Good enlarger that holds 35 and 6x7 ?

K

karlori

Digital Refugee
Local time
8:20 PM
Joined
May 15, 2010
Messages
415
Location
Croatia
View My Gallery
Hi,

I'm on the market for a good enlarger that holds 35 and 120 film. I have looked at some APUG threads and read some local listings but still can't find anything that is working locally.
So I guess i'm gonna have to eat huge shipping costs to start printing at home as I think that the enlargers in our local photo club are mostly not working correctly and in really bad shape🙁. (head sliding white retained, focus slipping etc etc...)
What enlarger and enlarging lenses would you suggest for a home solution, I have the possibility to convert a whole room to a darkroom so the space concern is not really a problem at this time.
Could you be so kind to maybe link to some reading materials or ebay/keh listings for enlargers that you think are worth getting?

Thank you in advance !
 
A Focomat IIc would do both formats. 🙂

I think the basic Omega B22 does both. And Saunders LPL or Durst were other classical enlargers that did multiple formats.

These days, well, if it was North America, you could find enlargers for free. It is more expensive to ship one than to buy one.

Vick
 
Ahel 67 could be also a solution but i don't know the availabilty in your country. If you find one it should be cheap. I bought one locally for 30 euros.
 
I'm not concerned if the enlarger is in the USA or EU, I can't find anything locally so all your suggestions are more than welcomed. Oh I'd like get something that could have spare parts available in the next couple of years.
 
The small Omega enlargers are generally pretty shaky, and aren't that great, short of their 4x5 models. The 22 doesn't take 6x7, anyway.

As noted, the gold standard in this category is a Beseler 23C, and they are incredibly cheap these days. Parts, carriers, etc are abundant. Durst and LPL are both good midrange choices, but make sure you have all the parts, because they won't be easy to find if you don't. Likewise for other obscure brands, which may or may not be good, themselves, but are difficult or impossible to fix or expand if you're missing a neg carrier or lens board.

Yes, the Focomat IIc is the best, if you are independently wealthy. It's basically the quality of a Leica camera, far and above any other enlarger, and costs appropriately.
 
Look out for a (Czech) Meopta Magnifax. I use two of them... Quite a lot of parts still available too.

Beselers are good but calling them 'the gold standard' may raise your expectations unrealistically. They're good, but not THAT good, and availability outside the USA is modest.

Oh: and the last IIc I heard of was GIVEN away.

Cheers,

R.
 
karlori said:
I've found 4 available locally, which model would you recommend ? Magnifax 4 or 6 ?
Both available at around 50$ but no lenses...
Click to expand...

Mine are both 4s: I've never used a 6. For parts, try FotoSkoda in Prague or RK in the UK, http://www.thedarkroom.co.uk/

What sort of head are you after? They're interchangeable: condenser, Multigrade, colour...

Cheers,

R.
 
I was at a camera show in Montreal last weekend. There was a black Focomat IIa there, complete, asking $500. And he would include a free Durst Laborator with the IIa.

My friend bought the Laborator for $100. When we finished packing away the Laborator and finished up making rounds of the show, the IIa was still there.

....Vick


Roger Hicks said:
...Oh: and the last IIc I heard of was GIVEN away.

...
Click to expand...
 
karlori said:
I'm not concerned if the enlarger is in the USA or EU, I can't find anything locally so all your suggestions are more than welcomed. Oh I'd like get something that could have spare parts available in the next couple of years.
Click to expand...

Since you are in Croatia and can not locate one there, I'd suggest you to watch the ebay-Deutschland auctions; sometimes they ship almost anywhere in Europe.

The best one is the Focomat IIc, heavy, huge and still expensive (over €500).

For Europe, Durst and Jobo enlargers are of good quality, comperatively lighter, more compact and these days they go for low prices as most people are trying to get rid of them. Pay attention to the lens/lenses they are delivered with as fine quality enlarger lenses like Componons or El-Nikkors are still sought-after items for close up photography. BTW, I think there should be a lot of Meopta's in your region as they were so popular in the 70's. (Edit: Sorry I haven't seen you found the Meoptas.. Look for the Magnifax models, only they are up to 6X9cm..)


