Focomat Ic, should I buy?

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rsosa

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Hi all,

Once again looking for advice here, im offered a focomat Ic for $200, do you think it is worth the money? It is as new.

Wanting to enlarge in B/W for doing some portraits and landscapes, decorating the house and presents for friends.

I know it may not be the best enlarger out there, but its here around the corner and the price sounds good.

thanks in advance

Rodrigo
 
Not sure, need to check, it comes with Focotar 5cm and other not specified lenses, i should go for it you say?
 
rsosa said:
Hi all,

Once again looking for advice here, im offered a focomat Ic for $200, do you think it is worth the money? It is as new.
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Depending upon the variant, condition and what it includes it could be a good deal, a great deal or somewhat overpriced.. Not knowing more... For an "as new" Ic with all the bits and pieces, $200 USD is probably quite a fair price.

That all said.. The Focomat Ic is my favorite miniature film format (suitable for up to 4x4) enlarger---- and I also have a Durst 900 (and a Minox) sitting next to it and a IIc I could set-up. They are quite wonderful as their negative handling is nearly perfect. Desirable Ic features are: large baseboard, easel mounting hardware (and the easel), tall column, elongated lamp house (to allow for 250w bulbs) and negative carriers for whatever sizes you may need. Nearly any 50mm enlarging lens will work but the best is the Focotar-2. The gray housing versions are newer and tend to be more valuable, lacking many collectors, than the older black versions. The large white series Responal (plastic coated) baseboards are too more in demand and have higher resale value but tend to be, in my opinion, less desirable than the older multiplex wood boards with mounting hardware. The mounting hardware is quite useful with the perspective correction tilt for the Leitz masking frames. A number of colour heads are available for the Ic.. and even a version of the Multigrade 400/500/600 heads. While I even have a few heads for mine I tend to like mine best with an ordinary opal bulb. If I need something special I tend to just move over to one of the other enlargers.. (and be constantly reminded just how much better the negative handlng on the Ic is)

I know it may not be the best enlarger out there, but its here around the corner and the price sounds good.
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On the contrary.. What is a better small format enlarger for normal day-to-day use?
 
dfoo said:
the newton glass
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The anti-newton filter is useful and quite good to have but I don't think its that important. I tend to leave them on but..
Also a plus is if it has the filter drawer.
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The filter drawer (model "Color") is, in my opinion, totally worthless. One does not want to enlarge colour on a Ic.. and if so.. not with filters.. Multigrade? Placing filters under the front lens is faster and more convenient..
 
rsosa said:
It really looks like new, and has the wood base and dark gray casing (black maybe)
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See which lens it has.. The absolute most desirable is the Focotar-2.. easy to spot since it says "Focotar 2".. Next comes the Focotar with the writing on the side (not the front).. Followed by the Focotar with the writing on the front.. One does not need to use a Focotar but can use nearly any 50mm be it Rodagon, Componon , El-Nikor or... with or without APO... one can even use taking glass.. Many Focomat Ic enlargers were delivered with Elmar 5cm collapsible lenses for dual use on a Leica II/III camera and on the enlarger..
 
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ok, pulled the trigger on this, will arrange for a visit to the seller and see whats being offered, Anything else i should check besides glass scratches, fungus on lenses, negative holder present etc?

many thanks
 
seller says it has more than one lens, so far so good, lets see what he is really referring too. The filter holder is there with a red one?
totally dont know anything about this. hey the focomat looks pretty cool (i mean it has an artistry look imo)

hope this is a nice find, at least he is not asking $ 2700 as one seller was asking for his M3 & 50mm Summicron.
 
rsosa said:
ok, pulled the trigger on this, will arrange for a visit to the seller and see whats being offered, Anything else i should check besides glass scratches, fungus on lenses, negative holder present etc?

many thanks
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That nothing is broken.. The arms are cast iron.. check for rust, corrosion and have a look at the wiring.. If the wiring is not perfect.. its no problem.. just rewire.. but its nice not having to bother.. See that things are not too dented... that the springs are still springy.. and that the break on the arms (what hold the head in position when you stop squeezing the head control) is OK.. Probably the most important thing to check is the condensor.. It makes contact with the negative.. its the top glass of a glass carrier (the Ic is half glassless or half glass depending upon you view...) and so must be in "perfect" condition...
 
