How do I set up the V35 to 1. Autofocus without and easel 2. Autofocus with an easel

it is confusing because the measurements on the column jump in 2's.

Thanks Andreas

-- Andreas Elia (steed@pixie.co.za), June 04, 1999

Answers

Hi Andreas (you lucky guy with a V35!)

First off I don't have the V35 (but wish!) Do use 1c Color. You print without easel?? Anyway the basic fix is spacers. Spacers you place under or glue to your favorite easel. Column jumps in 2's? Is there a pin through the column and two holes for the pin? If so measure between the top of each hole also. (2's right?) Anyway glue a small fixed piece of white (fixed-out) photopaper to a stiff something, block of wood or stack of matboard scraps, total thickness being a little less than guesstamated correct easel height. Now go play under the enlarger with your new tool and some extra scraps of paper.

Do I need to say more? You've already figured out the moral to this story haven't you??

Once you find the combo that is sharpest, measure the total sandwich (cucumber and sprouts or raw red meat, whatever,sorry) and make adjustment to your easel via the blocks of what you have to use for the easel feet. Some people like hard rubber for more Stickion. Well you could use old inner tube for last layer of new feet if you're makin the new feet out of mat board scraps right?

Hope thi

-- Larry Welker (lwelker@turbont.net), June 10, 1999.

I love my V-35 the auto-focus is great, but I never thought it was intended for perfect focus at each enlargement variance. Unfortunately, I do not have a Leitz easel but I get all perfectly without one. I use mostly Bogen easels, i.e., quick easels, bladed easels, and borderless easels, for many enlargement requirements.

It is necessary to use my grain-focuser all the time any way. Will using a Leitz easal eliminate the need for grain focusing?

-- Peter Otoole (potoole@mn.uswest.net), July 06, 1999.

Once the autofocus is set on the V35, there is no need to use a grain magnifier from 3-16x magnification. If you turn the focusing ring to the click stop, which is set at the factory, the autofocus is perfect. I think that you do not have the vertical adjustment set properly for the height of the easel. Measure the easel height, or thickness, make the adjustment of the column using the crank at the top of the column, and presto, it should work. If the focus is off, readjust and determine the sharpness with a grain magnifier, or by experiment with prints.

-- Eilert Anders (eilert@dav.com), July 12, 1999.

You have to remember anything in the Leitz line of products, is set up to work with Leitz's products, so if you are using certain Leitz focotar enlarging lenses, you need, or you may not need, a spacer between lens and lens board and if you use an easel (leitz!S) you will have to set the enlarging head to de second hole from the bottom. Conversely, if you are not using an easel, or an easel of another make, you will have to adjust the aufocus mechanism with the lens in the lensboard. Anytime you change a lens, and use a different easel, or none at all, you will have to adjust again. I have one ot those enlagers and it works marvelously. I you need I can e-mail you the page of the manual that explains how to do the job. Lwitz is precise, but finicky! Have fun!

-- w. schweigert (sgert@golden.net), August 06, 1999.

I might have to make a correction with my answer above. I am referring to the focotar CII.

-- w.schweigert (sgert@golden.net), August 06, 1999.

Mr Schweigert is referring to the Leica Focomat 1C and 1C Color enlargers. The V35 does not use a spacer ring, but instead has an adjustible column that compensates for the easel thickness. Measure the easel thickness, loosen the column clamping screw located on the column holding fixture, crank the column up or down with the small crank handle at the top of the column until the adjusting mark is opposite the height value measured, and then tighten the clamp to preserve the column height position. For no easel, set the column height to zero. Next, make sure that the ring holding the lens is in its click stop position. Once the adjustment has been made, check the accuracy of the setting by viewing a projected negative with a grain magnifier at the minimum and maximum magnification settings. The negative should be in focus in both positions. If not, readjust, and check again. If you cannot achieve perfect focus, check to see that the lens is a Leica lens, probably a 40mm f2.8 Focotar. If the lens is a Focotar, it might be the wrong one (either a 50mm or the 40mm, the V35 was set at the factory for one or the other), or the focusing cam might be out of adjustment. The cam can be adjusted at a Leica repair facility, or you can attempt it yourself. This should not be a difficult job.

-- Eilert Anders (eilert@dav.com), September 02, 1999.

V-35 will work with any easel height, that's what the knob at the base of the column is for. Believe it or not, for any questions you can actually call Leitz in New Jersey directly and they will be civil and actually try to help you. They may even send you a set of directions for FREE! This is certainly a very nice change from the E.Leitz New York of old. P.S. The Leica V-35 is the world's best 35mm enlarger and, of course, has been disconcinued. Wish I'd bought a variable contrast head.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 18, 1999.

If the autofocus is out of alignment after the adjustment has been made to the column height try the following:

Rotate the lens holder until the image is sharp then undo the lens arresting screw (that's the long hand screw which sticks out at a right angle on the lens holder) and while holding the lens as still as possible rotate the lens holder until it falls into the indent for the click stop position (you will definately feel it when this happens). Then tighten the arresting screw. Recheck the focus. You may have to do it a couple of times to get it dead right, but it's certainly not hard to do.

Incidentally once adjusted on the column the V35 will work with any easel up to a height of 65mm. My new easel is of that height and the autofocus works perfectly. You absolutely do not have to have a Leitz easel for correct autofocus function.

Another thing that was pointed out to me is that on the Focotar 40/2.8 lens the bottom half of the lens can be pulled down so that the f stops are stepless. I recently had a guy tell me that he bought a Focotar 40/2.8 from a guy who had the lens dismantled to take out the ball bearings that provide the click stops :-)

-- M.V. (mahv@xtra.co.nz), December 26, 2000.

I have both a V35 and a Focomat1C and prefer the latter. Making 16X20 prints with the V35, print exposures can takes up to 60 seconds or more. The same neg on the Focomat 1C (with a 250 watt lamp) will take between 15-30 seconds max. Also, if you place a level on top of the lamphouse of the V35, at least mine is never quite level, although the prints don't seem to suffer. There's no way to adjust V35, it must go to Leitz, and what a hassel that is; shipping, expense, time. I vote for the Focomat 1C, tall column, big baseboard, w/filter drawer, as the best 35mm enlarger ever.

-- Joel Sackett (sjoel2@qwest.net), February 09, 2001.