How big can I go with Beseler 23C

iamthejeff · Aug 13, 2015

I have a Beseler 23C with a 100mm lens. I've made nice 8x10 prints from 6x9 negatives but I am wondering what the max print size I can make on this setup without projecting onto the wall. Ideally I would like to make 16x20 enlargements but I want to know if its possible before I go out and buy paper and trays that size.

frank · Aug 13, 2015

I'm guessing no.

With a 50mm lens and 35 neg, probably.

If no one has a fast answer, I can set mine up to find out.

Rick A · Aug 13, 2015

The "XL" model will get you to 16x20, maybe a bit more, it's been too long since I used one to remember what size the regular model max's out at.

MattKing · Aug 13, 2015

For 16x20 from a 6x9 negative, you are either having to crop part of the negative, or print with wide margins on the short dimension of the paper.

If you are cropping, you can use a shorter lens - I would suggest one of the 80mm lenses that covers 6x7. You might be able to print 16x20 using that.

Why don't you try putting a negative into the enlarger and projecting it as large as possible either on to a 16x20 easel (if you have one) or on to a board or something similar? You can measure the results.

Ideally, the board should be similar in thickness to an easel.

TheFlyingCamera · Aug 13, 2015

I know I've made 16x16 prints on the baseboard of my Beseler 23C with an 80mm lens and a 2 1/4 square negative, and had room at the top of the column to go higher. Beyond that I can't say. I don't know how well an 80mm lens would cover a 6x9cm negative - you might get vignetting and/or have resolution issues in the corners to the point of being noticeable even at a distance.

Paul Howell · Aug 13, 2015

If your darkroom has the right lay out you can shoot to a wall and print as large as the distance from the 23C to the wall will allow. If your set up is good for this you need to figure out how to attach a print easel to the wall or mount very flat sheet metal and use magnets to hold your paper in place. Depending how large on wet side of your dark room is, rather than use trays get a 16X20 paper drum and motor base for washing if you live in a house with a yard buy an small kiddy wading pool for washing. I have one that use for 16X20 and 20X24 connected to a couple of old Kodak tray siphons fed by an outside hose bid, the wash water does drain into a alley and to the storm drain. I would let the wash water drain onto grass.

Sorry I did not read your post carefully, you can try a 90mm lens, if your 23c is on a wooden bench you may able to mount the enlarger to the back of the table and then cut out the work surface and use brackets to lower an insert until you are at floor level. If that is not possible and still want big prints then you need to trade in your 23c for a Omega C2 or 3 which is a 4X5 that will shoot to the floor.

MattKing · Aug 13, 2015

TheFlyingCamera said:
I know I've made 16x16 prints on the baseboard of my Beseler 23C with an 80mm lens and a 2 1/4 square negative, and had room at the top of the column to go higher. Beyond that I can't say. I don't know how well an 80mm lens would cover a 6x9cm negative - you might get vignetting and/or have resolution issues in the corners to the point of being noticeable even at a distance.

If you are printing to fill the entire 16x20 sheet, at most you are using a 6x7 portion of the negative - thus the suggestion for an 80mm lens that covers 6x7 (not 6x9).

destroya · Aug 13, 2015

i have a 23ciii XL and have made many 16x20 prints with a 105mm lens with room to spare. I think that 20x24 should be no problem with the XL but not sure with the standard.

TheFlyingCamera · Aug 13, 2015

MattKing said:
If you are printing to fill the entire 16x20 sheet, at most you are using a 6x7 portion of the negative - thus the suggestion for an 80mm lens that covers 6x7 (not 6x9).

True enough, though we don't know WHICH 6x7 slice of the negative he wants to print. If it incudes the actual corners of the negative and not just the center slice, it would be an issue. Also, when someone says "I want to print 16x20" they don't always mean 16x20 - they may mean they want to use a piece of 16x20 paper so that the long axis of the negative fills the 20-inch dimension, accounting for borders (or not if they're printing full bleed).

Also, to answer the original question at least in part, according to the Beseler specs, the 23c III XL can go to 17x22 on the baseboard, with any negative it can handle. I don't have numbers for the original 23C non-XL enlarger, but I would guess that 16x20 is right at the edges of what it can do.

MattKing · Aug 13, 2015

I think the problem is that I'm not being clear.

If one prints a 6x7 slice of a negative, it would be best to appropriately position it in a 6x7 carrier, so as to ensure that the part that is printed is properly centred.

And if the intention is to "use a piece of 16x20 paper so that the long axis of the negative fills the 20-inch dimension, accounting for borders (or not if they're printing full bleed)" (to quote FlyingCamera) then of course the resulting magnification is less than is required to fill a 16x20 sheet, so the maximum height constraint for the enlarger is less of a constraint.

ic-racer · Aug 13, 2015

No ruler?

M Carter · Aug 14, 2015

I have a 67C - I dumped the baseboard and made a plywood "box" with t-nuts that gets the enlarger about 12" higher; then a 3/4" melamine sheet on the table with t-nuts around the edges and 3/8-16 set screws that rest in little divots on the table - this so I can get the printing surface perfectly level. Then I made a ceiling bracket so the top of the column doesn't wobble when the head is up high. I can go about 24x30, though the biggest so far as 16x20.

I prefer that to wall projection since aligning to a wall seems like a big pain. But getting the enlarger higher can get you bigger prints.

(How far can you take a 67? I also made a pin-registered glass carrier that's registered to the film tray… and also an alignable lens board, since the 67 doesn't have much for alignment - all works pretty well…)

Paul Howell · Aug 16, 2015

After some thought, can just unbolt the 23C from the baseboard and turn the enlarger 180 degrees so the enlarger now hangs over the bench so you shoot to the floor?

How big can I go with Beseler 23C

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