xpan in the darkroom

[CAOSLC]

Does anyone have any experience printing xpan negatives on a Beseler 23c? Is it possible to obtain quality prints? I realize Beseler does not make a negative carrier so I will have to fabricate something. Any hints or suggestions are welcome.

 

[Finder]

I have printed widelux negs with a Beseler 23C III. And it works very well. I simply took a 35mm full-frame carrier and enlarged the aperture with a metal saw and files. Take care to remove the burrs. I blackened the edges as well with a permanant marker.

 

[CAOSLC]

What about the enlarging lens, I am now using a Schneider Componon-S 50mm, do I need something else or will this work?

 

[Finder]

Yes, you will need a new lens. An 80mm or 90mm lens should cover the film area. Just find the diagonal film dimension and get the appropriate lens with an image circle equal or greater than that.

 

[KNPhoto]

Hello CAOSLC, Not knowing what you mean by "quality prints", I've been printing on the 23C with XPan negatives and obtaining "museum quaility" prints.

Other options irrespective of cost in addition to the one noted above:
-Glass negative carrier (film flatness!)
-Use a 6x7 negative carrier and cut a mask using XPan neg. as template (this is this option I use). I used a thin piece of cardboard fitted to the registration pins on the carrier. you can also use black tape, but that can leave adhesive residue.

Regards