Beseler 4X5 Enlarging Camera

[Neal Chaves]

I finally have the Beseler Enlarging Camera set up and working. It is an MCRX chassis with a Beseler Reflex Camera Attachment mounted in place of a light source. I glued a thin neoprene light seal on the negative stage because it leaked as designed. I also opened up the lens stage to accept the rear elements of some of my view camera lenses which are mounted on Graphic Press boards. I milled off the back of a Calumet 4X4 to Graphic Press adapter board so it mounts like a Beseler flat 4X4 board.

With a 150mm 5.6 Fujinon W, I can compose subjects on the baseboard from 4”X5” to 16”X20”. The Reflex Adapter works very well, but required some slight modification to the enlarger to seat fully. I think I am going to enjoy this rig, but I also think that I will eventually adapt my Beseler 45VXL 810 enlarger to accept the back from my Toyo 8X10 camera and make a reflex viewer for that. This is so much easier than trying to photograph straight down on a subject with a view camera - and it's motorized!121958121959121960

[Cor]

Interesting Neal, but I am not quite sure if I follow you; where is the photographs actually taken from: you photograph the projected image from the mirror, or do you insert a film holder below the mirror once you have finished your composition ?

Thanks,

Cor

[Neal Chaves]

The "Beseler Reflex Camera Attachement" is kind of a misnomer. It's not really a reflex camera. It is a camera back ( a stock 4X5 Graflok back) which mounts in place of the usual light source. The image on the ground glass on the back is reflected in a mirror in the housing. The angle of the viewing mirror can be adjusted for optimum viewing at different heights on the chassis. This is a somewhat rare Beseler accessory, Cat No. P120 45M. If you do find one, expect to pay more for it than a nice Beseler 4X5 enlarger, and I don't think it will fit any M Series Beseler without some modification to the enlarger's upper stage. This might be why they are rare - they never worked correctly out of the box.

In this application, the mirror does not have to be "first surface" because it is not reflecting an image for capture, but only for viewing.

[Cor]

Thanks Neal,

So it's more like a repro camera than, a bit similar to a a Polaroid MP4 which I used in the past at my job.

best,

Cor