Pilot Light on a Lens Board?

Max Power · Feb 13, 2005

OK,
Here's my silly question of the day...

I was searching out a 39mm lens board for my newly acquired Beseler 23CII and came across a lens board with a pilot light. Please excuse my ignorance, but can somebody please explain what this is and why it makes a lens board so expensive?

The one I have for my 50mm lens (which came with the enlarger) is a simple piece of 4x4 aluminium with a 39mm hole in it.

Thanks,
Kent

rbarker · Feb 13, 2005

Aren't pilot lights intended only for aerial photographs?

Some enlarger lens boards have a lucite rod near the lens opening. The end of the rod is beveled at 45°, and mirrored to project a bit of light on the aperture ring, so you can see the setting.

glbeas · Feb 13, 2005

It simply has a plastic rod mounted in it to pipe light from the inside and reflect it to the aperture indicator. I have a few like that and never really make much use of the feature.

Nick Zentena · Feb 13, 2005

It's a board with a little tube. When the light is on the tube lights up and lets you see the lens aperture. At least in theory. My beseler came supposedly from a well known Canadian art photographer. One of the mods he made to the thing was to paint all the pilot lights so they didn't transmit any light. I think the newer Rodenstock and Schendier lenses actually light up. I've got mostly Nikons and an older Rodenstock. These don't light up and I've never felt the need to scrape the paint off the lensboards.

Get your self a threaded 39mm board. Then you can just unscrew the lens when you need to change things. Changing a Beseler board isn't hard but unscrewing a lens is even easier.

eric · Feb 13, 2005

It makes you see the F/stop. That's all. I just remember how many clicks from wide open. So f/11 for me is 3 clicks from f/4. Habits you learn in the dark.

Flotsam · Feb 13, 2005

Just this evening I was trying to read my f stop by the light of that thing and thinking how utterly useless it is

Nige · Feb 13, 2005

I like my lenses that have illuminated aperture scales... one doesn't and it usually involves turning the room lights on to check it's right!

Max Power · Feb 14, 2005

Ah ha!!
Well, I learned something new, so the day starts well.
In Quebec there is an expression that fits well here: Je vais me coucher moins niaiseux ce soir...I will go to bed a little less stupid this evening!

Thanks for your answers everyone,

Kent

Deckled Edge · Feb 14, 2005

Nige said:
I like my lenses that have illuminated aperture scales... one doesn't and it usually involves turning the room lights on to check it's right!

I usually resisted the temptation to turn on room lights with an enlarging paper in the easel. Finally I took a cheap, throw-away promotional pen light, and taped a piece of rubylith to the end. Now I can keep the room lights off and find f stops with a little concentrated safe light.

Nige · Feb 14, 2005

Deckled Edge said:
I usually resisted the temptation to turn on room lights with an enlarging paper in the easel. Finally I took a cheap, throw-away promotional pen light, and taped a piece of rubylith to the end. Now I can keep the room lights off and find f stops with a little concentrated safe light.

The problem with the lens I have the problem with is it only has one aperture marked (f22), and it doesn't stand out greatly as well. Using 'wide open' as a reference point would be easier but it a little movement after what I think is supposed to be the wide open stop which confuses my counting, combined with it's max aperture of f9 which adds confusion to the counting process... and I end up all confused! I usually make sure it's right before getting paper out, but a couple of time have had to put it back in the paper safe and recheck. The torch idea might work so will give that a try!

David A. Goldfarb · Feb 14, 2005

As a promo thing, fotoimpex.de was giving away keychains with little red led lights in them--very handy for reading the aperture on the enlarging lens.

chuck94022 · Feb 22, 2005

I didn't like the light, but I didn't paint mine over. Instead, I used the proper tool - duct tape!

-chuck

BWGirl · Feb 22, 2005

Yeah, my lensboards have those goofy lucite rods. I also find them utterly useless. I actually count 'clicks' to set my aperture.

Pilot Light on a Lens Board?

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