Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/06/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I posted the message below on the medium format digest and no one has responded. If anyone has any advice, please e-mail me privately, since the only thing remotely related to the LUG is that I happened to be printing some negatives which were taken with a Leica. :::::::::::::::::::: Subject: Condenser light falloff Date: 1998-06-27 I was printing some 35mm b&w negatives earlier today and experienced some serious light falloff problems at the corners. I wonder if anyone can help. I was using a 45MX condenser on a 4x5 Beseler enlarger with a 50mm enlarging lens, aperture set at f/8. The print size was roughly 11 x 16", and I was getting more than 2 stops of light falloff at the ends, moreso on one side of the print than another. Alignment is OK. Everything is sharp throughout. I tried adjusting the negative stage (the bellows section above the negative carrier) up and down, but light falloff did not seem to improve. Could there be something wrong inside the condenser head ... like a lens out of position or something? If anyone is using one of these enlargers, I am missing the negative stage guide. Could you measure and please send me the distance settings to use to set the negative stage when printing a) 35mm, b) 2 1/4 sq and c) 4x5. I tried burning in the corners but it was too difficult to get the burn even so that there was no perceptible difference in tone across the print. - -GH