When projecting onto the floor for very large magnification, how does one focus? Two people (one to focus, one to use the grain magnifier)? View the image through binoculars -- mine don't focus close enough? Some other clever methods? TIA Mitch

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 10, 2000

Answers

Using a helper is the least aggravating and fastest way of doing this.

An alternative is to focus approximately by eye and try adjusting the height of the easel with shims.

Alas, lacking the experience, I know of no elegant way...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), September 11, 2000.

Patterson used to make a special grain magnifier for this purpose--it was much taller than the usual one. I've got no idea if it's still available. Also, either from Omega or by someone for Omegas there was once a extension device for the focus knob that worked like a filter wrench with a very long handle--maybe you could cook up something like that.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 11, 2000.

I checked on the Patterson unit, and it is available from B&H at $62. I'll order it and see if it works. Thanks for the help. Mitch

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), September 11, 2000.

Get your negative up to the size you want it and focus as best you can. Then remove the negative from the enlarger and substitute a piece of clear film with a couple of nice, fat, black lines or some other pattern you've drawn with india ink or a Sanford marker. With the lens wide open, this should give you something you can see to focus. Then put your neg back in and print. I've not printed this way, but I can focus the lines at a distance of about 12 feet.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), September 14, 2000.