Darkroom 101 Numbers on Beseler 23C II enlarger

[barbara ann]

Help! I think I inadvertantly turned the wrong dial on my enlarger. The right side of my prints is very light. I seem to remember that you have to set the bellows for 35mm film but don't remember how to do it. There are three sets of numbers 2 1/4 X 2 1/4, 2 1/4 x 2 3/4, 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 but no mark to line them up to. Can anyone help me with this?

 

[ann]

there should be a set of marks of the side of the condesor and you just line up an arrow with the correct set. the mark may be just the numbers with a small white slash under the numbers.

you could also put the negative carrier in place and move the condensor so that there is a square not a circle visable.

 

[smieglitz]

The upper bellows should be all the way to the top for a 50mm enlarging lens for 35mm film. If the condensers were in the wrong place, I suspect you would observe a similar lightening of both the right and left sides.

Does the enlarger have a built-in, sliding, under-the-lens filter drawer for 2" filters (in addition to the one near the condenser assembly and lamphouse for larger 5.5" filters)? Sometimes these get partially engaged and block the light on one side. The lower filter drawer needs to be completely in or completely out to prevent this.