Omega Negative Masking Attachment.. few questions

Phillip P. Dimor

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I've a venerable Omega D-II enlarger, the one that does not have gears for focusing. For a long, long time i've wanted a negative masking stage. You know, the things that let you move 4 bands around to mask the negative or parts of it.. I see these attachments for the D5/D6 all the time but i'm pretty sure they won't fit mine.

Please someone who knows, please refresh my memory as I can't find this info on Google..

The D5/D6 lack the negative carrier registration pins which the D2 has.. And the D5/D6 carriers have the raised box or borders on the bottom of the carriers to allow it to lock securely in place on the D5/D6 negative stage, right?

I'm assuming that the negative masking attachment simply mounts on top of the D5/D6 negative stage and the carriers lock onto the masking attachment..

With the D2, the two 'registration pins' would impede the masking attachment, no? I could file the pins on my D2 down but i'd rather not do that.. I could take the masking attachment and figure a way to raise it over the pins (yet keep it perfectly parallel, somehow..) ergh..

Has anyone had any experience with this? I am about to kill for one of these things as I use a fixed-border easel and a 6x7 carrier for 6x45 and 6x6, so there is a lot of stray light.

Also, has anyone ever seen the equivalent of a negative masking attachment for a large format camera, normally at the end of a compendium bellows? There was a photographer in a magazine (names and magazine escape me) who took these panoramic images with a 4x5 Linhof Kardan (i think).. What I do remember is that he had this adjustable mask which seemed to give him a 2x5 image on a 4x5 sheet of film. I thought that was pretty cool but for the life of me I can not find one of these things..
Do they exist or am I dreaming? Maybe there are fixed-size inserts for compendium shades?
 

Jon Shiu

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I just cut out a mask from a piece of 4x5 film, or black paper and lay it on top of my negative to print.

On the camera mask-- a mask at the end of a lens shade will not give a well defined edge to an image (it may just slightly darken the edges). The mask would have to be in the back, next to the film holder.

Jon
 
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Phillip P. Dimor

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Jon, I just tested that (with the camera) and you are correct. I definitely remember seeing a mask like that at the end of this guys lens. Think of a cinematographer's mask.. on those big movie cameras. I swear i've seen one. Ah well.

I think I'm going to cut a mask out for the negative stage but I was looking forward for some control, being able to crop and whatnot..
 

fschifano

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That's a compendium shade. It's adjustable so that it won't vignette with different focal length lenses.
 
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Phillip P. Dimor

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No, not the vignettes that the wedding photographer's use (oval and whatnot..) but the same idea. I swear it was in Lenswork or B&W Magazine.. Probably Lenswork. I think it was Tillman Crane. eh well.
 

PVia

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Phillip P. Dimor said:
... And the D5/D6 carriers have the raised box or borders on the bottom of the carriers to allow it to lock securely in place on the D5/D6 negative stage, right?
Click to expand...

Wait a minute, did I miss something here? How does the D5 carrier "lock in" to the negative stage? Mine just rotates around in the neg stage hole...but maybe that's what you mean.
 
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Phillip P. Dimor

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forgive me, i've only looked at a d5, never used one. I figure the box-outline on the bottom of the carriers slips into the neg stage.. Either way.. Do you have the two metal pin/stubs that guides the carrier into place?
 

PVia

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I have 4 metal pins/stubs that project upward from the bottom part of the carrier that fit the holes from the upper part. Together they make the usual carrier sandwich that holds the neg in place. The carrier assembly then slips into the round hole of the neg stage, where it can be rotated in any direction, never actually locking in.

Sometimes I wish there could be a lock feature to make things easier when lining up with the easel, esp when quickly making proofs during a session.
 
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Phillip P. Dimor

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Ah.. On my D2 the neg stage is a square. The two pins prevent the carrier from being rotated or from being placed incorrectly.
The negative masking attachment, which is supposed to sit on the negative stage.. is flat and seems that the two pins would interfere with it.
Also the negative mask has a round opening on top, possibly to allow the negative carrier to drop in and rotate. I'm guessing here..
 

Paul Howell

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I have a D3 and an masking attachment, the attachment has a band that secures it to the condenser, once the negative carrier in in place my pins are flush with the top of the carrier so the mask sits on top of the carrier. The mask moves up and down with the condenser. I dont use mine all that often as I usally print full frame, but I aline the mask with a 4X5 negative carrier tighten the band, at that point the carrier ought to aline with all of the carriers.
 

jovo

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Here's a link to Harry's Camera Shop in Canada that is selling what I think you are looking for, but for a Saunders LPL 4x5 enlarger. Perhaps you could call, or write to them and ask if it might also fit an Omega.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Saunders-LPL-4-...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14



I think the photographer you saw an image of was Brian Kosoff (Early Riser) in a copy of B&W Magazine. (He's an apug subscriber) You might PM him and see if he can help you find the mask you're seeking.
 

ic-racer

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With the prices of equipment these days, one option I would consider is to just go and get a D5 or D6!
 
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Phillip P. Dimor

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I'd love a D5 or D6 but alas I have little to no money. I still keep my eyes peeled though. I think that having the adjustable condenser lens and 3 lens turret would be very handy.. And also the micro-focus. Oh man.
Thank you for all the help! I really do appreciate it!
Also, mounting the mask to the top of the condenser sounds good to me and the Saunders one does look identical. I could essentially hack a piece of plumber's strap on the thing to wrap around the condenser. Yeah!

EarlyRiser? No kidding?! I will definitely look into that.. Thank you!
 

David A. Goldfarb

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I have the masking blade set and a D-II, and indeed, it doesn't work directly on the negative stage, BUT, if you have the distortion correction attachment (tilting neg stage--cat. no. 7439) it will fit on the neg stage, and the masking blade set will fit on top of that.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!--The masking blade set interferes with the long lever for raising the enlarger head, so you need to bend the lever around it.

In the attached photo you can see from the top down--condenser collar with an Arista Hi-D cold light head, wrapped with my custom non-image light attenuation shield (made out of a plastic photo paper bag and gaffer's tape), masking blade set under that (some of the knobs are missing), tilting neg stage, then the regular neg stage. Note the bent head-raising lever on the left.
 

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Phillip P. Dimor

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I've been ogling that tilting neg. stage attachment ever since I saw in on that Glennview site years ago..
Does it come in handy? Also, do you have the easel that goes with it? Nice set up David!

Also realized that the flexible extension controls for focusing an enlarger on that sight are essentially flexible ratchet extensions or even a Meade telescope flexible extension ($10 to $20 and you get a nice solidly-machined knob). No more bending yourself up every time you raise your enlarger up high and have to check the focus with your tiny paterson focus scope.. I'm making a trip to the hardware store in a few days, i'll let you all know.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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I don't have a tilting easel, but I do have a stack of quarters...I mean...easel shims. I don't use it that often, but once in a while it comes in handy. I think I got it with a lot of other Omega bits and pieces.
 

jovo

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Well, the link I posted above has magically morphed into one for a Rodenstock enlarging lens, but Harry's Pro Shop was the vendor of the masking stage. It doesn't seem to be in their ebay store any longer.
 
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