Have you ever shipped an enlarger?

[Leica All Day]

Hello everybody, I am visiting San Francisco next week and I am thinking about purchasing an enlarger and shipping it back to my place in Bangkok. Is there a problem with taking the base board off certain enlargers and then putting them back on? I am not so sure what enlarger I may purchase, but something along the lines of a bessler 23cII ( I would love to get a Leica, if the price was right)....And if anyone can recommend a good enlarger that can be easily broken down and shipped, please let me know. Unfortunately, I am having trouble finding an enlarger locally....thanks....Michael

 

[nyx]

It shouldn't be a problem. Every enlarger I've seen could be broken into 2-3 main pieces and shipped. But try to get dimensions/weight and compare them to limits of the shipping company.

Up to something like 6x7, enlargers are usually pretty compact.

But it might be necessary to send those pieces as separate packages. My enlarger was shipped in three packages - fortunately with one company together, which kept the price reasonable - but that might not be an option in your case.

 

[Leica All Day]

Thanks nyx for the info.....I appreciate it

 

[eli griggs]

If you can live with a small enlarger, the all metal Leitz enlargers and the Durst would be my choices. I currently have a 23cII, my second, a pair of Durst M600 and a Leitz Valoy II as well as others and the 23c would be my last choice to chance shipping of any enlarger I've owned, because of the possibility of racking and other annoying set-up problems.

The first 23cII, which I owned from brand new, I moved four times in three years, before it was stolen, and I had trouble of some sort with it every time.

The mono-column design and the fact the Durst and Leitz are designed to be easily broken down and set-up, often for small, part-time darkroom set-ups, make them ideal, IMO.

As I'm sure you know, the Valoy is a 35mm and smaller format machine so if you want medium format with a Leitz, you'd need to look at the Leitz Focomat II or IIc, an enlarger that I believe is significantly larger and definitely more complicated than the other metal Leitz tools. I don't know if there are any other metal Leitz that will do medium format, the Focomat IIc is the one I see mentioned most often and I am looking for a low cost example for myself.

Good luck and Godspeed, Eli

 

[eli griggs]

I forgot to mention, one of my Durst was shipped to me cross-country, an eBay purchase, in original Styrofoam packing and a broken bulb, carelessly left in the light-head, was the only damage. A hard shell Samsonite suitcase from Goodwill would be ideal, again IMO, for packing one of these small enlargers for shipping.

Whatever you buy, pick-up some extra bulbs from http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/
they're fast, inexpensive and have a great selection with good info.

Eli

 

[Leica All Day]

Hello Eli, thanks for the info.....cool, I feel much better now about breaking down an enlarger and shipping it to Bangkok...can you recommend a Durst model that can print 35mm and 6x6 negatives......also could you recommend a Leica enlarger for doing 35mm negatives.....I am aware of the Leitz focomat II but I think it might be a little expensive and difficult to find given that i will only be in the states for 2 weeks...... thanks again....cheers, michael

 

[maddoc]

I recently received an Durst M601 with CLS66 color-head. The Durst is modular designed, the condenser (or light-diffuser for the color-head) and lens-carrier can be swapped when changing from 135 to 120 so make to sure to get the correct parts.

Simply by loosening two screws this enlarger can be broken into three parts, base-plate, column, and head. Since it is a quite stable all-metal construction, the complete enlarger is quite heavy.

I have seen a couple of these in the recent weeks selling on eBay in the 50 euro range (complete and sometimes including timer and lens but without shipping cost).

Good luck for your search !

Gabor

 

[PMCC]

The nice thing about the Leitz Valoy II and Focomat Ic is that they are designed, absent damage, to be in permanent alignment. If you have to take them apart, as for shipping, and then reassemble them, so long as you do it correctly you don't have to worry about realigning all the components that should be parallel. That's not necessarily true of Omega D and Beseler 23c enlargers (what Eli said). The Valoy II was the last manual enlarger Leitz made, and the Focomat Ic was an automatic enlarger. They are both pretty nice to use. I had a Ic sent to me cross country and it came in three huge boxes, one for the baseboard, one for the column, and one for everything else. It helps to have an exploded diagram to reassemble it, or else the assistance of someone who has worked with it (I lucked out in this regard). If you opt for a Leitz enlarger, about which I have only good things to say, make sure it has the negative carrier and the anti-newton glass that fits on the condenser, two pieces that are hard to replace if they go astray. There are extensive model variations, and I like the Focomat Ic models that have a built-in filter drawer over the condenser (Ic "color" model, late). This make VC printing a bit easier. The medium format capable Focomat II models are truly beasts and would be major projects to disassemble, pack, ship and reassemble, but with planning and determination i'm sure it can be done. A place to look at new and vintage enlargers in the Bay Area is the darkroom department of Keeble & Shuchat in Palo Alto. The last enlarger made by Leitz I believe was an automatic model called the Focomat V35, and it looks like a stand-up hairdryer. I don't have any personal experience with it but since it is relatively recent I think plenty of people here can comment about it.

