Leitz blue ring easel spacer

Robbie Bedell · Apr 9, 2017

I now have a nice 11x14 Leitz easel. I plan to retire my Saunders. I just read that this easel originally came with a blue-painted spacer that sits on top of the enlarger (Leica 1c) column pin, so it can be adjusted properly for auto focus. I have never heard of the blue spacer before now. I saw on Glenview that they do exist. Has anyone ever heard of one? I am sure I can make one from an old filter but I would like to know it's dimensions before I make the attempt. If anyone has one I would love to know! Robbie

Patrick Robert James · Apr 9, 2017

Can't tell you the dimensions, but if you measure the thickness of your easel then subtract 1" you will get the thickness of the ring.

One of my easels is 1/8" short, and it still focuses fine. Focus at the easel isn't as big a deal as everyone makes it out to be. Still, might as well be as accurate as you can.

I hope that helps you.

Robbie Bedell · Apr 9, 2017

Thank you Patrick! That about sums it up. I will be playing with it in the next few days and will report back.

chip j · Apr 9, 2017

I think Ollinger sells them.

Hilo · Apr 10, 2017

As far as I know the Leitz easel never came with a spacer ring. But possibly Leitz did make it upon request. I have two of them in silver coloured metal. The first I do not know where it came from, I just found it in my stuff, the second was on a Focomat 1c. For many years I printed without them, all was okay and now they're in position and all is still okay. Remember is is better to ALWAYS check each negative with a grain focuser.

The blue ring you see at Glennview was made by Glennview and it looks like he still sells it.

Patrick Robert James · Apr 10, 2017

Hilo, I have a homemade glass negative carrier with coated glass on the bottom and anti-newton glass on top. Never need to check focus with it!

Frankly buying one of those rings seems ludicrous to me unless you just want to collect it. You can just lock down the head anywhere on the column you want, no need for the pins even.

Robbie Bedell · Apr 10, 2017

My Leica catalogue from 1972 on page 58 says "Part 17,630 ENLARGING EASEL 12x16 inches. This easel is thicker than #17,585 (8x10) and is supplied with a spacer ring that is to be placed on the enlarger upright raising the lamp housing the proper distance...."

~andi · Apr 10, 2017

My ring-understanding so far is that there are at least two of them:

- the more commonly found one is meant for the metal two-blade 8x10 easels designated "amateur". Those easels were designed to work with or without a wooden base. With a wooden base (dovetail base) attached, you use the higher position on the Focomat column. Without it, the baseboard position. Then in any case adding the ring to make up the difference of the thin metal base of the easel. I've to look up the part number.
- there's a ring for the wooden 30x40cm easel because this easel is higher than the regular wooden base and/or metal+wooden base easels. Part 17,630 as Robbie stated above. Higher position on focomat column + this ring.

For the 8x10 wooden easel no ring is needed, higher position on column applies.

That being said, those little differences probably don't break the AF. You adjust it to your easel and if there's a minimal mismatch, the DoF of the lens probably takes care of it.

Edit: I checked the blue ring on Glenn's site. It looks like the ring for the metal two blade easel mentioned above.

Andi

Robbie Bedell · Apr 10, 2017

Ah, Thank you Andi. I have one more question. The easel I am getting (soon, I hope) is made to make 10x12inch prints. What I am hoping is that I can use an 11x14 piece of paper with it. My normal image size is 9x13 inches on the 11x14 paper. It would mean trying to squeeze another inch out of the 12 inch side of the masks, if that makes any sense. Has anyone with one of these easels ever done this?

~andi · Apr 10, 2017

Robbie, it depends on which easel this actually is you intend to get. Do you have a picture or part number? If it's the "professional" wooden base 30x40cm easel (12x16 inches) then the 12x16" given is actually size of the image area you can achieve without borders, not the size of the paper you can use. This 12x16 pro easel has the ability to have a 2 inch (or was it 4 inch) border. Hilo might jump in here , he probably knows the dimensions off hand.

Andi

Robbie Bedell · Apr 10, 2017

Thank you Andi. I just posed this as a separate question in a new thread. The easel I got has 12 inches on the long side and has a 12 x 16 inch base....

Hilo · Apr 10, 2017

Robbie Bedell said:
My Leica catalogue from 1972 on page 58 says "Part 17,630 ENLARGING EASEL 12x16 inches. This easel is thicker than #17,585 (8x10) and is supplied with a spacer ring that is to be placed on the enlarger upright raising the lamp housing the proper distance...."

Thanks Robbie, I never saw that and stand corrected! It could be that only Leitz US made that ring. Like they made the under-the-lens filter holder for the 1c, whereas Leitz Germany did not.

Patrick, you are very right ! There is nothing to worry about with regards to the automatic focus. I mostly do 20X24 prints, just imagine how high up on the column . . . the automatic focus is beyond the horizon.

I only have the wooden 2 blades Leitz easels, the 9X11 and the 12X16. The first is 25mm and the second 30mm thick. Now I am not in my darkroom but I imagine the ring is 0.5mm . . .

~andi · Apr 10, 2017

Here's a PDF with some more info about some of the later post-war Leitz easels:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.de/images/c/c2/=_ISO-8859-15_Q_Vergr=F6=DFerungsrahmen=5FX-66=2E.pdf

"1" is the metal "amateur" 8x10 i was referring to
"3" is the big "pro" one

The one you refer to (in other thread) is probably one of the very latest 4-blade. White baseboard, hammertone metal parts, white rectangular guided handles to move the blades, large round grey rubber feet? I've not used or seen one personally before.

