Well, now I have a 4x5 camera and these incredible large negatives from my FT-2 (app. 110x26mm) but only a Durst M805 which ends at 6x9. To make matters worse I do not have a permanent darkroom at home and a second enlarger that copes with 4x5 is no option.
Last year the Intrepid enlarger kit was introduced. That seemed to be a compromise I could live with. So I started with the Intrepid, a Technica and a Kaiser repro dingbat.
In general things worked, but
- the column of tne Kaiser is not built for the weight of the Technica and so this setup is quite wobbly. Well, one could expect that...
- the column height does not allow prints larger than 8X10 with the standard 150mm lens.
- and, well it´s an extra part one has to store, move around, set up.
Luckily I got my hands on a spare M605 enlarger head. Well, a 605, not a 805. Mounting the Technica on the 605 head and use it on the 805 column was the basic ides. Just changing heads for larger format negatives. Well, I started measuring, sketching, calculating...
Both heads are fixed to the column in a similar way, only the notches that fix the head at 0-90 degrees differ in position (diameter). I´m working on this notch issue, but in general one can mount the 605 head on a 805 column. Good news - and time for action in my workshop.
To get a distance column - lens axis similar to the original setup I hacksawed the part off the 605 head that normally supports the negative carrier. The rough cuts are smoothened on a belt sander. Next I cut a piece of multiplex board and drilled some holes to fix the plate to the head.
The lower two screws are equipped with washers and small o-rings. They hold the board to the head but also allow some adjustment of the board in the vertical direction.
Vertical adjustment is done at the two threaded rods on the upper end of the board.
It´s so much more rigid than with the Kaiser. With this repro head I´m able to process different neg sizes - it´s just changing enlarger heads. Fun to use, I hope. I have to care for the notches now. Well, tomorrow...
Regards Matti
Last year the Intrepid enlarger kit was introduced. That seemed to be a compromise I could live with. So I started with the Intrepid, a Technica and a Kaiser repro dingbat.
In general things worked, but
- the column of tne Kaiser is not built for the weight of the Technica and so this setup is quite wobbly. Well, one could expect that...
- the column height does not allow prints larger than 8X10 with the standard 150mm lens.
- and, well it´s an extra part one has to store, move around, set up.
Luckily I got my hands on a spare M605 enlarger head. Well, a 605, not a 805. Mounting the Technica on the 605 head and use it on the 805 column was the basic ides. Just changing heads for larger format negatives. Well, I started measuring, sketching, calculating...
Both heads are fixed to the column in a similar way, only the notches that fix the head at 0-90 degrees differ in position (diameter). I´m working on this notch issue, but in general one can mount the 605 head on a 805 column. Good news - and time for action in my workshop.
To get a distance column - lens axis similar to the original setup I hacksawed the part off the 605 head that normally supports the negative carrier. The rough cuts are smoothened on a belt sander. Next I cut a piece of multiplex board and drilled some holes to fix the plate to the head.
The lower two screws are equipped with washers and small o-rings. They hold the board to the head but also allow some adjustment of the board in the vertical direction.
Vertical adjustment is done at the two threaded rods on the upper end of the board.
It´s so much more rigid than with the Kaiser. With this repro head I´m able to process different neg sizes - it´s just changing enlarger heads. Fun to use, I hope. I have to care for the notches now. Well, tomorrow...
Regards Matti