Negative stage

The negative stage is a term from photo technology .

It is the part of the enlarger into which the developed film (negative or slide) is inserted or passes through for enlarging. In order to ensure that the film is perfectly flat, it is usually fixed immovably between a fixed lower and an adjustable upper glass plate .

There are negative stages for just a single (fixed) film format (e.g. 24x36 mm, 6x6 cm, 4x5 inch) or for framed slides and those with adjustable masking tapes with which cut-outs can be masked and enlarged (sometimes also reduced in the case of larger formats) can.

The condenser , usually as a double condenser, and the lamp or, if necessary, the color mixing head with diffuser are located above the negative stage ; under the negative stage the magnification - Lens .