Edward C. Zimmermann said:
...
The filter drawer (model "Color") is, in my opinion, totally worthless. One does not want to enlarge colour on a Ic.. and if so.. not with filters.. Multigrade? Placing filters under the front lens is faster and more convenient..
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I don't know exactly what the drawer is like on the focomat, but I find the one in my Durst really convenient.
 
Filter drawers

Filter drawers

dfoo said:
but I find the one in my Durst really convenient.
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Why? I think the last time I used the filter drawer on my Durst was to insert a neutral density filter in conjunction with a point source. The top of the Focomat Ic is easily lifted--- almost easier than pulling out the drawer---- and a filter can be thrown on the top of the condenser without terribly much effort.. Its really when using packs of filters (such as was once common in colour printing) that a drawer shows its use. I don't think anyone in this forum would have any intention to print colour on a Ic using filter packs---- there is absolutely no advantage to the Ic illumination printing with RA-4 papers. With standard multigrade filters most people tend, unless they need both hands free, to just wave under the lens rather than bother with drawers.
 
thank you guys, thursday is the day ill pay a visit and hopefully pay for the focomat. the owner was so proud of his enlarger, told me he bought the biggest stand available for it (directly from Germany) it sounds it was well cared and negative carriers are included.
He even told me that Leica was a well known brand on those days (I know!! i bought recently my first one, an M4!!!)
Was asked to take some good quality negatives, promised the image was very good... so far so good.
 
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Ok, so bought it, it was really pristine, condenser was there and flawless and lens despite it needs some cleaning (maybe only outside) everything is working fine and enlargements looks good. I think for the state and for where I live it was something like a bargain (consider that in addition to prices in the US, add shipping to Uruguay and wallet bleeding custom taxes)

Thanks for the tips guys, they really helped to check everything was good.
It is a version 1 Focotar 5cm, I will start with that, but, what lenses do you recommend for it that do not brake the bank?
 
rsosa said:
Thanks for the tips guys, they really helped to check everything was good.
It is a version 1 Focotar 5cm, I will start with that, but, what lenses do you recommend for it that do not brake the bank?
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The Nikkor/Nikon EL 50mm f2.8 works well with the Focomat 1c (make sure you remove the 15mm spacer from the original focotar lens and screw it onto the Nikkor before attaching it to the enlarger). It is a great performer, easy to find, and dirt cheap in todays market. That being said almost any 50mm lens will work.
 
dap said:
T(make sure you remove the 15mm spacer from the original focotar lens and screw it onto the Nikkor
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Not all objectives on Focomats have a spacer. Early VAROBs and (enlarging) ELMARs had their flange focal distances matched to those of Leica taking objectives. Recall the design of the enlarger was to enable sharing of a 50mm objective between enlarger and camera. The flange focal is thus ~29mm. A "standard" enlarger lens has a distance at infinity of ~43.5mm thus the need for an extension tube of at least 43.5mm-29mm= 14mm length. As a side effect it allows one to use enlarging objectives as short as 30mm for special applications such as enlarging Minox and 16mm negatives---- to which Leitz also supplied film carriers/masks.
 
rsosa said:
It is a version 1 Focotar 5cm, I will start with that, but, what lenses do you recommend for it that do not brake the bank?
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I advise that you use what you have. The late Barry Thornton used to be quite a fan or the original Focotar. If I recall correctly I think it preferred the it over the double Gauss lenses (Rodagon, Componon, El-Nikkor 2,8 etc.). In the end, stopped down, there is really hardly much difference...
 
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