enlarger alignment importance

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

I'm a newbie shooting medium format black and white. I have developed three rolls of film with no problems and really enjoyed it. I got a Beseler 23c III that was a display model and have it set up on a cart to wheel in and out of my laundry room/dark room. In the manual it shows how to align the lens platform and the negative carrier stage. It is not clear but I did fiddle a bit with it yesterday. The negative stage is misaligned front to back a bit. I used a bubble level. I cannot get it to move despite following the directions. I have not printed yet as I am waiting for my safelight and chemistry. I will go ahead and print and see how it turns out. I will be printing 10x10 and 12x12. My question is this, how worried should I be that I cannot get this enlarger in perfect alignment? I realize the pros among you will recommend laser tools and some of you may feel this is of utmost importance. I want to print good quality, rather sharp images for my own enjoyment. Am I beating myself up over this unnecessarily? Thanks -Susan

chris77 · Jun 21, 2016

hello susan.
in my opinion a spirit level and a meter are all the tools needed to adjust well enough for printing sharp images.
as i found for myself one can get a bit too crazy about it..
what will prove helpful is a grain focuser that works well in the corners.
and some time for tryout/adjustment..
taking care of vibrations is at least as important.
enjoy..
chris

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

thanks Chris...I do so want my equipment to be "right" and the front to back is def off a bit. As soon as my safelight and paper chemistry arrive I will try it out and see what kind of results I get. Frustrating when you are a newbie with no locals to ask for help. I would pay someone to come here and level this thing!

gone · Jun 21, 2016

In the meantime I would lay a piece of paper on the baseboard and take a grain focuser and see how the projected image image looks. That will tell you what you need to know before printing anything. Ditto on what Chris said about vibrations and using a plain old bubble level. They make small levels that you can lay on the baseboard at various places to see what's up, or you can use just one and move it around. Getting the image sharp w/ the focuser is the key to getting a sharp image. I prefer using a Magna Sight, as you don't have to get all scrunched up under the enlarger and peer into the tiny hole of a grain focuser, but you adapt to it.

I ck the board, then lay the level across the lens and see how everything comes together. The grain focuser will tell you 100% if there's an issue. Most printing is done at least 2 stops from wide open, so a small misalignment at f8 will usually be covered by the lens DOF. Enlarger lenses don't have as much DOF as camera lenses because of their flatter way of rendering, but they work on exactly the same principle and do have DOF. More DOF will take care of small inaccuracies. Laser tools seem like expensive overkill to me.

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

I do have grain focusers and need to spend more time with them. My first attempt showed me nothing. I understand it may take a while to see the grain. I understand how to use the levels and where, but the problem is I could not make the negative platform/stage move front to back. So before getting too discouraged about that I will check the grain and print later in the week when my last items needed arrive. Thanks for your input.

RauschenOderKorn · Jun 21, 2016

Hi Susan,

the easiest way to find out is to try it out.

All my enlargers seem to be off in most dimensions somehow, but that has proven very difficult to measure without a laser alignment tool. And since for at least the first 100++ years of photography & darkroom, Laser Alignement has not been around, I figured I might give it a try without. The prints come out perfectly, and that is what matters.

Doing some testing & trial and error, I have figured out:

1.) I focus at aperture full open without a grain focuser, now. With a little practice, the grain focuser will not improve your results any more. But for a start and gaining confidence, a grain focuser really helps.
2.) at f16 / f22 for exposure - which I prefer as else the exposure time get very short - minor disadjustments of my enlargers don´t matter at all.
3.) I there is no blunder, I can see the extremely fine grain on the paper (all over) exposing @ f16 / f22. Exposing at f8, the grain becomes invisible, but the image remains focused and sharp.
4.) Vibrations do matter a lot. If the enlarger even suffers the smallest Vibration during exposure (e.g. from changing Multigrade filter) , the print is useless.

So the answer to your question: Don't worry, most probably there will be no problem at all.