 

[eli griggs]

Michael, the Durst M600 will do both 35mm and 6x6 formats. For 35mm only, the Valoy I or better yet the II or IIc will serve nicely.

The II is what I have and the IIc has a drawer for filters. PMCC is right about getting the negative carrier with the enlarger and if you get one that does not have the Anti-Newton glass, make sure it has the bronze/copper(?) condenser sleeve that slightly lifts the condenser off the negative to avoid A-N rings.

Make very sure there are NO scratches in the condenser as well.

Also make sure the enlarging lens extension tube is there and if there is no lens, the six element Nikor 50mm F2.8 has been mentioned as a good match for the Leitz.

Something I've noticed is the 75W bulb that some places sell for the Valoy is the same as the one for the Durst M600 but that's a longer neck bulb and IIRC, these were designed for a short necked light, like the one that came with my (second hand) Omega B66 Pro. Off-hand I'm not able to recall the nomenclature of what I believe should be the correct bulb but if you'd like I'll look latter this afternoon and post here. These are common enlarger bulbs and easy to come by.

If you do get a Valoy, you may pick up a bargain if the power cord has not been replaced yet. These are about the only thing that goes commonly wrong with this enlarger, as built, and the Leitz socket is VERY easy to rewire, something you may have to do when you get it home anyway.

You may also run across a Valoy with a replacement baseboard. If so, why not leave it behind to save on shipping weight/space and find something at home when it arrives. If you have a generous suitcase, you could fit the enlarger head and column into your checked luggage, though security will surely want a second look, another good reason for chucking a ratty cord.😛

I've mentioned elsewhere that my Valoy came without a board and I had a 3cm thick, polished granite slab tapped for the column base fixture. Now it is as steady and vibration free as, well, a rock, so... if you have to put a new board on whatever enlarger you get, think about granite, soapstone, whatever can be had flat, smooth, heavy and pierce-able, it'll solve the shakes for sure and might not cost much more than what you'll save by leaving the baseboard in the U.S., just don't drop the condenser or lens on it. 😉

Cheers

 

[Leica All Day]

A BIG thanks to Gabor, PMCC and Eli (once again), you guys have given me excellent information on what to look for......the search is on......thanks for all the good tips on what to look for.....cheers, michael.......

seriously, you guys have saved me a lot of time and countless headaches.....

 

[tbm]

Take the enlarger you buy to a Mail Boxes, Etc. location and they will expertly prepare all the components for you completely for safe transfer. I used them to send a condensor enlarger to my sister and it arrived wonderfully packed and sealed and in perfect condition. Additionally, I bought a Saunders dichroic enlarger from a studio in Chicago several years ago and they, too, took it to a nearby Mail Boxes, Etc. for perparation and shipping, and it arrived at my house in Los Angeles in perfect condition.

 

[Leica All Day]

Thanks tbm for that tip....once I find an enlarger and recieve it, I will start shopping around on how to ship it to Bangkok, or perhaps I will put it in a goodwill suitcase and bring it on the plane with me (I usually travel light).....the search is on......thanks for the tip about Mail Boxes Etc., they could save me a lot of time and grief......cheers, michael

 

[eli griggs]

I should have mentioned this earlier; remove the condenser if you get the Leitz, and pack it safely in it's own little nest. The Leitz is designed to sort of 'pop-out' and you don't want that happening in transit, whatever way you use to get it home.

If you get the Durst, use some tape to secure the condenser and the light compartment cover to the head.

Eli

Eli

 

[Al Kaplan]

Get an Omega B-22. It has a single angled column and it's a sturdy design. If you'll be printing larger than 11x14 get the B-22XL. It'll go to about 16x24 on the base board. It has a taller column and larger baseboard.

 

[Leica All Day]

Thanks Al for the suggestion on the Omega........I will be in Miami for a week over the Christmas break............any suggestions on places that I might check out when I am back(besides craigslist/evilbay)? Loooking forward to being back for a little bit........cheers, michael

Get an Omega B-22. It has a single angled column and it's a sturdy design. If you'll be printing larger than 11x14 get the B-22XL. It'll go to about 16x24 on the base board. It has a taller column and larger baseboard.