Speaking of Peak grain focusers...

pbromaghin · Dec 17, 2023

I'm finalizing the details of my first darkroom. A couple weeks ago in the school darkroom, the instructor let me try out his 2 Peak grain focusers and they were VERY impressive, so I'm considering a purchase. However, this week I found a Micro Sight focuser in my large pile of darkroom equipment. In an old thread from a few years ago, the Micro Sight was considered 2nd-best behind the Peak. Is the difference worth spending $100 for the best when I already have the 2nd best?

Hassasin · Dec 17, 2023

If you don’t see a difference between the two then there is no question. To me Peak Omega was a stand alone product line, everything else was second, not just Micro Sight.

have you tried Micro Sight in the darkroom?

in the end this is still a case of a device being able to show the grain and as long as it is properly aligned, it will do what it needs to do.

MattKing · Dec 18, 2023

Some grain focusers - Peak included - permit you to check the focus in the corners of the print.
Others require you to stay close to the centre.
Having the ability to check the corners is useful - particularly when printing large.

mshchem · Dec 18, 2023

The Peak focusing tool is quite good, I have realized this more since I now need glasses all the time. I have the micro-sight devices as well, these are simple to use and work great.
I think I would use what you have.

Hilo · Dec 18, 2023

MattKing said:
Some grain focusers - Peak included - permit you to check the focus in the corners of the print.
Others require you to stay close to the centre.
Having the ability to check the corners is useful - particularly when printing large.

What Matt says is the essence of using a grain focuser. When the grain is sharp in the corners (or as close as you can get) the middle of the image will follow, in most cases. Obviously, this is more so when doing 50x60cm prints.
Our eyesight is the key. I began printing before 20 years old and there were 2 or 3 friends who did the same, all profesionally. We didn't use the grain focuser, except with images with corners that didn't show sharp versus unsharp. Then the grainfocuser was the solution. The friend who was already wearing glasses did need the grain focuser all the time. Some of us preferred the Micro Sight focuser, I preferred the Peak but I wasn't using the most expensive one.
Now, in my late sixties, I can't print without the focuser and the Peaks are excellent, also the one below the most expensive Peak. But to be honest, I haven't used the Micro Sight focuser for many years.

Ian C · Dec 18, 2023

If your enlarger is properly aligned and you restrain the negative in a glass carrier, then there is no additional benefit to using an expensive tilt-loupe long-mirror grain focuser. The only two I’m aware of are the Peak 2000 Model I and the KIENZLE Micro Focus Finder Pro. The Kienzle is a German-made close copy of the Peak Model I. It's priced at about $500 and currently available from Fotoimpex in Berlin.

https://www.fotoimpex.com/darkroom/kienzle-micro-focus-finder-pro.html

The Peak Model I has also been sold under the Omega brand for the Omega Enlarger Company.

Other than a heat-popped negative in a non-glass carrier, I can think of one other situation in which a pivoting-loupe focuser would help detect a focus differential from center to corners. That would be if you were using a very old and inferior enlarging lens that had considerable field curvature, or one that exhibited “focus shift” when stopped down for exposure from the wider viewing/composing aperture.

It’s a moot point now when everyone who is serious about quality enlarging uses modern lenses from a major manufacturer. Modern, high-quality enlarging lenses are free of such defects.

I recently compared the focusing accuracy of

1. French made Thomas Instruments Scoponet

2. Paterson Micro Focus Finder

3. Paterson Major Focus Finder

4. Bestwell Micro Sight

5. Peak 2020 Model II

6. Peak 2000 Model I

They all crisply resolved the grain pattern of the negative at the SAME FOCUS SETTING on the enlarger. The lowest price focuser among this group of grain focusers is the Paterson Micro Focus Finder. It can still be bought new for $32.95 at B&H in NYC.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40219-REG/Paterson_PTP643_Micro_Focus_Finder.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI:514&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2eX33YGZgwMViKZaBR2MAQGsEAQYASABEgJmZfD_BwE

The comparison was given in post #115 in the thread

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...p-enough-with-new-enlarger-lens.203359/page-5

The Bestwell Micro Sight is nicely made, but no longer available new. Like the Peak focusers, it has a first-surface mirror which is easily damaged by aggressive cleaning. Used ones are likely to have scratched mirrors (also true of the Peak focusers).

DREW WILEY · Dec 18, 2023

The Peak Critical Focus Magnifier with the tilting head is in a league of its own. The Micromega units are simply rebranded Peak.

Pieter12 · Dec 18, 2023

the advantage of the Peak Model 1 is with the large mirror, you can check focus in the corners, something difficult to do with the others. But if I remember correctly, the Micro Sight has a higher magnification than the Peak.

pbromaghin · Dec 18, 2023

Ian C said:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...p-enough-with-new-enlarger-lens.203359/page-5

I completely missed that thread.

pbromaghin · Dec 18, 2023

I have seen several references (not just in this thread) regarding the inability to check the grain in the corners. Why is this? What is it about different focusers that allow or prevent this?

MattKing · Dec 18, 2023

pbromaghin said:
I have seen several references (not just in this thread) regarding the inability to check the grain in the corners. Why is this? What is it about different focusers that allow or prevent this?

