in China. Retail price in 1980 was 613 francs.

nikon-50-4-n-1

Nikon EL-Nikkor N 50/4
Second generation Tessar enlarger lens. Made in Japan from 1985-1988 only.

nikon63N-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor N 63/2.8
Second generation Kleinbild-Plasmat enlarger lens.

nikon-75-4-n-1

Nikon EL-Nikkor N 75/4
Second generation multicoated enlarger lens. Made in Japan.

nikon-80-n-a

Nikon EL-Nikkor N 80/5.6
Second generation Japanese orthometar enlarger lens. Multicoated.

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Nikon EL-Zoom Nikkor 99-230/8
Servo-operated zoom enlarger lens for Noritsu. Widest aperture estimated at f3.

nikon-63-v1-a

Nikon Fax-EL-Nikkor 63/3.5 [V1]
First generation, single-coated, asymmetric Gauss enlarger lens. Marked “f=6.3cm Nippon Kogaku Japan Fax-EL-NIKKOR”. Rare.

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Nikon Macro-Nikkor 120/6.3
Bellows lens for Nikon Multiphot system for 1.2-4x magnification. Apertures 1-6

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Nikon Macro-Nikkor 19/2.8
Bellows lens for Nikon Multiphot system for 15-40x magnification. Apertures 1-6

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Nikon Macro-Nikkor 35/4.5
Bellows lens for Nikon Multiphot system for 8-20x magnification. Apertures 1-6

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Nikon Macro-Nikkor 65/4.5
Bellows lens for Nikon Multiphot system for 8-20x magnification. Apertures 1-6

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Nikon Nikkor-Q 135/4
Bellows lens.

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Nikon Printing-Nikkor 105/2.8
Film duplication and repro lens optimised for 1:1. Original twelve-element version.

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Nikon Printing-Nikkor-A 105/2.8
Film duplication and repro lens optimised for 1:1. Also known in US catalogue as Printing-Nikkor-N.

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Nikon Process Nikkor 180/10
Double Gauss process lens

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Nikon Process Nikkor 210/10
Double Gauss process lens

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Nikon Process Nikkor 240/10
Double Gauss process lens

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 105/2.8
Specialised macro lens.

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 125/2.8
Standard magnification 1/25x macro lens

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 135/4
Standard magnification 1/25x macro lens

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 150/5.6
Standard magnification 1/10x macro lens.

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 155/4
Standard magnification 1/10x macro lens.

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 165/4
Standard magnification 1/40x macro lens

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 28/1.8
Standard magnification 1/10x macro lens.

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 50/1.8
Standard magnification 1/5x macro lens

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Nikon Ultra-Micro-Nikkor 55/2
Standard magnification 1/4x macro lens

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Nikon WA Apo-Nikkor 150/8
Plasmat photoengraving lens

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Nikon WA Apo-Nikkor 210/9
Plasmat photoengraving lens
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Acknowledgements: The DELTA project wouldn’t have been possible with the naysaying of experienced lens collectors; the death of film; the opposition of my wife; the embezzlement of shady eBay sellers and Japanese auction agents; the re-branders; the same 50/3.5 seen in a thousand guises; the unhelpful attitide of extant manufacturers who jettisoned their history without a backward glance (Schneider, Rodenstock et al); the corporations who swallow the legacies of decades without concern for their preservation; the disregard of librarians and archivists who no longer value photographic publications; the copyright laws prohibiting reproduction of adverts advertising things no longer made, once made by people and companies that no longer exist; the museums failing to digitise their collections and refusing to grant access to material rotting unseen in their basements; the sheer bloody-mindedness of Agfa serial numbers; the arrogance of those who have previously written about alt.lenses and imagine their sayings to be unalterably definitive, despite being patently erroneous;  widespread dementia and death befalling a generation of those with inside knowledge of the industry; widespread withering of the information internet and the rise of regurgitated AI gobbledygook; the majority of used camera dealers who regard these lenses as pointless relics and have no interest in deploying them as taking lenses and regard their slow-moving stock as an irritation; clueless marketing people devoid of specific product knowledge; an overwhelming majority of photographers apathetic about the benefits and possibilities of alt.lenses; the publishers who failed to express an interest in a book deal; the army of DIY botchers who took their lenses apart and didn’t know how to put them back together again; a postal system that loses packages as a normal happenstance;  and all the fungus. Against this tide stand we few. You know who you are. Thank you.