Equipment involved.
Beseler 45MXT with Dichro color head Schneider Componon - S 150 lens Beseler 4x5 negative carrier (glassless)
I've been printing 4x5 B&W for several months with a used but clean Beseler 45mxt that I bought a while ago.. When focussing the beast I use a Micro Sight grain magnifier and I can easily see the grain snap into focus when it's right.
Up until tonight I simply focused on the dead center of the easel. For some reason I decided to check off center and found that the areas away from dead center are mushy.
I leveled the base and attempted to level the negative and lens sections with a 8" bubble level. I have no manual so I'm not sure I did everything correctly. I did manage to get the stages pretty level with the bubble level. They were off before the alignment attempt.
Upon rechecking the focus I found it still pretty far off. I don't have to move the grain focuser very far off center before I lose sharpness.
What do you guys think is going on here ? Does this sound like an aligning problem ? Do any of you use glass carriers for your 4x5 negatives ? Any experience with Beseler's "Negaflat" negative holder ?
I can't find any detailed information on the web regarding the proper way to align an MXT. I plan on getting hold of Beseler tomorrow to see about a manual but I thought someone might have some advice in the mean time.
Thanks.
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