Meopta Opemus Standard not enlarging.

[Jindivik]

Hi folks,

After a long (very long) absence from doing my own prints, I recently purchased a second hand Opemus Standard enlarger.

It is I'm very good condition and everything seems to work well.

My problem is, and I am ready to admit that I am probably missing something incredibly simple, but when I raise/lower the head to get the print size I want (e.g. 8x10) I can't get the image focused. The only way to achieve a sharp focus is to wind the focus control down almost all the way, extending the bellows to their limit, which gives an image size of less than 6x4.

Im hoping someone might be able to point out what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks

Chris.

 

[jernejk]

What is the focal lenght of enlarger lens? You might need a wider lens. IIRC my Meopta came with 80mm, and I changed it to 50mm. I'm not sure even 50mm is enough for 8x10 though.

 

[R.Gould]

Assuming that it is something like the opemus 6, which I have, for 35 mm you need a 50mm lens and it should be mounted inside the dome of the mounting ring, for MF you need a 75 or 80mm lens and you turn the mounting ring around so that the dome is down, hope this make sense, so try a 50mm lens and just turn the ring around, should work fine for all sizes of print and the bellows should be squezzed fairly tight, for MF the bellows are extended

 

[darkosaric]

Welcome to APUG Chris .
Once I had similar problem - and lens was mounted on the lens holder other way around. See picture below:

 

[Jindivik]

Hi guys,

jernejk, I think you might have hit the nail on the head. The enlarger has a 105mm Schneider-Kreuznach lens mounted on it. What lens (if there is any even available) would allow for 8x10 prints do you know?

R.Gould & darkosaric, the lens mounting ring I have is flat, not domed like the one shown in darkosaric's photo.

So I am going to look around for a 50mm lens and go from there.

Thanks for the help so far, and than you for the welcome darkosaric.