I am getting back into black and white printing after a long absense. After putting my new enlarger together I have noticed my upper bellows does not have a guide for extension for each format. The way I remember, for 35mm the bellows is set a certain lever, 120mm another and 4x5 another level. How should I adjust the upper bellows for each format? Thanks in advance.

John

-- john cody (chubasco@aol.com), September 04, 2000

Answers

Not knowing what make or model of enlarger you have, I can only suggest that you adjust things so the negative stage is closest to the condenser when the shortest focal-length enlarging lens is in use. Move the negative stage farther from the condenser as the focal length increases. To see if this works in your case, focus a negative on the easel, then remove the negative and examine the light field where it was. If it is uniformly illuminated, i.e, free of dark arcs or other optical effects, you should be able to print okay. If it isn't, rack the negative stage, or the condenser, whichever is movable, up and down until you see uniformity. Stopping down the enlarger lens may help in seeing all this.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), September 04, 2000.

John: Everything I suggested in my first message is correct (I think) except that I got things backward. The shorter focal-length lenses should be farthest from the condenser, not nearest, and of course the longer lenses should be the nearest. Anyway, the part about being able to see whether things are adjusted right will work; so you can very likely solve the mystery without wetting a sheet of printing paper.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), September 04, 2000.

John, If you have a new enlarger, as your post states, then you should find your answer in the handbook. If your enlarger is only "new to you" then let us know what make and model. I'm sure you will then get a definitive answer. Regards, ;^D)

-- Doremus Scudder (ScudderLandreth@compuserve.com), September 04, 2000.