What Size Lens board? Beseler 45M?

[mtbbrian]

How do I know what size of lens board I need to get for my Beseler 45M?
I have never bought one before and need any information I can get.
Thanks!
Brian
Slowingly acquiring darkroom equipment....:rolleyes:

 

[eric]

I just got a Beseler 45M. It uses the same lensboard as my old 23C.

 

[mtbbrian]

I guess my question is, should be is the opening size dependent upon the particular lens or do all lens have the same diameter or all or all lens threaded?
Brian

 

[eric]

I guess my question is, should be is the opening size dependent upon the particular lens or do all lens have the same diameter or all or all lens threaded?
Brian

Ohhhhh...depends on the lens. I'm facing the same situation right now and that's why I have another thread about using drill presses. Some 135mm lenses are 39mm 40mm, 50mm, 52mm yikes! Seems that (and I'm no expert), that most of the 105mm and under use the standard 39mm thread.

 

[mtbbrian]

Seems that (and I'm no expert), that most of the 105mm and under use the standard 39mm thread.

That makes sense!
Thanks
Brian

 

[Nick Zentena]

If you're buying a lensboard the thing I'd suggest is looking for a 39mm threaded board. Most lenses will fit a 39mm opening. Almost anything shorter then 135mm is a 39mm mount. Even some 135mm lenses are 39mm mount.

With the threaded board you can leave it in the enlarger and just screw in the lens you need.

 

[reellis67]

For what it's worth, the 150mm El-Nikkor requires a larger hole than the standard 39mm, which makes it a pain to get used, and new is really expensive. The 80mm and 50mm El-Nikkors use the 39mm hole.

- Randy

 

[Paul VanAudenhove]

Beseler lensboards for the 45 series (and 23 series too, I believe) are roughly 4 inches square. You can make your own out of masonite and make the lens mounting hole any size you want. Most enlarging lenses use a standard 39mm mount, larger lenses use a larger mount as mentioned. Some older lenses use a 25mm mount. If you have a lens board now, you can use it as a template to make more. If you make your own, make sure that the material is not too thick so that there is not enough thread on the enlarging lens to attach the retaining ring.
Best of luck!

 

[jeroldharter]

Calumet Photographic catalogs have a nice table showing which enlarging lenses require which lens boards for which enlargers but I can't find it on line.