I never thought the the center of the lens and slide could be out of line.
But I took my lens and lens board in hand an managed to move the lens around
in the lens board hole. I found there is alot of play there. The lens
thread is 50mm and the lens board hole is 52mm in diameter. This is a new
beseler lens board and is supposed to be 50mm. I must have moved it around
while putting it in and out of the enlarger. Thanks for your help. I am
going to try your method of alignment.
Ed Margiewicz
"Dr. Dagor" wrote in message
om...
For the most part my prints are full frame. I am getting one corner
that is
not sharp and in fact it looks like movement. It always happens in the
same
corner.

The importance of lens alignment dawned on me about thirty years after
I started printing. The center of the neg and the center of the lens
need to be aligned. They need to be on center and they need to be
parallel.

There are lots of methods to doing this. Among the current popular
methods is to use a laser. You can make a suitable laser out of one
of the cheap, small laser levels from the hardware store and a penta
prism or right angle prism.

Here's the method I use.

1. Level the easel and place the laser on it so the beam is straight
up. (That's the hard part.)

2. Put a good, first surface mirror in the negative stage, and make
sure it is parallel to the easel (no lens installed). Repeat this for
the lens stage.

3. Install the lens and position the laser so the light is aimed near
the center of the lens. Adjust the horizontal position of the
negative stage and lens to make sure the center of the negative stage
opening lines up with the center of the lens. (Laser, lens, and
negative stage are co-linear.)

4. Put the mirror back in the negative stage. If everything is in
alignment, the laser light should go to the negative stage and back
along the same path -- even if the lens is slightly off center. It
took me a while to realize this, but if the laser light hits the lens
straight on, it should leave the lens straight (at least close to the
center of the lens). If the laser beam hits the mirror straight, it
should be returned along the same path.

Hope this helps.