Very old enlarger - any informations?

[dkphoto]

Hey guys,

a friend found a very old and huge enlarger on his grandpa's attic.
It's probably from the 1940s or 1950s, has a Friedrich München 135mm F4.5 lens and was manufactured in Munich/Germany.


I don't know if it still works (the lens seems to be pretty foggy and hazy to me).

Does anyone have some more detailed infomations about this beast?
Is it wort anything?


Some high resolution pictures:

https://pickhost.eu/images/0004/9376/PICT0562.JPG

https://pickhost.eu/images/0004/9375/PICT0558.JPG

https://pickhost.eu/images/0004/9374/PICT0557.JPG


So, thanks in advance and happy new year! 🙂

 

[The Standard Deviant]

I doubt it's worth a lot. It may be usable out of curiosity, but if you wanted to print it'd be worth getting something much more modern. With that lens you'd also be limited to medium format.

 

[Tom A]

I dont know this specific enlarger - but enlarging technology has very much remained the same for almost a century. Value wise - not much, but you could put it to use for yourself. Just a clean up and check the wiring and bulb and condensors. The lamphousing is impressive too.
Most enlargers are pretty well standardized as to the lenses and you might be able to put a 50 or 60 mm lens on it for 35mm negatives. You can print 35 with the lens on it - but you have to get that lenshousing quite a way up to get anything larger than a 5x7 or 8x10 print.
It also looks like it is built like the proverbial brick outhouse.

 

[ChrisN]

135mm enlarging lenses are most commonly used for the 4x5 (inches) format.

As to value, no enlarger is worth very much these days, unless it is desirable to someone who wants to print in the darkroom. 4x5 enlargers are less common than those for the smaller formats, but even if you found someone who wants it I'd expects the monetary value to be small.

 

[dkphoto]

Big Thanks everyone for your help!

I dont know this specific enlarger - but enlarging technology has very much remained the same for almost a century. Value wise - not much, but you could put it to use for yourself. Just a clean up and check the wiring and bulb and condensors. The lamphousing is impressive too.
Most enlargers are pretty well standardized as to the lenses and you might be able to put a 50 or 60 mm lens on it for 35mm negatives. You can print 35 with the lens on it - but you have to get that lenshousing quite a way up to get anything larger than a 5x7 or 8x10 print.

I guess it would be nice to use (or at least try) this monster, but i just don't have any room for it.
Plus i don't have a 4*5 Camera. Only 6*6 an 35mm.

It also looks like it is built like the proverbial brick outhouse.

It does, it does 😀
I haven't seen the enlarger live, but i suppose it's pretty heavy.

 

[farlymac]

Big Thanks everyone for your help!



I guess it would be nice to use (or at least try) this monster, but i just don't have any room for it.
Plus i don't have a 4*5 Camera. Only 6*6 an 35mm.




It does, it does 😀
I haven't seen the enlarger live, but i suppose it's pretty heavy.

I was thnking more on the lines of an atom bomb. I've seen old catalog photos of those before, but don't reacall a manufacturers name. That lens is pretty well hazed over. The enlarger would make a great conversation piece, like the long-roll TLR I have. And with a low wattage bulb in it, it would be a great night light. Unless you get into 4x5. Then it's worth every penny and minute you spend getting it back into working condition.

PF

 

[dkphoto]

I was thnking more on the lines of an atom bomb. I've seen old catalog photos of those before, but don't reacall a manufacturers name. That lens is pretty well hazed over. The enlarger would make a great conversation piece, like the long-roll TLR I have. And with a low wattage bulb in it, it would be a great night light. Unless you get into 4x5. Then it's worth every penny and minute you spend getting it back into working condition.
PF

Yeah, it does look a little bit like "Little Boy".
Pretty scary 😀

The idea with the night light is fantastic. I'll tell my friend about it.

The lens seems to be extremly haze, i doubt that it's possible to clean it.