I Just got my new darkroom set up!

[Mudman]

I'm thrilled. I had been working with a Meopta Opemus III with its inexpensive lenses, and wasn't exactly thrilled with the results. For a $140 I just got
Beseler 23CII enlarger with an extra bulb
4 negative carriers (35mm, 35mm slide, 6x6, 6x7, I still need a 6x9 for some of my old negs grr.)
3 lens boards with a wollensak 75mm f1.9 (off of an old ollsiliscope apparently), Schneider Xenar 105mm f4.5 and an el-nikkor 50mm f2.8
Gralab 300
8x10 easel (excellent on the borders, 11x14 easel (not the best, but it'll do until I can save up for another), Kodak Darkroom masterguide, Kodak PolyContrast filters for under the lens. I'm using the Gralab for developing, and an old time-o-light that I have for the enlarger. Question on the polycontrast filters - should I use them or save up and get some of ilfords 6x6 and cut them down to fit into the area above the negative carrier, or will the kodak not change image quality below the lens?

I spent the night printing, and the results are excellent, I've been focusing with a grain focuser and I can't believe how much sharper these prints are compared to the Meopta. Orders of magnitude better. I'm extremely happy.
Thanks,

 

[payasam]

I used an Opemus III in the 1970s (still have it in its box), and the results were satisfactory.

 

[MartinP]

The Meoptas are still made, probably one of the most popular brands of amateur enlargers in Europe/FSU. I used one for around twenty years and the only serious limitations were the height of the column (you could take a 35mm neg to about 12"x 16") and the awkwardness of aligning them if they had an accident (eg. moving house, ooops). Using a grain magnifier certainly makes a huge difference, compared to doing it by eye of course !

Various lens boards were (and still are) available, so there should be no problem getting your Nikkor to fit in the thing. Interestingly, there are so many of these available secondhand now that the price, with full accessories, is about the same as a set of inkjet cartridges . . . .

 

[Mudman]

Well I have a feeling that my Meopta had seen better days, and I'm enjoying the beseler much more due to the fact that I can fine adjust everything, and it can make much larger enlargemnets and can take my 6x9 negs. The Meopta did produce satisfactory results, but the Beseler produces better. Or look at it this way - I so disliked the Meopta I stopped enlarging for 3 years. I so like the Beseler, I'm hoping to enlarge again tonight. What ever moves you right? And I did use a grain focuser with the meopta, but it was frustrating in that it would jump around when I turned the handle, not progress evenly. Probably needs to be lubed, but c'est la vie. Also, the negative carrier was a universal glass type, and it was a pain to get it to just frame 35mm, and a bigger pain to keep it clean. And for the price - the lenses paid for the whole thing.

 

[pesphoto]

if you can post a pic of your darkroom.

 

[Mudman]

I'll take a picture or two later. Its a simple set up, just using my bathroom.