Anybody used the upgrade kit? I've been offered a Beseler Printmaker 35 in very good condition, but I want to be able to do 6x7, so I'm wondering if the kit is worth the extra expense or if I'm better off looking for another enlarger.
I may be the last person to ask, because I have three quite robust 6x7 enlargers - one old-style single large column Beseler 67 and two LPL 7700s.
But the Printmaker 35s always seemed to me to be very light duty machines, and adapting them to 6x7 seems a stretch.
When I am in this kind of a situation I ask myself several questions:
1. Do I have the room in the darkroom for this enlarger AND it's replacement?
2. Is the cost of the upgrade kit less/more than a used enlarger specifically designed for 6x7? ei: 23c or 67CS or other brand 6x7.
3. Will I ever have a need to enlarge 6x9 negs? which means 23C enlarger.
4. Is this a passing fad (trying 6x7) or are you committed to the format? Which means you will want a very sturdy enlarger such as the 67CS with the double girder frame such as what the 23c is built on.
I am sure there are other considerations to think about.
If you can get the Printmaker for little cost and later upgrade to a heavy duty enlarger you can set up the Printmaker for contact sheets if you have the room.
You might find the Printmaker upgrade items on the used market but it may take a long time to find them.
When I am in this kind of a situation I ask myself several questions:
1. Do I have the room in the darkroom for this enlarger AND it's replacement?
2. Is the cost of the upgrade kit less/more than a used enlarger specifically designed for 6x7? ei: 23c or 67CS or other brand 6x7.
3. Will I ever have a need to enlarge 6x9 negs? which means 23C enlarger.
4. Is this a passing fad (trying 6x7) or are you committed to the format? Which means you will want a very sturdy enlarger such as the 67CS with the double girder frame such as what the 23c is built on.
I am sure there are other considerations to think about.
If you can get the Printmaker for little cost and later upgrade to a heavy duty enlarger you can set up the Printmaker for contact sheets if you have the room.
You might find the Printmaker upgrade items on the used market but it may take a long time to find them.
Most of my work these days, apart from 35mm, is 6x7. I don't have the room at the moment for a dedicated darkroom—will come, but not now—so was asking about this as a temporary solution, since the Printmaker 35 doesn't take too much space.
The Printmaker would work very well for you if you don't mind the high price of a new upgrade kit. You might also consider the Omega C700, it was a direct competitor to the Printmaker 35 and it also does 6x7. They show up used on Marketplace or Craigslist on occasion.
I still have a fully equipped Beseler 67 - the one with the massive single column - which remains in storage because of how much space it requires.
My LPL 7700 enlargers take much less space, so one is currently on my rollcart in the den, waiting to be transported to where I use it whenever I set things up for darkroom work.
I've never heard of that upgrade kit, and even if it exists, changes are it's hard to find. Instead, I'd be looking into compact 6x7 enlargers. All enlargers can be had at give-away prices nowadays. Start a thread asking, "Looking for a compact 6x7 enlarger. Any suggestions?
You might also consider the Omega C700, it was a direct competitor to the Printmaker 35 and it also does 6x7. They show up used on Marketplace or Craigslist on occasion.
I'd skip it and look for an actual 6x7 enlarger. The Printmaker's a pretty janky thing, stamped-steel column, rattly (it was my first enlarger, still have most of it in the attic). If you find a 67c, it uses the same lens boards and neg carriers and you can do 16x20 with it. Very sturdy and some alignment points as well.
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