print size

[enrique]

I have a 4x5 Omega D2 B&W enlarger with a 135mm lens and 4x5 condensor. I also have a condensor for medium format and a condensor for 35mm. When the enlarger head is fully raised the largest size print I can make is 11x14. Sometimes I wo uld like to print larger or crop an image, which would require a larger print si ze. Do I need a larger lens (150mm, 200mm...?). Thanks very much.

[Ed Candland]

I'm not an expert, but a shorter not longer lens would give you a bigger print size. I'm just not sure if going wider than 135 for 4x5 would work well or not.Depending on your darkroom set-up you could alway build some sort of removable base that could be droped lower so you can get more space between your enlarger lens and your paper.

[Per Volquartz]

Nope. You need to position the baseboard further away. One way to do that would be to wall mount your enlarger and have a repositionable baseboard placed on sliders below - inside a cabinet. That way you can work at normal height for most of your work and make 16X20 or larger prints when you see a need.

[Thilo Schmid]

Enrique,

I don't know the Omega D2, but 135mm is already the shortest lens for 4x5. However, if you really want to enlarge only a part of the image, a shorter Lens might help as long as you take a selection from the center of the image or you can move the negative carrier as required (which might be a problem at certain offsets). In this case you don't even have to change the condensors. But as Per has pointed out, the best way is to gain more distance between easel and head somehow.

Regards,

[Wayne_6692]

This doesn't sound right at all. The D's have a pretty long girder, you should be getting close to a 16x20 with all formats with the proper lens (and a 135mm is slightly wideangle for 4x5, you should definitely be hitting 16x20 with that). A longer lens will only make things worse. If you are in fact raising the head to the top of the column I can't imagine what the problem is. The only alternatives are to either wall mount it, or construct/buy a drop table.

[Garry Teeple]

I have an Omega D3, sames as a D2 except autofocus, and I can print 20" x 24" on the baseboard using a Nikkor 135mm lens.

[Joe Lipka]

I have noted that you are using a condenser enlarger. Is it possible to vary the distance between the condenser and the negative carrier? Some other enlargers make you do that so the condenser can focus the light properly for the size negative.

[Enrique Vila]

Hola Tocayo....

I also own a D2 which I used for several months with condenser head (have now upgraded to a Zone VI coldlight).

When using condenser, had no problems printing with my 150mm lens up to 16x20, and in theory 135mm should be able to give you bigger size than that.

I noticed that you don't mention teh size of the negative you are using... this can limit the size of the print with your current lens... if the negative is smaller than 4x5, then you need a wider lens to get bigger prints...

Hope this helps...

Enrique.-

[jnantz]

hi enrique, make sure that you have the condensor that fits above ( not the 2 in the sleeve) near the light source is oriented right. i know if it is upside down, or in the wrong "slot" your enlarger won't work right. good luck!

[Jim Galli]

You must be printing from 6X7cm negs. I have the same rig and can easily get past 16X20 sizes with the 135 lens and 4X5 negs. If you are working with 6X7 negs, you should be using the MF condenser and a 100mm + or - lens. The 6 element Computar (or Beseler Color Pro) in size 105 mm will not only give you what you want from MF negs, it's also useable as a "wide angle" enlarging lens for 4X5. You have to watch and compensate for light fall-off if you do that.