Converting a Beseler 23CIIIXL to 45

[Keith A. Dunlop]

Please excuse the "newbie" 4x5 questions . . . I've shot 35mm for 20 years, but 4x5 is Greek to me.

I'm have picked up a used 4x5 camera to give large format a try, and I want to e leviate the expense of changing out my darkroom gear (see prior question about p roper lens for 6x7 roll film holder). I found a Beseler part that "adapts" a 23C to accept a Beseler 45 condenser head. Has anyone ever done this? Does this wor k? Will I be able to enlarge 4x5 negs with this setup, and/or would the maximum print size be limited due to the shortened bellows of a 23C?

[Wayne_6692]

Never heard of this setup - but if anything MINIMUM enlargement size is hampered by a short bellows.

[Bill Brady]

I don't remember the details except that I spent hours cutting with a dremel mototool, but I modified one myself back in the early '80s. The only thing I bought was a 4x5 neg carrier and a lens.

The biggest problem I ran into was light falloff at the edges. Most of the time, however, it rather nicely matched the light falloff in the camera lens so it all sorta came out in the wash. I did many 16x20's.

[Sal Santamaura]

Keith, you say you "...found a Beseler part..." Please let us know whether this is a part someone fabricated or an actual Beseler OEM part. If the latter, what part number is it, and do you have any idea when it was manufactured? Thanks in advance.