Focomat Enlarger questions

[alan chin]

i'm printing 35mm on a Leitz Focomat Ic enlarger with the Ilford Multigrade 500 head on it, and i'm getting newton rings on my prints....the condenser has to clamp down on the negative to make it flat...does anyone know what to do???

Also, i have a modern schneider 50mm f/2.8 lens on this and i can't get the enlarger to auto-focus as it should...despite reading the instructions a hundred times...could someone describe how to do it?

thank you in advance!

[titrisol]

I can only comment on the newton rings.
That is because of the glass carrier, you may need to get an anti-newton spray for cleaning the glass on the carrier or buy sone antinewton glass and replace it.

[jake]

There are anti-newtoning negative carriers for Focomat enlargers. They didn't come as a standard stock part, are kind of rare, but Glennview Cameras used to stock a ton of parts for Leitz enlargers. I don't even know whether they are still in business.

Check here:

http://www.glennview.com/leitz.htm

Presumably you could get a piece of anti-newtoning glass cut to either replace the piece in your negative carrier or as an addition between the condenser and the film. I think the original carrier on the Focomat did have a single sheet of glass that held the negative flat, rather than the condenser surface itself???

J Ake :twisted:

[jake]

"There are anti-newtoning negative carriers for Focomat enlargers. They didn't come as a standard stock part, are kind of rare"

Actually, I think I am confusing the Valloy with the Focomat. The rest of my email is okay I think. :wink:

J Ake :twisted:

[jake]

We are not discriminating in our sources here, so check out Alan Shively's response to the question on PN linked below. Seems like there might be an anti-newton piece missing from your enlarger set up?

pn response to Focomat 1c question

Good luck.

J Ake :twisted:

[titrisol]

a cheap solution maybe to buy a couple of anti0-newton slide mounts and use that glass in your carrier?

[jake]

This article has some info which might be helpful.

FocoMat 1c

J Ake :twisted:

[bruce]

I have the same problem with mine. I have never been able to find the anti newton glass for the poor thing. Not all film on all days has the problem.
 The work around I came up with was I cut a scrap piece of film-( developed and proccessesd) and carefully cut a hole in it the size of the 35mm frame. I place this on top of the negative before closing the condensor, and it holds the condense off the negative just enough to avoid the rings.
 I have a copy of the original owners manual, and when I get the time I will be glad to scan it and send it to you. It has pretty detailed explaination of adjusting the focus. I use a nikkor on mine without any problem .
 I would love to find the right anti newton glass fo the thing, as that is my only real complaint about an otherwise wonderful machine.

[alan chin]

thank you for all the help!
i now know what to do about the newton rings...
as to the auto-focus, i read on one of those links that someone else had trouble with a modern schneider 50mm. i'm going to try with another lens. i have the instructions. just couldn't seem to implement them....

[bruce]

I read lots of stuff about lenses for the focomat when I first got mine. Lots of people said lots of things, I think about 1/3 b.s. Lots of the leica people were convinced that it could not be made to work with anything other than leica glass. Some said that the lenses would not work even if they focused properly at both the high and low end.
 I don't know about all that, what I can say is that my 2.8 nikkor works just fine. My guess is that the lens has to be  close enough in actual focal length to the original leica glass to work with the focus cam. I suspect that there is a fair amount of variation in lenses actual focal lengths. They may be called a 50mm, may in actuaity be more like 53 or whatever, enough to not work with the cam.
 A list of what lenses actually work would be cool. Of course a really nice newer focotar might be even cooler if you want to spend the bucks.