How to realign my enlarger?

Mike Kennedy · Sep 7, 2007

I picked up a nice old Omega B-22 this summer at a yard sale.How do I go about aligning the unit?

Thanks Much

removed account4 · Sep 7, 2007

hi mike

i don't know if your b-22 is like my d3 .. but
i just use a big level and make sure all the "stages" are level.
on the d3, there are screws ( thumbscrews? ) that you can loosen/tighten.
check out classic-enlargers.com and search "align" and i you will be able to get exact instructions.

good luck!
john

Jim Jones · Sep 7, 2007

For alignment, a strip of clear film with one surface lightly sanded with both course and fine sandpaper makes a nice test film. Slightly loosen the two screws on each side below the negative carrier. Adjust the enlarging head so the scratches appear sharp in all four corners of the image on the baseboard with the lens wide open.

I used B-22s for years, and really liked them. For 35mm negaqtives, there should be a supplementary condenser lens sitting on top of the two big condensers. Other than that, they work much like most other enlargers.

emerson531 · Sep 10, 2007

B-22 and alignment

Jim Jones said:
For alignment, a strip of clear film with one surface lightly sanded with both course and fine sandpaper makes a nice test film. Slightly loosen the two screws on each side below the negative carrier. Adjust the enlarging head so the scratches appear sharp in all four corners of the image on the baseboard with the lens wide open.

I used B-22s for years, and really liked them. For 35mm negaqtives, there should be a supplementary condenser lens sitting on top of the two big condensers. Other than that, they work much like most other enlargers.

The sad news is that there is provision to only partially align a B-22!
Loosen the screws that hold the negative stage and make it parallel to the base board. That leaves the Lens stage un-adjusted. If you are LUCKY the lens stage IS parallel with the Negative stage. If not to have to fool around stuffing shims between the lens board and the lens stage.

Good luck! This is one reason to pick up a good OMEGA used D5

Mike Kennedy · Sep 10, 2007

The replies were most appreciated.
I tried your scratched film tec. Jim and it worked like a charm.Looks like everything is a go.

Mike

dancqu · Sep 11, 2007

Mike Kennedy said:
I tried your scratched film tec.
Jim and it worked like a charm.
Mike

I've used a similar technique save for the outline of
an empty negative carrier taking the place of a negative.
I also check the projected image for square. If a square
projects square then the enlarger is aligned. Of course
a sharp image is needed to check for square. Dan

Jim Jones · Sep 12, 2007

Emerson531 is right. Adjusting only the negative stage does not insure that lens, negative stage, and baseboard are all parallel. However, it does let one get all four corners into sharp focus. Imprecise parallelism should rarely cause conspicuous distortion. I've had to shim between the column and baseboard in some enlargers for additional correction, but the B-22s seem to have sturdy baseboards.

DKT · Sep 13, 2007

are you sure you can't align the lens stage? I don't use a B22, but have a couple of old D2s and you can align the whole carriage part in addition to the neg stage. The part that holds the lens boards, is aligned by rotating these plastic wheels that run up & down the column-if you loosen the screws that hold those in place, they're actually offset, so if you turn the wheels around, you can adjust the carriage from front to back. You align that part, then you do the negative stage. If you need to adjust laterally, there's a similar provision...

How to realign my enlarger?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency