Dark corners of 6x6 frame on Meopta Opemus 6

River Mantis · Oct 21, 2023

Here are two images of the light spot with a carrier (which has its own Newton's rings suppressing diffusor) and without it. It doesn't look like a lens vignetting but more like a sharp shadow. All internal condenser components are clean and in place. It's literally impossible to print 6x6 without cropping. Is it an inherent limitation of the enlarger or something is misaligned?

Philippe-Georges · Oct 21, 2023

Is the condenser on the right place (hight) for the negative format lens you are printing with?

River Mantis · Oct 21, 2023

Philippe-Georges said:
Is the condenser on the right place (hight) for the negative format and lens you are printing with?

I'm pretty sure as I cleaned and reassembled everything after purchase. And neither the condenser nor the bulb is adjustable. It came with Rodenstock 50mm f2.8. Maybe the lens isn't designed for larger formats?

Philippe-Georges · Oct 21, 2023

River Mantis said:
I'm pretty sure as I cleaned and reassembled everything after purchase. And neither the condenser nor the bulb is adjustable. It came with Rodenstock 50mm f2.8. Maybe the lens isn't designed for larger formats?

A 50mm lens is usually for for 35mm negatives, not 6x6.

dxqcanada · Oct 21, 2023

Nopo · Oct 21, 2023

River Mantis said:
It came with Rodenstock 50mm f2.8. Maybe the lens isn't designed for larger formats?

incorrect lens, the meopta comes with a 75mm lens for 6x6.

Buzz-01 · Oct 21, 2023

Indeed, the 50mm 2.8 is a brilliant lens, but for 35mm negatives. I use an 80mm Meopta Anaret for 6x6 in my Opemus 5 but a 75mm works as well.
The Anaret is usually pretty affordable and has very good performance imo. But any 75 or 80mm lens is fine.

Ben 4 · Oct 21, 2023

Yup—wrong lens. When I first started printing 6x6 in the 1980s and was using a student union darkroom, I got exactly the same thing. Don't remember how I figured out that I needed a longer lens (the classic 6x6 lens is 80mm) to print medium format, but that solved the problem. Good luck!

MattKing · Oct 21, 2023

If you were to put a 35mm negative into the middle of your 6x6 carrier, you would see that that 50mm lens gives you a nice sharp and evenly illuminated image from that part of the illuminated part. The lens you have (like essentially all 50mm lenses) just can't handle out to the edge of the larger, 6x6 negative.

Buzz-01 · Oct 21, 2023

And that is exactly how the Opemus is supposed to be used, there are two adjustable alignment pins in the negative carrier for using 35mm with the 6x6 glass so the negative ends up in the middle. Works quite well!

Nopo · Oct 21, 2023

Nopo said:
incorrect lens, the meopta comes with a 75mm lens for 6x6.

Wowww!!! What was I thinking when I wrote.
It's a meopta Anaret 80mm.

Carlos

Xylo · Oct 21, 2023

FWIW, I have a 6x6 LPL that came with a 75mm lens and gave me corners that I needed to burn about 1 stop. The problem disappeared when I upgraded to an 80mm lens.

Paul Howell · Oct 21, 2023

I have an Opemus and use a 75mm for 6X6, no vignetting, perhaps a bit of light corners but not sharp edges. Other than the condenser not being set correctly no idea.

Dark corners of 6x6 frame on Meopta Opemus 6

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