Durst M70 bellows position

[c41]

Hi - A dumb question but I don't have any local options for some of these 'simple' questions so I'm going to ask anyway...

I have a Durst M70 Enlarger with a colour head, like this (not mine):
http://images9.fotosik.pl/767/f2916f1079f3b026.jpg

I've been printing fairly small, from 6x6 and 35mm to 5x7 and 8x10 fiber paper sizes.
I have 50mm, 80mm Nikkor lenses I'm using. The 50mm for 35mm prints on 8x10 paper.

My question is the position of the bellows. However large/small I print, I find that when the image is centered and focussed, the bellows are almost completely retracted with just a few mms to spare, pretty much wound up as tight as they will go.

Is this just because I am using relatively small sizes of enlargement? It makes little practical difference I guess, I'm just curious as it doesn't feel quite right to be at an extreme end of the scale with the bellows like this - do I have something misaligned somehow? I use the built-in baseboard with 2 blade easel on top.

 

[darkroommike]

Smaller print sizes should extend your bellows not retract them, are you using a recessed lensboard or a flat board?

 

[ic-racer]

The 50mm lens nodal point will be about 2" from the negative when making a large print. I suspect the bellows will be almost totally collapsed, unless you have a recessed lensboard.

 

[MattKing]

Is the compression of the bellows causing problems, or are you just concerned about it?
Can you focus easily when you have the head moved way up on the column, as if doing a very large print?

 

[c41]

Thanks for the feedback all. I think it is as you suspect related to the recessed lens board the Durst uses for 35mm enlargements, it's called a Siriotub.

My concern just relates to the bellows being really compressed, like 99.9% of the way, for a bog standard 8x10. Maybe I'm just making a problem where none exists.

I did some googling and found this thread that looks like the same issue though I can focus at least, albeit only just.
http://photo.net/black-and-white-photo-printing-finishing-forum/00SOEK

I've got a 50mm Rodagon on the way so I'll see if that's better, if it's worse I won't be able to focus it.

Thanks for the PM as well Ian, I will try experimenting with reversing the board as well.

I wasn't sure if there was some other variable I was missing but I think it must be the Siriotub/El-Nikkor combination.

 

[darkroommike]

That board won't reverse well it has a strong bevel facing outward when put in the right way. On my 6x6 M601 a LAPLA flat board is recommended for the 75/80 and a recessed board for a 50mm, w/o the recessed board the bellows is compressed and you cannot swing the board for perspective correction. On yours it's a Siriopla flat board. http://darkroom.ru/info/manuals/durst_catalog_eng.pdf