Align Enlarger

Jim Jones said:

The Zone VI method is a mechanical solution to an optical problem. There are obvious pitfalls. Vaughn's suggestion is a direct and simple optical solution to an optical problem.

Jstraw -- Both the head and the lens plane on my DeJur Versatile Professional 4x5 are tiltable, so perspective correction can be made on the baseboard with edge to edge sharpness. With many enlargers, the easel and either the film plane or the lens board must be tilted for this.

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His method is fine, as far as it goes...if you don't have a concern about convergence of parallel lines.

Is there a real reason to use the versalab if your lens stage cannot be adjusted independently from the negative stage? Your DeJur is properly designed for such adjustments. My Beseler is not, unless I incorporate the modifications to the lensboard.

Some here seem to be describing a version of the Beseler MX series that has an adjustable lens stage that I'm unfamiliar with. Rather than deny its existance, I continue to ask for more information about it. It may be that it exists or it may be that some people are unaware that altering the position of the entire head does nothing to correct any lack of parallelism between the lens and negative stages.

With the stock configuration as I know it, those adjustments can be based on the position of the lens stage or the position of the negative stage but their relative positions will remain unchanged.

I can't afford to change enlargers at this time but if I knew then what I know now, I'd have never bought the MXT for two primary reasons...the lack of these separate alignment controls and the difficulties in fine focus adjustments..both inherent in the design.

When anyone hints at things that I don't know about that can make life with an MXT more tolerable, my curiousity is aroused!

jstraw said:

His method is fine, as far as it goes...if you don't have a concern about convergence of parallel lines.

Is there a real reason to use the versalab if your lens stage cannot be adjusted independently from the negative stage? Your DeJur is properly designed for such adjustments. My Beseler is not, unless I incorporate the modifications to the lensboard.

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My method certainly is not perfect -- keystoning (or convergence of parallel lines) is an issue -- but one that most or our photo students can be blissfully unaware of and never be the wiser. If it becomes a problem, I can point students to the enagers that do not have keysoning issues.

On the Omegas(D5) and Beselers(23C), I have used thin washers to correct the alignment of the lens stage as best I could. Due to time restraints, I aim to at least have the image focused corner to corner, and take care of any keystoning as I have time and resources.

I use laser alignment tool just to speed up the process -- it is nice when I do the final check with the scratched negative and it agrees with the laser tool.

Vaughn

jstraw said:

Some here seem to be describing a version of the Beseler MX series that has an adjustable lens stage that I'm unfamiliar with. Rather than deny its existance, I continue to ask for more information about it. It may be that it exists or it may be that some people are unaware that altering the position of the entire head does nothing to correct any lack of parallelism between the lens and negative stages.

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Jstraw-does you enlarger not have these adjustment screws behind the focusing mechanism/lens stage assembly? Changing the tightening-aspect top to bottom will tilt the lens stage only. It does not move the negative stage.

Huh... well that's interesting. I always thought those screws were for adjusting the focusing tension between the teflon strips and the metal surface against which they slide.

I'm going to have to dig around and see if I can find the manual.

I feel edified, thanks.

Glad I could help. I cant say if the manufacturer intends for them to be used this way (I never had the manual) but you can get a surprising amount of tilt this way. Same goes for the set of screws on the negative stage as well; and since there's no swing on the negative stage, you can change the aspect side to side and adjust this way too.

photographs42 said:

I have the alignment tool you reference but I’m pretty sure it is from Zig Align. It looks like the Versalab unit. The Zig align site has a different model shown? I’ve had mine awhile. It works just as advertised. I’ve switched from my antique 45M to a Zone VI 5x7 so it is much easier to align.

With the 45M, I used black masking tape on the back (top) of the lens board to level it. Not an elegant or easy solution but it worked.

Jerome

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Michael, (jstraw)
Well , once again, I was wrong. My alignment tool is the Versalab. I hadn’t used it for a while so I had to go down and look last night. I knew it looked like the Versalab unit but I would have bet the farm that it was from Zig Align. Anyway, it’s a nice tool, and, although the rubber band solution is a little hokey, it works really well. I make a lot of large (36” to 40” wide) prints from 4x5 and 5x7 negs and proper alignment makes a big difference when printing that big.

Jerome

Straw, I too was considering the Versalab Parallel very much. I found a similar 'laser level' on ebay for $12. It works the same exact way. It might not be as precise but it is more than precise for me. The Versalab offering is excellent but $200 buys a lot of paper, film, groceries, bills, beer, etc.

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7335 is what I have. I use a mirror from a broken SLR. Remove the battery door cover from the rear before trying to align anything, it will throw things off slightly.

I've also used this to align rangefinders and will never use anything else for that. I can align a speed graphic kalart rangefinder with a new lens in 10 minutes and minimal cursing. I've even aligned the front standard of a speed graphic with this and a mirror taped to the lensboard. There is a screw on the level which will allow you to mount it on a tripod even. All in all a nice device for under $20 which has a lot of uses.

ps- I have no experience with that above link, I just like the images. $44 is steep IMHO. I've seen these on the auction site for 1/4 of that price.

