Enlarger focusing question

Slobo · Aug 23, 2016

Hello all,
I have Beseler 45M enlarger with two lamp-heads. If am using condenser lamp-head with my grain focuser I can see the grain in focus just fine. But if I'm using diffuser lamp-head I can no longer see the grain. I also have LPL Saunders colour enlarger with diffuser lamp-head. Same thing, I can not see the grain. Would somebody please explain what is wrong here. Am I doing something wrong or......?

Thanks for any help you may provide,

Slobo

samcomet · Aug 24, 2016

I have the same issues with my 23C II XL with both heads. I can only assume that the condenser lens creates sharper and more parallel rays of light which accentuates the extremely small gains of silver while the more diffuse light from the diffusion head simply records density variations due to thickness of the silver ............... FWIW IMHO
cheers,
Sam

Slobo · Aug 25, 2016

Thanks Sam,
I had same thoughts but wasn't so sure about it as I'm new to darkroom work.

Slobo

Bob Carnie · Aug 25, 2016

No - you should be able to see grain with both heads.

Mainecoonmaniac · Aug 25, 2016

I have a Beseler 45mx with a dichro 45S head. I see grain when the image is in focus. Did you refocus when you changed heads?

wiltw · Aug 25, 2016

The illumination source type ought not make it 'impossible' to focus film grains! I have a 45V-XL with the Universal Color head (diffusion) and have zero issues seeing grains to focus.

Dali · Aug 25, 2016

I have a color head on my Durst enlarger and I have no trouble seeing the film grain.

jeffreyg · Aug 25, 2016

I used to have a Besseler 23C and recall being able to accurately focus with the original condenser head and also when I changed to a cold light. The same with my Omega D2 with the original condenser and the Aristo 4500VCL I have used for many years. Aside from that, focus wide open on a sheet of the same paper you will be printing on and then stop down as desired. You might also try focusing to a distinct edge in the image then stop down and check again with your grain focuser. Some grain focusers have to be focused. The one I have has a line rectangle that I focus to before using it to focus the negative.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

MattKing · Aug 25, 2016

Check/upgrade your grain focuser! Or possibly your eyes .

That being said, it can be hard to see grain when the film is fairly fine grained and the enlargement is low.

Alan9940 · Aug 25, 2016

I use a Beseler 45M with Aristo VC head and have no problems seeing and focusing on just about any film grain, even with filtration dialed in. On occasion, it is a bit hard to focus my eyes on the grain structure of very fine-grained films. Do you have the enlarger lens aperture all the way open when focusing?

Sirius Glass · Aug 25, 2016

I use a chromatic head with a diffuser and I have no problem seeing grain with a grain magnifier.

samcomet · Aug 26, 2016

To append what MattKing said, I tried a test today while I was in the dark - and discovered that on fairly thin negs I needed to find a good dense spot in the neg to accurately "find" the grain with my Peak Focuser. Perhaps this is part of the problem ............. FWIW.
cheers,
Sam

Slobo · Aug 26, 2016

Thank you all for your responses. It is very possible that my eyes are the problem. I tried with and without glasses but I must admit that I didn't check my vision for long time. When I look at the easel without focuser I can see image is in focus. I'll do some more testing.

Slobo

RalphLambrecht · Aug 27, 2016

Slobo said:
Hello all,
I have Beseler 45M enlarger with two lamp-heads. If am using condenser lamp-head with my grain focuser I can see the grain in focus just fine. But if I'm using diffuser lamp-head I can no longer see the grain. I also have LPL Saunders colour enlarger with diffuser lamp-head. Same thing, I can not see the grain. Would somebody please explain what is wrong here. Am I doing something wrong or......?

Thanks for any help you may provide,

Slobo

what is the magnification of your rain focuser?in any event grain will be more pronounced with condenser head but should be visible with diffuser head as ell.

Slobo · Aug 27, 2016

I have this Peak II focuser and I'm trying to enlarge 35 mm negative to 8x10 print.

Slobo · Aug 27, 2016

Update. I can't believe that I didn't try this before I posted this question. Well, I switched glasses and I can see grain perfectly on both lamp sources. At first I was trying to see the grain with my reading glasses. It didn't work. Than I switched to my regular glasses. It is amazing how the light source (condenser vs diffuser) can be so different. Thank you all for helping me out.

Slobo

MartinP · Aug 27, 2016

May I suggest adjusting the focus inside the grain-magnifier and not using any glasses? Move the eyepiece adjustment until you can see the reticule clearly, then fix it in place with the locking screw. If the adjustment is out of range then take the grain-magnifier to the opticians and they will chop a plastic dioptre lens to fit.

That will mean that you can use your 'close' glasses for general darkroom stuff, and push them out of the way for using the magnifier - much simpler than keeping track of two pairs of glasses in the dark.

Bob Carnie · Aug 27, 2016

MartinP said:
May I suggest adjusting the focus inside the grain-magnifier and not using any glasses? Move the eyepiece adjustment until you can see the reticule clearly, then fix it in place with the locking screw. If the adjustment is out of range then take the grain-magnifier to the opticians and they will chop a plastic dioptre lens to fit.

That will mean that you can use your 'close' glasses for general darkroom stuff, and push them out of the way for using the magnifier - much simpler than keeping track of two pairs of glasses in the dark.

This is exactly how I work the peak magnifier

Ronald Moravec · Aug 27, 2016

Grain is not as sharp with color, in fact it is dye clouds. I used the peak/Omega 10X for either, focomat 1C, V35, Omega D2 diffusion and condenser, Omega D6 diffusion.

You are having a vision issue or bad lens or an enlarger that will not focus properly.

Enlarger focusing question

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