Leitz 1C Problem

[petecam]

Hi tom,

I recently purchased a Leitz 1C and I am having problems using it. I don't have the extension ring for the lens and my Nikkor 50 2.8 is deep in the focus tube. Any suggestions? I can't seem to remove all the dust from the glass and film surfaces and I was wondering what your method of dust removal is. Lastly I get Newton's rings ocassionally and wondered how to solve this. Leitz made anti-Newton ring inserts but I suppose they are very expensive or impossible to find. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Love the products you design! Thanks 😎

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Hi,
You need to have the extension ring. It's called DOORX and is 15mm long. You might have it custom made somewhere. They now and then pop up at ebay. If you don't find it there I might have a spare one on my old 1c which I keep for parts.
For properly cleaning the dust you should get out all the glass parts. This is easy to do without any tools needed. I do that about once a year. When not in use I cover the enlarger with a plastic bag. Before use I clean the whole assembly with compressed air.
Yes, there is a AN glass and yes, they are expensive if you can find one on ebay. There is one now btw. Preferably you should also get the spacer ring to get the condenser up again. But you can do without. I already sold my spare AN glass with ring.
But when it works it is a very good and convenient enlarger.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[eli griggs]

Look around for an LTM extension tube of the right length, any make should do so don't sweat not finding a Leitz.

On another thread I asked if an the anti-Newton glass from a 6x6 slide would work between the condenser and negative. I've not seen an answer yet but I suggest you try it, you've nothing to lose.

Cheers

 

[Tom A]

The extension tube is scarce, but they are availble. I might have one somewhere in my darkroom's deepest, murky corners!
As for the Anti Newton problem. I would suggest making a "mask" of plastic, about 0,3-0,5 mm thick and stick it on the top of the filmholder. Just cut out a 25x37mm hole for the actual negative area. You can also use masking tape on the negative holder to raise the condensor a fraction.
Most problem with Newton rings occur with film that has not dried completely and with very thin emulsions. Irritating like hell as you usually dont see them until you pull the print from the wash!
The AN kits are expensive and difficult to find - so the "spacer" solution is cheaper (tape or plastic).

 

[petecam]

Thanks for everyones suggestions regarding how to deal with the dust/newton's rings. I was thinking about using some type of spacer unit to raise the negative and your suggestion of plastic and even tape was a great one Tom and will I start working on that this weekend. If you ever find that extension tube in the far reaches of your darkroom, Tom, I live in Comox on Vancouver Island and would be glad to arrange payment and pick-up when I come to the mainland and at your convenience, of course. Thanks again everyone. Barry

 

[Tom A]

Pete, I found it. It wasen't in the box at all - it was used to prop up my enlarging meter to the proper angle!
If you send me your adress (use a private e-mail on this forum) I will put it in a padded envelope and ship it off to you and you owe me coffee when we meet sometimes in the future!
You might have to recalibrate the autofocus on the 1C with the Nikkor 50f2.8 as it is slightly different than the regular Focotar or Focotar-2 that sits on the 1C. It is a bit tedious, but once done, it stays put - at least for prints between 5x7" and 11x14". The 1C is my standard 35mm neg enlarger - nothing better out there and they do last a long,long time.
The best thing I found for making the "spacer" was a Letraset 3mm wide tape (about 3/1000" thick) - just put a piece of discarded film on the carrier and stick the tape down so that it provides a "track" for the film to move along. You can probably cut gaffer tape or masking tape to fit too. Letraset seems to have dissappeared with the onslaught of computer generated graphics anyway.
Tom