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

thanks very much for your help...makes sense. although my enlarger is on a cart I feel that having one side against the washing machine and the end against a wall should keep it stable. I will also keep in mind to avoid any bumping of the cart while printing. I appreciate the help and answers I have gotten on this forum.

jeffreyg · Jun 21, 2016

In addition to the other suggestions ... check your grain focuser because some (mine) can be focused and focus on a paper that is the same as you will be printing on so it is of equal thickness. I focus wide open with the grain focuser and then stop down two or three stops. If your platform is off enough to affect the image you might be able to shim the easel to be parallel.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

Thank you. Good idea on the shim if necessary.

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

Jeffrey your work is fantastic, going back for a more in depth look.

RalphLambrecht · Jun 21, 2016

_*_ said:
hello susan.
in my opinion a spirit level and a meter are all the tools needed to adjust well enough for printing sharp images.
as i found for myself one can get a bit too crazy about it..
what will prove helpful is a grain focuser that works well in the corners.
and some time for tryout/adjustment..
taking care of vibrations is at least as important.
enjoy..
chris

I agree with Chris.spirit level and grain focuser are reasonable tools but you want the enlarger in alignment as best as you can get it and yours should have the required adjustments.Maybe ask another Beseler owner for help but align,meant is important for edge sharpness.Do the best you can do and good luck.

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

Thanks, wish I knew someone in this area. I will soldier on as best I can!

Jim Jones · Jun 21, 2016

As Ralph implies, the most important goal in enlarger alignment is to make the image on the easel sharp from corner to corner. Levels and laser tools are indirect attempts to achieve this. Observing the sharpness of the corners of the image is direct (and inexpensive). Rather than use an ordinary film image as the alignment target, take a piece of clear or nearly clear film and lightly sand one surface with both coarse and fine sandpaper in a random pattern. These scratch lines really stand out with a condenser enlarger. I haven't tried it with a diffusion enlarger. The coarse lines are easy to see without a focusing aid. The fine lines should be checked with magnification. Tweak the adjustments until all four corners are sharp. Don't worry about the center. It may be off due to film curvature. It can be informative to observe the sharpness of well-focused lines while adjusting the lens from wide open to stopped down completely. Several 50mm El-Nikkor lenses improve in sharpness one stop down from wide open. At f/11 there is slightly less sharpness due to diffraction. This gets worse at f/16. In practical enlarging, this might not be noticeable except for fine grain negatives and large prints. Larger format lenses can be safely stopped down to smaller f/numbers.

Susan J. · Jun 21, 2016

brilliant, thanks so much.

bernard_L · Jun 21, 2016

The alignment between negative stage and lensboard is more critical than between either of these and the baseboard. So be sure to check neg stage directly against lensboard, rather than each against baseboard (which accumulates errors).

paul_c5x4 · Jun 21, 2016

Be mindful that not all spirit levels are created equal.A builder's level from Lowes may be as much as 3mm out over its length compared to an engineer's level that can detect an error of one thou per foot.

tedr1 · Jun 21, 2016

Everything starts with the baseboard, it needs to be flat and rigid, if it is so it can be used to check everything else.

Luis-F-S · Jun 21, 2016

If it's not sharp when you print, then do something about it. Don't create problems in your mind that may not exist in the real world. L

Old-N-Feeble · Jun 21, 2016

Susan J. said:
thanks Chris...I do so want my equipment to be "right" and the front to back is def off a bit. As soon as my safelight and paper chemistry arrive I will try it out and see what kind of results I get. Frustrating when you are a newbie with no locals to ask for help. I would pay someone to come here and level this thing!

Susan, my 23C had a tilting lens stage. Make sure yours is centered on the detent and locked into place. I can't remember which axis on which mine swiveled.

