Enlarger mis-alignment

[RichL]

Enlarger alignment

Just out of idle curiosity, to how do people manage to misalign their enlargers.

The reason I ask is that I have done darkroom work as an amateur and as a professional for a bit over 50 years now and seldom had alignment problems. I aligned our Omega D5 about once a year and it went through upwards of 1000 cycles a week, week in and week out. Our 23c was used about a fourth as much and I don't remember having to align it but once. (Memo to self: do not run end of mop handle into enlarger lens assembly.)

 

[lawrence]

I don't have an enlarger any more but previously owned Omega D2, Beseler 23C, Durst 605 and a Kaiser. The problem for me was not that I 'managed to misalign' any of them but that there was no adequate way of aligning them. For example, if you try to align the D2 using the four adjustable screws round the negative stage then the condenser head no longer sits properly on the negative carrier. To align an enlarger properly you need a decent focus finder, such as one of the more expensive Omega/Peak finders that can be used at the extreme edges of the enlarging easel. Sounds to me that you've been quite lucky!

 

[RichL]

Yup, lucky. I was thinking maybe some people did a lot of wall or floor projections that caused the mis-alignment.

 

[Jonathan]

I borrowed a friend's Versalab laser tool. Easy to use and the prints had a little more snap afterwards. Will definitely buy one when darkroom complete.

 

[sevo]

As far as enlargers themselves are concerned, quite a few low end ones have no proper marks or stops for the neutral position, so that it is up to trial and error when realigning it after wall and floor projection - and people using such a lower end enlarger usually won't have a grain loupe either (nor a dedicated alignment tool), so that the result will be more error than trial.

On pro enlargers, it is mostly due to over-tightening the baseboard screws with improper tools leaving the poor thing permanently wobbly - the average idiot^Hstudio owner seems to know nothing beyond pipe wrench and hammer, and fails to comprehend the maximum torque numbers in the assembly instructions...

 

[Tom A]

Most problem with mis-alignment seem to happen when the enlarger is moved! Once set up and checked and corrected - it should stay put. Wall or floor projections are the other problems. I found that my Omegas (D5/D6) had some bad screws in them and I redid them and locked them in.
The various tools are good, but how often do you need them? I use a piece of fine mesh mosquito netting between a couple of glass plates (or with the Focomat's - single glass and the condensor holding it flat. You project the "grid" and then it is easy to check corners and center for sharpness - at all apertures!

 

[sykotec]

Agreed with the others here on the moving or wall projection being issues. Once something is set, it SHOULD stay that way. I've used tape to shim points that either weren't meant for adjustment or need a little help as well - getting everything just right and leaving it alone afterwards makes a difference.

The Versalab thingy IS pretty neat and helpful - got one when cleaning out an unwanted darkroom pile in someone's garage, but as Tom mentions, there are enough DIY methods that I'd never pay full price for such a thing.

I've got a decision to make now though - my Beseler 45MXT is in great shape and aligned/shimmed just right, BUT..... I've got a 45V-XL that was left outside for a couple weeks. Needs bellows and baseboard replaced, everything else will clean up fine with a little work. Any thoughts on whether Beseler's marketing-speak about the 45V-XL being a better design are true? I'm tempted by the simplicity of a non-motorized elevation (plus the fine focus control), and the constant center point idea is kinda cool.

Sorry to go off-topic a bit....

 

[Jonathan]

Totally agree everyone has their own way sorting alignment, but for the price I reckon the Versalab is worth looking at. For a one off payment it is possible to repeatedly check the relationship between baseboard, neg carrier and lens panel. Still on my want list once new darkroom built.