I have two Beseler (45 MXII & 67 C). The alignment is not easy because their original crafts are worse than Omegas or Durst. I make many modifications to remove mechanical problems, particularly the movement of the optical carrier, which no runs regulary. The positionment of the negative carrier is also important (replace the original carrier with 2 pieces of glass and compare !). After, and only after you can use an alignment tool like Versalab or Zig Align.

Phillip P. Dimor said:

Straw, I too was considering the Versalab Parallel very much. I found a similar 'laser level' on ebay for $12. It works the same exact way. It might not be as precise but it is more than precise for me. The Versalab offering is excellent but $200 buys a lot of paper, film, groceries, bills, beer, etc.

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7335 is what I have. I use a mirror from a broken SLR. Remove the battery door cover from the rear before trying to align anything, it will throw things off slightly.

I've also used this to align rangefinders and will never use anything else for that. I can align a speed graphic kalart rangefinder with a new lens in 10 minutes and minimal cursing. I've even aligned the front standard of a speed graphic with this and a mirror taped to the lensboard. There is a screw on the level which will allow you to mount it on a tripod even. All in all a nice device for under $20 which has a lot of uses.

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Oooh! Most excellent. Thank you.

Phillip P. Dimor said:

I use a mirror from a broken SLR. Remove the battery door cover from the rear before trying to align anything, it will throw things off slightly.

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One does not need a mirror, at least for enlarger alligning -- the Versalab just uses a piece of glass with a white paper sticker on it (the sticker goes on the opposite side of the lazer.

Vaughn

Vaughn said:

One does not need a mirror, at least for enlarger alligning -- the Versalab just uses a piece of glass with a white paper sticker on it (the sticker goes on the opposite side of the lazer.

Vaughn

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what does the glass with the sticker do?

Vaughn said:

I try to have all 3 planes parallel...but am willing to
settle for having all the image in focus on the easel.
It does make a little difference as one may not
project a rectanglar image (keystoning) if the
3 planes are not parallel. Vaughn

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I thought that might be the case. But as you say
Time is a factor. A real test of patience it was when
making an exact sharp and square Omega B8 alignment.

I did not mean to imply in my post #17 this thread
that an exact alignment can not be made with one
of several instrument assisted methods. The proof
though is, as I mentioned, on the baseboard.
A square and magnifier will test.

For that matter and in my case a square and magnifier
are all the gear needed to do an alignment. Dan

jstraw said:

what does the glass with the sticker do?

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Nothing more than a reflective surface for the laser. Beam hits the glass, reflects back down. The sticker stops the laser beam on the back of the flat glass. If the sticker isn't present, the laser goes through the glass, bounces around in the enlarger lens, and produces several weaker disco-ball like reflections back down on the target of the Versalab.

Kinda groovy really.

Since my D5500s don't have adjustable negative stages (but DO have adjustable lens stages), I made an adjustable baseboard. I align the baseboard with the negative carrier. Then align the lens to the baseboard.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

The baseboard has 4 allen screw adjusters, one on each corner. Using an allen wrench I can raise or lower each corner to align this perfectly to the negative carrier (with the laser align). I found this easier than shimming the column (which is the way suggested in the enlarger shop manual).

I found that my enlarging lenses make a nice pattern of concentric circles when the laser is aimed at the front element. I think that having these circles lined up like a bullseye gives me good alignment of the lens. (rather than putting a glass slide on the front ring of the lens and bouncing the laser off of that)

When enlarging minox through 35mm I switch between a 30mm Minolta CE and a 45mm Schneider-APO HM. I need to shim one of these lense's cones with some tape if I want to changes lenses without re-adjusting the lens stage alignment, especially when making 16x20s (yes I do 16x20 minox!). When doing these high magnification enlargements the alignment has to be perfect or else one corner will be blurry. I also use the Peak grain focuser to double check all 4 corners. (Glass carrier is a must at this magnification)

I also found that with 6x6cm to 4x5in the lens/negative/baseboard alignment is not as critical (if only going up to 16x20) and the 3 lens turret works just fine with the longer focal length lenses. I could probably get by without the adjustable baseboard with these larger formats. I also found that I don't even need the glass carrier with these smaller magnifications. If one were to enlarge the 4x5 negative to the same magnification as I am using with the minox, the alignment WOULD have to be super critical.

By the way that is why I have two enlargers, one is set up for 35mm, 16mm and minox with a glass carrier, individual lens cones and the 35mm mixing box while the other is set up for 6x6cm, 6x9cm and 4x5in with a non-glass carrier, the 3 lens turret and a 6x7 or 4x5 mixing box.

Some "customs" to my Beseler 45

two pics to explain my mechanical modifications for lens stage alignment.

computar said:

two pics to explain my mechanical modifications for lens stage alignment.

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Very nice!