Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/14

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Grain focusing magnifier recommendations?
From: Herbert & Lee Kanner <kanner@acm.org>
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 12:09:11 -0700

I'll risk some sneers by suggesting that y'all consider trying a primitive
gadget.

My enlarger is an Omega B22X.  As far as I can tell, the operative parts
consist of a rigid casting; I can find no provision for alignment
adjustment.  And, as far as I can tell, the alignment is ok.

For years I have used a Patterson grain focuser that only works in the
central region.  When I asked an old pro at Keeble and Shuchat (he retired
last year), he thought that Mitchell's "hocus focus" would be a waste of
money. However, I found that the grain focuser often failed me on color
negatives.  Since hocus focus is carried by Jobo, and is pretty cheap, I
decided to try it.  Ultimately I decided that it and the Patterson were in
perfect agreement, that the hocus focus was easier and faster to use, and
that the hocus focus could be used anywhere in the field rather than being
restricted to the center.

It is just a cute little plastic device with a mirror that throws the image
upward onto a ground surface.  So, the image is far brighter than the one
observed at the easel and makes precise focusing very easy.

Herb
- -- 
Herbert Kanner
kanner@acm.org
650-326-8204

Do not meddle in the affairs of cats,
for they are subtle and will pee
on your computer!
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