Found an Automega E-5 Autofocus enlarger body

[eli]

I took possession of the enlarger today, with some confidence that I will be able to find or fabricate needed parts.

The enlarger had 2 rails, one labeled to match the accompanying 101mm Wollensack Raptar f4.5 lens plate label. See the photo of the rail label below. Your descriptions were spot on, Chauncey, Steve, and Mark. I came across more information that seemed to verify that individual rails were matched to individual lenses - and the labeling on my lens plate and rail follow that pattern. The second rail is different from the first, in form and in label, but the label does specify a lens number (F 964 if I recall), which I don't have. Perhaps that makes the second rail useless? Not a big deal, if I can focus manually.

I see KHB has cones and lens plates, and Glennview may have a useful carrier, so it's possible all the critical parts will fall into place. Fingers crossed. I'm still waffling between restoring the lamphouse to OEM specs, or remodeling the lamphouse for LEDs. The lamphouse is in decent shape, but will have to be stripped and repainted on the inside. It may require a special paint to simulate an integrating sphere, which my instruction manual says the interior was designed to duplicate.

Did this unit come with a working power supply?

[phdgent]

About 20 years ago, I bought an used Omega D3 for a handful of Euro's.
It came with two Omegaron lenses who ware sadly in a very bad shape due to fungus.
Replacing these lenses meant other autofocus cams, but these ware not available, certainly not in Belgium. And I needed at least 4 different focal lengths (50mm, 80mm, 105mm and 150mm).
So I had to find a way around this autofocus, and 'mimic' it.
With some very simple and primitive do-it-yourself, this issue got out of the way, it works as a charm ever since, see the pictures...
And yes, this is a recovered PRIOX 4"x5" variable format glass negative carrier, fitted with some shims so to stay in the middle of the light path.

[tomwilliams]

Did this unit come with a working power supply?

Eli, greetings. I didn't find a power supply with the enlarger, but I did find one easily enough online. I chose a compact electronic rapid-start ballast appropriate to a 32 watt FC12T10/9 circline bulb: a sunlite 40110-SU 120v 60Hz unit. I assumed that the bulb I found with the enlarger was no good, due to the darkening I saw at the plug, but it turned out to be functional. I discovered the T10 was no longer manufactured when I searched for a replacement, so I bought the T9 bulb and the sunlite ballast. The T9 bulb differs from the T10 in its smaller cross-section diameter - 1.125" vs 1.25" - but I found I could house the T9 stably inside the omegalite head with the existing fixtures.

So I had to find a way around this autofocus, and 'mimic' it.

That's a nice rescue, phdgent. Is that a lead screw nut on the lower support arm?

[Tin Can]

Excellent!

Saving and using old Darkroom bits is a worthy pursuit

Thanks for posting!

[Seadiver5]

About 20 years ago, I bought an used Omega D3 for a handful of Euro's.
It came with two Omegaron lenses who ware sadly in a very bad shape due to fungus.
Replacing these lenses meant other autofocus cams, but these ware not available, certainly not in Belgium. And I needed at least 4 different focal lengths (50mm, 80mm, 105mm and 150mm).
So I had to find a way around this autofocus, and 'mimic' it.
With some very simple and primitive do-it-yourself, this issue got out of the way, it works as a charm ever since, see the pictures...
And yes, this is a recovered PRIOX 4"x5" variable format glass negative carrier, fitted with some shims so to stay in the middle of the light path.

I never really understood why the average photographer would want an autofocus enlarger. I'd much prefer to insure that each enlargement I did was in perfect focus and would check every negative before printing anyway. In a production shop I can understand it. Most people never pay attention to the fact that for one of these machines to work its best you need to use Glass negative carriers. The other thing that should be noted is that the average "production" autofocus rails were not set up for one specific lens but rather a specific "Model" of lens. On many of the rails it will say what lens its for along with the lens serial number, on others It will simply give you the serial number. If you know what lens it was designed for you can buy other similar lenses and use them with no issues. Most of the old lenses that these rails were made for are reasonably priced on ebay and the like. My 4x5 autofocus enlarger came out of a backyard shed that I think doubled as a chicken coup. It took a lot to clean it up but luckily I got all the lens cones and lenses (in good shape amazingly) that were marked on the autofocus rails.

[Seadiver5]

Yah - thanks for mentioning that, I hadn't got that far in my thinking.

Like you said, following the new mat path is reversible, which I like.

