Beseler 5x7 diffusion enlarger

[Stephen Longmire]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone with experience using an older Beseler 5x7 enlarger called the "5x7 diffusion enlarger." I find few references to this model on-line, and none in the archives of this forum, which makes me wonder how common the model was. This is a large enlarger of the sort I'd expect to have found in a commercial lab or in the graphic arts trade back in the day.

It's nearly 6' tall, has a motorized head to raise a lower it, and clearly began its life with one of those great big light sources that look like a cross between a 50s beauty parlor hair dryer and a Conehead. This component is missing from mine, but I'm assuming I can get an Aristo cold head to fit--anyone know the size? Should I remove the opaque white diffuser above the negative carrier when making this change? Other than a missing lens and lensboard and a lot of really gnarly spiderwebs, it looks good to go. I haven't dealt with these motors before, and don't know if they need maintenance. I assume I need to disconnect the blower/cooling system if I switch to a cold light source. I haven't been able to check if it's still properly square, and would be interested to hear from others if this was an issue with this type of enlarger. The column is quite rigid, so I imagine it doesn't tend to go off, but I see no way to adjust it if it did. I've e-mailed Beseler for any information they retain on this beast, but I'm not too hopeful about thier archives.

Now if anyone's got parts , or a manula, for these things... Failing that, experience will have to do! Many thanks,

[Dan Dozer]

Stephen,

I have an old Beseler 5 x 7 MD enlarger, but it's not as you describe - mine is very similar to the older 4 x 5's, but is just larger. It has an old Beleler cold light head in additon to the condenser head . However, your's is clearly different from mine. I would guess that you are right in assuming it is from a comercial lab. Even mine, which is clearly designed more for the home darkroom user, seems not to be very common. I got mine on E-bay about 4 years ago, but rarely see anything there for the Beseler 5 x 7's.

[Gem Singer]

Stephen,

Are you sure that your enlarger is a Beseler? From your description of the shape of the head, it sounds like a 5X7 Elwood.

Either way, you probably will be able obtain a suitable cold light source directly from Aristo. Leave the diffusion screen in place. Good luck.

[Wally Hess]

Stephen

Sounds like the one I have. Mine is the unmotorised version - they made both kinds- and orginally was used by a studio about 30 years ago, I received it from a friend for free, since he hadnt used it in years, and it is a large and heavy monster. I get great results with the regular 250 watt bulb.

I have a picture I would post, but am not sure how to do it. I have a user manual, but can't find it at the moment. If you wish, I will look for it and send you a copy. Please advise.

Regards

Wally Hess

[Stephen Longmire]

Thanks, Eugene, for that tip on the diffusion screen. It's definitely a Beseler--the plate on the back says "Beseler 5x7 diffusion enlarger." Since I don't have the head, I was just guessing it looked like an Elwood. The cooling system indicates it was a hot light source. Do folks agree it would be appropriate to disconnect this in the shift to cold light? There must be more of these somewhere.

[Stephen Longmire]

Wally, your post showed up while I was writing my last. I've sent you my address by e-mail, in the event that manual turns up. A photocopy would be a great help. What lens does yours have?

[Wally Hess]

Stephen

Got your email. I got 3 lenses with the enlarger - a 105mm Schacht , Ulm mounted in a recessed board, a 161mm Kodak, and a 135mm Wollensack. The lenses are not bad, but I bought a nice 135mm Scheider that I use for most of the work, and adapted a 5x7 B&L Tessar view camera lens that works well, too. I'm currently working on recreating the filter drawer, which I am missing, and have never used the vignette section, and probably never will.

Overall I think it's a great unit. Good luck.

PS, if anyone knows how to post a picture, please advise, and I will post one of the 5x7 Beseler.

Thanks

[David A. Goldfarb]

To post an image to the LF forum, you need to host it on another website (your own website, or you could use a free photo site), then link to it here. Click on "html quick reference" for details.

If the diffusion glass is even, then leave it in. If the diffusion glass is center-weighted to compensate for falloff from the original light source like the old Elwood diffusers were, then save it for some future use in case you ever get the original light source, and get a plexi diffuser from Aristo (the Aristo head will likely come with it). Aristo makes these in standard sizes, but they can also make custom heads.

[Stephen Longmire]

Wally, thanks again for sharing this information. It may be apparent from your photo, but just in case I'll mention that I'm curious about the negative carrier on yours. Your mention of the filter drawer has got me wondering. I wonder if that's what I've been taking for the negative carrier in mine. It's a metal frame with an opening roughly 6"x8" that I assumed was meant to hold two sheets of anti-Newton glass for negatives. This fits right below the masking device you mention. I've also got a stack of negative carriers that don't look like they were made for this unit, but could have been used with it--it would be helpful to see what your negative carriers look like.

David, my diffuser isn't center weighted, it's just a sheet of opaque plexiglas, hence my uncertainty whether it's redundant with the one a cold light head will include. Any thoughts?

[Wally Hess]

Stephen

Here's a link to pictures:
http://christineallynnephotography.net/ipw-web/gallery/album05 (http://christineallynnephotography.net/ipw-web/gallery/album05)
that show the enlarger - note in the enlarger photo the lower bellows, which is the vignette section
photo 2 shows my 5x7 negative carrier with glass inserts
photo 3 shows the adjustable mask

Regards

Wally Hess

[David A. Goldfarb]

Stephen--If the diffuser is just translucent white plexiglass, it probably will be redundant with whatever comes with the cold light head. It might come in handy though, so I'd hang onto it.

[Stephen Longmire]

That's the one! Thanks so much for posting the pictures, Wally.

I imagine your manual will make this clear, but, going down from the lamp housing, I'm assuming the filter drawer comes first, then the space for the mask --do you leave that out, or just keep it in the open position? Is the slot for the negative carrier above the mask, or is it the space a few inches below? I may be missing my 5x7 negative carrier, which is a shame, since that's my primary format. But clearly the assortment of other carriers I have are for this enlarger after all.

I'd be curious to know the dimensions of your lensboards, including their thickness, since I'll need to fabricate some of these.

Your pictures don't show the stage for the easel--on mine this is attached with a single large bolt from beneath. It seems a shaky system--that's why I'm a bit worried about keeping the thing in proper alignment. Do you just set your easel on that big metal ring?

Finally--if it's not too much trouble--I'd be curious to know what's under the lamp housing--are there multiple sheets of diffusion glass, as in the old Elwoods, or just the one? It's good to know there's at least one more of these beasties out there. Thanks again,