Regarding spare parts: Enlargers do not get broken easily, most of them last decades with no spares need. Rather buy one in excellent condition as most of the models you'd find are discontinued ones, probably having no service anymore.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Mine are both 4s: I've never used a 6. For parts, try FotoSkoda in Prague or RK in the UK, http://www.thedarkroom.co.uk/

What sort of head are you after? They're interchangeable: condenser, Multigrade, colour...

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

Didn't know they had interchangeable heads, I wanted something to buy, setup and print just like on the Iskras and whatnot in the photo club.

I'm looking to print only B&W and mostly in 6x6 and 6x7 format sometimes the 35mm, i don't really have a choice of heads both sellers state only heads for B&W no other details :/ .

Thanks for your time !
 
karlori said:
Didn't know they had interchangeable heads, I wanted something to buy, setup and print just like on the Iskras and whatnot in the photo club.

I'm looking to print only B&W and mostly in 6x6 and 6x7 format sometimes the 35mm, i don't really have a choice of heads both sellers state only heads for B&W no other details :/ .
Click to expand...

Go for it! Make sure the carrier is there. 4s use a glass 'universal' carrier, with either masks (fitted to the carrier), or, if you take the glass out, clip-in inserts for other formats (probably still available) Make sure too that you get at least one lens holder. These are dished plates about 45 mm in diameter with the threaded hole in the middle for the lens (39mm x 26 tpi). They are secured to the head with a little knurled screw.

Check the condensers too. These are interchangeable. You can print 35mm with 6x9 condensers but not 6x9 with 35m condensers. Again, new may still be available.

Lenses are dead easy.

Cheers,

R.
 
Well, by "gold standard" I meant that just about every production darkroom I've ever been in has had at least one. Perhaps I would have called it the Nikon F of enlargers, but I think the Omega D2 should have that title (I was surprised to find only two of those at Ebay right now). The reason you find so many is if you're not doing 4x5, it's a very fast enlarger to use, and tough. I just went to Ebay, and stopped counting at 22 Beseler 23cs for sale, as opposed to, uh, zero Meopta 4s.
 
Karlori,

see these in the Netherlands:

http://link.marktplaats.nl/550331593

http://link.marktplaats.nl/548358403

http://link.marktplaats.nl/542478362

http://link.marktplaats.nl/550362457 (complete dark room with Durst 606, listed as cheap!)


Put the links through Google Translate if you like to get the jumbled-up English version.

Most of these you can have for under EUR 100 I suppose, there's a lot of them listed since NL is so digital-minded nowadays.

Link to the whole shebang on darkroom gear is here, happy browsing!


I can act as a go-between to help you acquire gear if you like.
 
Ill second Roger Hicks suggestion on the Magnifax enlargers especially if one is readily available. The Magnifax is Meoptas largest enlarger, The Opemus goes to 6X6 and the Axomat is 24X36 only.
Best regards
 
buzzardkid said:
Karlori,

see these in the Netherlands:

http://link.marktplaats.nl/550331593

http://link.marktplaats.nl/548358403

http://link.marktplaats.nl/542478362

http://link.marktplaats.nl/550362457 (complete dark room with Durst 606, listed as cheap!)


Put the links through Google Translate if you like to get the jumbled-up English version.

Most of these you can have for under EUR 100 I suppose, there's a lot of them listed since NL is so digital-minded nowadays.

Link to the whole shebang on darkroom gear is here, happy browsing!


I can act as a go-between to help you acquire gear if you like.
Click to expand...

Sorry, none of those will do 6X7 negs
Best regards
 
The most bang for your buck ... the Saunders LPL (the most trouble free I've used) + some used Nikon or Schneider enlarger lenses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Muggins
Enlarger lens mount sizes
Replies
19
Views
1K
rfaspen
rfaspen
P
Bulbs and enlargers
Replies
2
Views
585
titrisol
titrisol
J
Intrepid enlarger?
Replies
1
Views
942
mdarnton
M
Photar
EL lenses for macro purposes?
Replies
6
Views
421
Photar
Photar
P
Paper thickness and testing
Replies
0
Views
394
PetPhoto
P
Back
Top Bottom