It just occurred to me that you could try an old autobody process to "shrink" the metal on your cold light head back to flat. It would require you to remove any padding on the bottom of the head then get a hammer that is pointed or maybe you could use a center punch or awl but the process is to dimple (think golf ball) the surface. The dimpling sucks the metal together and effectively shrinks the metal. Start out with small dimples everywhere and then make them deeper if necessary. It may not take much to pull the metal flat again but you will need to distribute them pretty evenly across the plate. In the autobody world they would then cover the dimples with body filler, In your case you will cover the dimples with padding. Just make sure you dimple it from the outside to the inside so the bottom is flat and make sure that you don't stretch the metal somewhere else while dimpling. You may want to temporarily place a flat plywood board inside the light head to support the entire bottom while you work and try not to dimple the area where the diffuser will sit unless absolutely necessary.
.

[tomwilliams]

Well what I can tell you is that your solution is all you actually need. The only thing you're limited on .....

Kevin, excuse me for not responding earlier to this post. Thank you for the insight on the D2s and ebay. I think that your base at $50 is an excellent deal, and rather than monitoring the auction sites for the part (which likely will not come up by itself) I'd like to take you up on it, if you're willing. I've gone back and forth with satisfaction with my present scheme versus a compulsion to restore the enlarger to its stock state, with the latter compulsion winning out. We can work out the details via Private Message - I'll send you one tonight.

The other thing that should be noted is that the average "production" autofocus rails were not set up for one specific lens but rather a specific "Model" of lens. On many of the rails it will say what lens its for along with the lens serial number, on others It will simply give you the serial number. If you know what lens it was designed for you can buy other similar lenses and use them with no issues.

The E-5 came with 2 rails, one with annotations that matched it to the specific lens that also accompanied the enlarger. The lens board had the matching annotation. The other rail didn't even have the same blanks to fill in the matching lens data (and no second lens was with the enlarger). So maybe I have both rail scenarios that you outline. By comparing rails on the KHB site, I deduce that the unmatched rail I have is for a 161mm to 180mm lens.

[tomwilliams]

Kevin, I sent you a PM.

[tomwilliams]

It just occurred to me that you could try an old autobody process to "shrink" the metal on your cold light head back to flat. It would require you to remove any padding on the bottom of the head then get a hammer that is pointed or maybe you could use a center punch or awl but the process is to dimple (think golf ball) the surface. The dimpling sucks the metal together and effectively shrinks the metal. Start out with small dimples everywhere and then make them deeper if necessary. It may not take much to pull the metal flat again but you will need to distribute them pretty evenly across the plate. In the autobody world they would then cover the dimples with body filler, In your case you will cover the dimples with padding. Just make sure you dimple it from the outside to the inside so the bottom is flat and make sure that you don't stretch the metal somewhere else while dimpling. You may want to temporarily place a flat plywood board inside the light head to support the entire bottom while you work and try not to dimple the area where the diffuser will sit.
.

I'll check this out Kevin - pretty interesting approach. Thanks.

[phdgent]

I never really understood why the average photographer would want an autofocus enlarger. I'd much prefer to insure that each enlargement I did was in perfect focus and would check every negative before printing anyway. In a production shop I can understand it. Most people never pay attention to the fact that for one of these machines to work its best you need to use Glass negative carriers. The other thing that should be noted is that the average "production" autofocus rails were not set up for one specific lens but rather a specific "Model" of lens. On many of the rails it will say what lens its for along with the lens serial number, on others It will simply give you the serial number. If you know what lens it was designed for you can buy other similar lenses and use them with no issues. Most of the old lenses that these rails were made for are reasonably priced on ebay and the like. My 4x5 autofocus enlarger came out of a backyard shed that I think doubled as a chicken coup. It took a lot to clean it up but luckily I got all the lens cones and lenses (in good shape amazingly) that were marked on the autofocus rails.

I can understand you frustration as I neither really wanted an autofocus enlarger.
But this was the only affordable 4"x5" I could find at the time. I tried to match the lenses I had but barley one, the 50mm, would work as the two cams who came with it ware calibrated for a 50mm and 135mm, the latter focal I didn't have.
Also, this system would only work properly with a 1 inch high easel, the one I had wasn't that high and the fiddling with an underlay wasn't that practical.
So, this autofocus became manual focus, to my full satisfaction, and lasts for over 20 years now!