Andi

Robbie Bedell · Apr 10, 2017

Thanks to all! Delving deeper into the world of Leitz easels only seems to bring up more easels!

Robbie Bedell · Apr 10, 2017

Here is a photo of the one I got: http://thecameracollector.skynetblogs.be/archive/2015/04/08/leitz-masking-easel-8417295.html

~andi · Apr 10, 2017

For completeness sake here some images of the Leitz "amateur" 18x24/8x10 metal easel, with wooden base attached, mentioned several times in this thread. I'm sure the "amateur" moniker is meant in the sense of "affordable for normal people/hobbyist". Those easels are very well made, very precise and nothing amateurish about them.

Patrick Robert James · Apr 11, 2017

I have a seemingly rare easel for my late 1a, which is exactly like an early 1c except for the column base which is round like a 1a. The Elmar that came with it dates it to '51 IIRC. Anyhoo, the easel has a metal base, but it is just like the regular 8x10 wooden easels that are common. It might be a European thing because my enlarger came with a 240v bulb and the safelight (Paterson) that was shipped in the box was also 240v. My guess would be the enlarger came from Europe originally, and didn't get used much here since the bulb looked original. The metal base of the easel is the kicker though. Heavy, but a magnet doesn't stick to it, so I have no idea what it is made of.

Personally I find the Leitz easel to be a royal PITA. The lip for positioning the paper is way too thin, so sometimes the paper just isn't accurately placed even though I am always careful about it. I have been thinking about bending some aluminum flashing and attaching it to the paper stops to be able to more easily position the paper. I have also been thinking lately about making easels for the enlarger. I figure I can pick up easels in the sizes I use most and just add a wooden base to them with a dovetail in the wood to engage the lock. Obviously the lock is the key. Love that thing! I wish every enlarger had it.

chip j · Apr 11, 2017

Saunders 4-blade easels have a 1" autofocus base.

Hilo · Apr 11, 2017

I had a look at the metal coloured rings on my two 1c enlargers, indeed they are 0.5mm. It does look like Leitz made these, as they are not simple "hard edged". These have rounded edges on the sides, typically Leitz when it comes to enlarger parts that are on the outsides of the enlarger. Apart from the two wooden easels I mention before, I also have their latest 30X40cm easel (12X16) which is white formica and comes without the clamping system. From the bottom of the rubber feet to the top surface of the board, it is 30mm . . .

In addition to these 2 bladed Leitz easels I also use two RRB easels, one small and one for 50X60cm (20X24). These are also 2 bladed and excellent. Their thickness is less than the Leitz easel, but I don't know their exact sizes. You see, it never mattered to me, without or with rings, or the thickness of the easels. Everything works fine and gets a lot of use.

Patrick, it is indeed so that you must be careful when placing the paper. When I have placed it under the stoppers, I always push the whole sheet against the left stopper before closing. Works almost all the time. In addition, after pressing the prints flat, I always trim the four sides of the print by about 5mm. This takes out the tension of the paper and gives better flatness. (this is about fiber paper). This takes care of any mistake in placing . . .

Patrick Robert James · Apr 11, 2017

Hilo said:
.....
Patrick, it is indeed so that you must be careful when placing the paper. When I have placed it under the stoppers, I always push the whole sheet against the left stopper before closing. Works almost all the time. In addition, after pressing the prints flat, I always trim the four sides of the print by about 5mm. This takes out the tension of the paper and gives better flatness. (this is about fiber paper). This takes care of any mistake in placing . . .

Yup, I do the same Hilo, but it is a pain. Every time I place paper in the easel I am second guessing myself. I have gotten pretty good at it, but I print almost the size of the full paper, so mistakes are just wasted for me. If the lip on the stop was another couple of millimeters it sure would make the process easier! RC paper isn't a problem, but fiber is. This is all why I think custom easels are the way to go for me. Should be easy to do. Pick up a four in one easel and make some modifications to it. The other consideration for a custom easel is matting. I find it annoying to matt prints that are slightly different sizes, which is nearly always the case with an adjustable easel. A fixed easel gets around that.

~andi · Apr 11, 2017

chip j said:
Saunders 4-blade easels have a 1" autofocus base.

Chip, does this apply the the VTs as well? I've heard that before and got an VT3040 recently. To my surprise its very thin. Metal base + antiskate-foam ~5mm (~0.2 inch) and I'm using one of the spacer rings with it. Makes me wonder if there have been various versions. I'm not complaining (I actually like the slender built, works better with the non-locking IIc baseboard), just an observation.

Andi

Robbie Bedell · Apr 11, 2017

Mt Saunders VT1400 has a thin base (5mm) and my other Saunders four-bladed 11x14, which reads 'Saunders Master' has a 1-inch base.

John Koehrer · Apr 11, 2017

I've got two 14X17" Saunders one in the old black finish. They're also thin base.
The 1" base may have been a (more expensive) option. The bases aren't interchangeable.

Ronald Moravec · Apr 12, 2017

Robbie Bedell said:
Here is a photo of the one I got: http://thecameracollector.skynetblogs.be/archive/2015/04/08/leitz-masking-easel-8417295.html

What I use also. I use it with V35 and get fine focus checked with grain focuser, Omega/Peak, with column height at 25 mm. Miss it by 5 mm, it is obvious

Robbie Bedell · Apr 12, 2017

Ronald, I was hoping to hear from you. Are you able to squeeze an image on 11x14 inch paper?....When you say you miss it by 5mm at 25mm do you mean I will need a spacer for my 1c? My new easel should be here any day...

Leitz blue ring easel spacer

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