Andreas_23
Thank you very much for the link to the supplier of the original brochure from 1955. I ordered it straight away.
The lens is certainly very tight-fitting, and I didn’t want to use any more force. As it doesn’t have an iris diaphragm, but instead you can set the fixed values of 1:4.5 and 1:11 using a slider on the camera, it may well be that it is actually permanently fitted. I’m sure the brochure will help me further.
Thanks again
and best regards!
Andreas
naturalborncoder
Hello,
I also own a Liesegang RajahOS.
Have you found any further information about the device? I’m naturally keen to find out as much as possible about it.
Best regards,
naturalborncoder
Andreas_23
Hello naturalborncoder,
I’ve prepared an abstract of my findings on the Rajah OS for *Photographica Cabinett* (the society magazine of the Gesellschaft für PhotoHistorica e. V.). I’ve attached the full text of the article. The references to the photos are, of course, no longer valid, but if you own one of these devices yourself, you’ll know what it looks like.
Best regards,
Andreas
The Liesegang Rajah OS
A typical example of 1950s technology and design is the Liesegang Rajah OS enlarger.
Rajah is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘king’ or ‘ruler’. The company brochure picks up on the significance of the device’s name and describes the Rajah as an enlarger that allows the owner to become the ‘ruler’ of their positives. And the shape of the lamp housing, with its characteristic period-typical curve (Figure 1), can certainly be interpreted as that of a mitre, even if the green hammered finish doesn’t quite fit the bill.
The upper part of the lamp housing, which can be removed without any further release mechanism (and therefore tends to come loose of its own accord during transport), houses a 75-watt opal lamp, the light from which falls onto a single condenser lens with a diameter of 60 mm (Figure 2). According to the company brochure, this results in ‘perfectly even illumination’ of the negatives. However, this is not always the case, which is why the instruction manual advises turning the lamp hood with the bulb until the image area is evenly illuminated.
One component still found on modern enlargers is the bellows connecting the lamp housing to the film stage. This is glassless and accommodates only 35mm films. An adjustable mask allows the film window to be limited to the 24 x 24 mm format. A nice touch is that the upper film holder clicks into place for easier insertion of the negatives. Focusing is carried out as usual via a friction wheel on a stainless steel rod.
The most important component of an enlarger for the quality of the photos is, of course, the lens. The Rajah OS has a similarly tiny lens permanently fitted. The lens diameter is only approx. 14 mm, the outer diameter 20 mm. It is a Peplostar 4.5/50 mm, a three-element lens ‘of the highest correction, all of whose elements are fully coated’ (company brochure).
Using a small lever on the front, the lens can be stopped down to the working aperture of f/11 (Figure 3). There are no other aperture settings. In the middle position of the lever, an orange filter is swung into the beam path. One would search in vain for a filter drawer or a swivel mechanism for other filters – multicontrast papers did not yet exist in 1955.
The focal range of the Rajah OS allows for a maximum enlargement of 8x, i.e. up to approximately 18 x 24 cm. One shouldn’t expect much more from the 3-element lens, despite its ‘highest correction’.
Even after 50 years, the Rajah OS is still usable, provided one limits oneself to using fixed-grade paper. Overall, however, modern enlargers offer greater ease of use and, when fitted with high-quality lenses such as the Rodenstock Rodagon or the Schneider Componon, also better image quality at larger formats. Thus, despite all its qualities, the Rajah is left with nothing more than the role of a decorative historical artefact bearing witness to a proud, 150-year-old company tradition.
naturalborncoder
Hello Andreas,
I wish you a Happy New Year for 2009!
Thank you very much for your reply; it’s rare to see such a well-thought-out response in a forum :rolleyes:
Could you also tell me what is meant by ‘working aperture’? What are the two aperture settings on the camera for?
Best regards,
naturalborncoder
cfb_de
Hello and Happy New Year!
The two aperture settings work as follows:
- Wide open: For focusing
- Closed: "Working aperture" for carrying out enlargement work
More sophisticated enlargement lenses allow for several "working apertures", as is also common with photographic lenses.
Best regards,
Franz
