Meopta Opemus 5a Enlarger

[clogz]

Hello Tony,
Did your enlarger come with the right light mixing chamber? See Meopta's website. www.meopta.cz. Is the halogen lamp fitted properly?
You do not need a filter drawer since you have the filters inside the colour head.
Greetings
Hans

[TPPhotog]

Hello Hans,
Looking at the website and the 2 manuals that I got with it, everything looks right. I found that the top of the light chamber wasn't seated properly and have corrected that which has increased the light output. Halogen lamp is as snug as a bug in the proverbial rug.

I tried another experiment with the better light output using the 58mm Zenit lens. Wide open I get an almost perfect 35mm image. However if I close it down a couple of stops then the soft edges come back. Sounds like I may be using the Zenit lens stuck on with blue-tak until I can try another lens, but my brains getting as fuzzy as the edges at the moment
Kind regards Tony

[clogz]

Hello Tony,
A bit of a conundrum within an enigma etc. Is the lensboard straight and fitted properly? The negative holder put in the right way (not upside down)? Is the fuzziness still there (with the Meopta lens) if you stop down? Screws tightened so lens board doesn't slip down?
I dunno...PM Ole or give this shop in London a ring.
Hold on ,do not give up....
Hans

[TPPhotog]

Hi Hans,
Never even thought of checking the lensboard with all the screws I've been taking out and putting back Just checked it and it looks good. Happily the negative holder only goes in one way, but did check frosted glass above and clear glass below which they are. Bedding the top of the condensor has at least given me the outline of the 35mm edges with the mask. Fuzziness is still there with the Meopta lens, but I am getting suspicious of the lens now.

I tried the London shop but they only came up with the idea's we have already tried here ie bulb being bedded and dirt in the condensor. Must admit the Durst down the road from me is getting tempting, but the part of the image I'm printing with the Meopta is beautiful ... so fear not I'm not giving up just yet

Many thanks for your help on this one, two (or even more) heads are much better than one and chatting about it is stopping me using it as an historical doorstop LOL

Kind regards Tony

[clogz]

Hello Tony,
If you look through the lens..does it look clear..no dust, no coating of dirt, no fungus, no sticky aperture blades? Another thing: try and borrow another 50mm enlarger lens and see how this works. The 35mm template not upside down?
Regards
Hans

[TPPhotog]

Good morning Hans,
Lens looks OK but I intend to try another as soon as I can get over to a friend who has a collection. Had a look at the template and it looks OK also. I'll let you know how I get on with trying another lens
Kind regards Tony

[TPPhotog]

Well I've completely stripped down the whole dam beastie today, every screw came out, all mechanisms dismantled, I even took the condenser apart. Then after cleaning it all went back together and for once I only had one washer left over LOL It's now a mint condition medium format enlarger, but still no joy with 35mm.

I am now wondering is that the instructions say a 12v 100 watt bulb, does it need one of those opal bulbs? Not had a chance to try another lens as yet.

[Ian Grant]

Might sound daft but have you got the right light box for 35mm

[Flotsam]

Then after cleaning it all went back together and for once I only had one washer left over LOL

I wouldn't worry about it. Whever I work on my car I always have bucketful of parts left over. I just assume that they weren't meant to be there in the first place.

[TPPhotog]

Hi Ian,
Not a daft question at all and originally I thought I had the right one. However latest experiment was to remove item 2 labelled condensor box and mount the colour head directly onto the body above the negative carrier (very much as the instructions say for the Maniflex). The result is a near perfect image with only a small amount of fall off at each side. Althought it still would not give full negative area, it would allow me to get good quality prints with only monor cropping. I'd still like 100% coverage though.

Hi Flotsam,
Yep that's usually the same with me, I expected to have enough parts left to start building a second enlarger but it wasn't to be

Kind regards Tony