Old-N-Feeble · Jun 21, 2016

Jim Jones said:
As Ralph implies, the most important goal in enlarger alignment is to make the image on the easel sharp from corner to corner. Levels and laser tools are indirect attempts to achieve this. Observing the sharpness of the corners of the image is direct (and inexpensive). Rather than use an ordinary film image as the alignment target, take a piece of clear or nearly clear film and lightly sand one surface with both coarse and fine sandpaper in a random pattern. These scratch lines really stand out with a condenser enlarger. I haven't tried it with a diffusion enlarger. The coarse lines are easy to see without a focusing aid. The fine lines should be checked with magnification. Tweak the adjustments until all four corners are sharp. Don't worry about the center. It may be off due to film curvature. It can be informative to observe the sharpness of well-focused lines while adjusting the lens from wide open to stopped down completely. Several 50mm El-Nikkor lenses improve in sharpness one stop down from wide open. At f/11 there is slightly less sharpness due to diffraction. This gets worse at f/16. In practical enlarging, this might not be noticeable except for fine grain negatives and large prints. Larger format lenses can be safely stopped down to smaller f/numbers.

That's a good way to do it, Jim. Years ago I used the tip of an Exact knife to scratch unexposed/processed pieces of film.

paul ron · Jun 21, 2016

Here is a how to for a besseler. Instead of drilling a hole in the mirror.. just remove an area of silver using a razor.

http://www.conradhoffman.com/beseler01.htm

John Koehrer · Jun 21, 2016

Curiosity....Is the baseboard level? If the base is level and the lensboard and negative stage are parallel to the board. All is good. If your house is on a slight slope little enough to have a bubble show a
deviance all you need is in this paragraph.

I don't believe the 23C has a provision for front to back tilt on the negative stage or lensboard individually,
they're fixed to the head.
So, check that the negative stage and lens board for parallel. If that's good then align it with the baseboard.

At the bottom of the head assembly there's a bolt that touches the carriage. That's the fore & aft tilt adjustment, adjust if needed keeping in mind the lens stage and carrier have to be aligned first.

Like bernard l says lens board and negative stage HAS to be first.

*a note about focus aids. I like a grain magnifier like a Microsight others like the Magnasight better.
a Grain focuser uses a higher magnification so you can see the grain and the other
just magnifies the image a bit. Sort of magnifyinfg glass vs microscope.

You pays your money & takes your pick

DREW WILEY · Jun 21, 2016

EVERYTHING needs to be level in relation to everything else! That mean not only the baseboard in relation to the lens plane and negative carrier, but
even double-checking your paper easel, to see if it needs shimming. Even grain magnifiers can be off. Don't take anything for granted. And that includes levels themselves! Don't assume that if you walk into some Home Cheapo store and buy a cheapo level, it's actually level. You don't get
something for nothing. I own levels to check levels, squares to check squares, serious thermometers to check ordinary thermometers, and even grain magnifiers to check lesser grain magnifiers - well, at least until I threw away the lesser versions - one of them had factory-installed cardboard shims in the base which changed thickness with the humidity!

paul ron · Jun 21, 2016

its not about level. its all about being parallel. use the mirrors to align the enlarger.... its 100% fool proof n you dont need levels to calibrate levels or any other special equipment.

the tilt head swivel has a screw to adjust the entire head front to back.

the angle adjust can be shimed to give you front to back lens board adjustments. loosen that screw and insert your shims. its very rare you need that tilt adjustment.

Ronald Moravec · Jun 24, 2016

Buy some door shims for $2 at Home Depot. Get a cheap level and mark one end to always be used right and rear. Or buy a good one that is right either way.

Put the machine on a table and level the base with shims. Now level the neg stage following instructions or use some tape as shims. The two are now parallel.

Now add a negative and level the lens. Masking tape shims. The lens barrel is not a good guide as the elements are slightly off frequently, but is a good start.

The etched negative is a decent guide, LONG mirror Omega or Peak will let you see grain into the very corners and is very accurate. Mirror devices may be 3% better or not at all because all variables are taken into account if you use a real film image., but you NEED a grain focuser.

Now look l/r and F/b at image and adjust lens board shims or lens board to get sharp. The image will be sharp corner to corner and be rectangular or square AND NOT A TRAPEZOID.

enlarger alignment importance

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency