Free AGFA Variomat (220v)

[Doug Richardson]

Free!! Just pay shipping.

Currently not working, but might be me as I have no instructions. Comes with some spare bulbs.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I hope the software in the Variomat has been updated (insert smiley face for those people who might think I am serious):

variomat

Information on vulnerabilities for: Variomat

cve.report

I wouldn't click on any link on the above page...

But how is thing used? I googled and got no joy. And what does the colander in the upper left corner do?

 

[Doug Richardson]

I am not 100%, but was told that this was used to make mass produced images. The dots, as my best guest, was used to even out the exposure. I am sure that someone on here has more experience with it and can weigh in better than me.

-Doug

 

[titrisol]

Interesting piece of darkroom equipment

Agfa Labor | udospickmann

www.udospickmann.de

Agfa Variomat – Wikipedia

de.wikipedia.org

 

[Doug Richardson]

Last chance to get this for free before it goes in the bin.

-Doug

 

[titrisol]

Where are you shipping from?
if it is CON-US I'll bite

 

[Doug Richardson]

I can ship USPS via my military APO box. Just shoot me your zip and I will get you a quote.

-Doug

 

[Xylo]

I must admit that it's a fascinating piece of gear. It was probably groundbreaking when it came out.
Here's the translated wikipedia page

The Agfa Variomat was an exposure frame for the photo laboratory. With it, the exposure of the photo paper in the positive process could be automated for the first time. For this purpose he had a built-in exposure meter in the housing. A complex circuit of electron tubes and relays switched off the darkroom lighting and switched on the enlarger at the same time. If the device was carefully calibrated, the Variomat automatically switched off the enlarger and switched on the darkroom lighting after the correct exposure time had been reached.

At the time, this represented revolutionary facilitation and state-of-the-art photo laboratory technology. The Agfa Variomat C model was already suitable for the Agfacolor positive process – the processing of color images.

The trademark was registered in 1954.[1]