Re: [Leica] Somewhat OT - Enlarger choice, or adjustment

["rlb" <rlb@triad.rr.com>]

Walter:

What is a reasonable cost?

Used enlargers are typically bargains.

Bob


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Levy" <wlevy@jhmi.edu>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 2:56 PM
Subject: [Leica] Somewhat OT - Enlarger choice, or adjustment


> Howdy folks!  I wonder if anyone has suggestions for a good affordable
enlarger.  I have an old Beseler 23C that I bought for $200 at a camera show
and I'm not very happy with it.  I just cannot seem to get corner-to-corner
sharpness, very disappointing after building a new darkroom and shooting all
these wonderful Leica (on topic!) negatives.  In the center the prints are
perfectly sharp but at the edges the grain turns to mush.  I am using
Componon-S enlarging lenses stopped down to F/8 or F/11.
>
> What I'm looking for is:
>
> 35mm to 6x7 formats
> black and white only (variable contrast)
> very even illumination
> excellent sharpness corner-to-corner and edge-to-edge
> fine focus control
> reasonable cost
>
> Alternatively, can someone tell me how to really get my enlarger aligned
(assuming that's the problem).  I followed Beseler's instructions, putting a
sheet of glass in the negative stage and using a torpedo level) but either
it's not accurate enough or I did it wrong, or maybe there's something else
wrong.
>
> Is the problem due to curvature of the negative in the carrier?  Do I have
to use a glass carrier?
>
> I'm slightly tempted to bag medium format and get a Leitz enlarger!
>
> Well, any advice would be most sincerely appreciated...
>
> Carpe Granulum
>
>
> Walter
>