The mirror in the grain focuser needs to be perpendicular to the light path to properly check the focus, which means it needs to move/pivot slightly when you move out to the corners.

wiltw · Dec 18, 2023

MattKing said:
Some grain focusers - Peak included - permit you to check the focus in the corners of the print.
Others require you to stay close to the centre.
Having the ability to check the corners is useful - particularly when printing large.

My understanding of the three historical versions of Peak focusers is that the second version permits a 10 degree deviation from centered use, and the third version permits 20 degree deviation from centered use...an important distinction to keep in mind if considering the used market to keep costs down.

I have wondered about the ability to check corners...while that is handy if verifying the 'square' alignment of everything 'in the beginning', just how necessary is it to bother doing once in place and being used without undue roughness to your equipment?!..and couldn't you simply take a deliberately scratched piece of fogged-and-processed film to print on one piece of 8x10 paper to verify continued alignment from time to time?!
And unless one uses a glassed negative carrier, one has little control over corners vs. centers. So is the ability to check corners with a focuser that much of a beneficial distinction for selection?

An additional differentiator that I have read about is the eye distance...one has to have the eye positioned consierably closer than when using the other. So the ease of use can be considerably different if the easel position forces you to bend over considerably, or if the focus adjustment knob is up too high to reach while your eye is close to the eyepiece.

DREW WILEY · Dec 18, 2023

The ability to see grain and extreme detail way out in the corners is a real asset. It helps confirm is your setup is all properly aligned, and lets you see how well your enlarging lens performs at particular apertures, etc.

The quality of the optics is more important than sheer magnification when viewing through these devices.

Pieter12 · Dec 18, 2023

wiltw said:
My understanding of the three historical versions of Peak focusers is that the second version permits a 10 degree deviation from centered use, and the third version permits 20 degree deviation from centered use...an important distinction to keep in mind if considering the used market to keep costs down.

According to Peak, the Model I is 30º, Model II 20º and Model III or 2030 is 10º. The 2030 is current and still in production AFIK.

Ian C · Dec 18, 2023

The Bestwell Microsight is 25X magnification. Per the data included in the Micro Sight box, the Micro Sight is equipped with a “Large high quality triple element achromatic eyepiece.”

All thee models of Peak focusers are 10X magnification.

Here are the specifications of the three Peak models.

https://www.peakoptics.com/images/pdf/PeakFocuser.pdf

If I understand the specifications correctly, the angle specified for each model is the angle of view of the eyepiece—not the span of viewable angle as projected by the enlarger lens.

MattKing · Dec 18, 2023

Ian C said:
If I understand the specifications correctly, the angle specified for each model is the angle of view of the eyepiece—not the span of viewable angle as projected by the enlarger lens.

I read this differently - the loupe swings, which allows a change of angle of view.

Pieter12 · Dec 18, 2023

Ian C said:
The Bestwell Microsight is 25X magnification. Per the data included in the Micro Sight box, the Micro Sight is equipped with a “Large high quality triple element achromatic eyepiece.”

All thee models of Peak focusers are 10X magnification.

Here are the specifications of the three Peak models.

https://www.peakoptics.com/images/pdf/PeakFocuser.pdf

If I understand the specifications correctly, the angle specified for each model is the angle of view of the eyepiece—not the span of viewable angle as projected by the enlarger lens.

I believe the angle specified is the angle between the optical axis of the enlarging lens and the mirror of the focuser. Thus, the Model I can be used further from the center of the image than the others.

Pieter12 · Dec 18, 2023

MattKing said:
I read this differently - the loupe swings, which allows a change of angle of view.

For me, I see the combination of the swiveling eyepiece and the larger mirror making the increased angle possible, so you can examine a broader area of the projected image. This comes in handy when looking at the edges and corners of large prints where your head can block the light.

Ian C · Dec 18, 2023

Yes, Thank you. Showing the diagram enlarged makes it more easily understood.

ic-racer · Dec 18, 2023

One needs to see all 4 corners, so get a Peak 1/Micromega if possible.

Most all lenses I have tested near the recommended limits of their intended operating magnification range exhibit curvature of field. Frequently OPPOSITE the normal curvature of a 35mm negative! Diagram below shows BOTH mis-alignment of lens and negative AND curvature of field. Six element, EL-NIKKOR 50mm f2.8 14x enlargement (16x20").

These can be restored if in poor condition. About ten years ago I was able to totally disassemble a bargain $50 Peak 1 with foggy lenses and clean them all so that I have two of them now. That one also had a scratched mirror and I got a new mirror as B&H is selling replacement mirrors for the Peak 1(currently only $25 usd).

My enlargers are installed about 30 feet apart, so it is nice to have two of these.

Diagra

Hilo · Dec 19, 2023

Does anyone have a manual that describes, or knows how to calibrate the Peak I ?

I have the same situation as IC-racer with the enlargers being far from each other. And I have doubts about one of the Peak I that I have, so I stopped using it.

Pieter12 · Dec 19, 2023

Hilo said:
Does anyone have a manual that describes, or knows how to calibrate the Peak I ?

I have the same situation as IC-racer with the enlargers being far from each other. And I have doubts about one of the Peak I that I have, so I stopped using it.

It does not need to be calibrated. Just focus the reference rectangle with the eyepiece.

Hilo · Dec 19, 2023

Pieter12 said:
It does not need to be calibrated. Just focus the reference rectangle with the eyepiece.

Of course! That's it! Thanks!

Speaking of Peak grain focusers...

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Speaking of Peak grain focusers...

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