any info please!

hairygit · Mar 15, 2010

Hi there everyone. I've just come back to photography after a 30 year break :confused::confusedlast did it at school!) Does anyone have any information about a japanese made "ASTNON" enlarger? I recently bought one on e-bay, but am unable to find any info about it on the net, even google has nothing! What I do know about it is as follws: it looks like an overgrown gnome enlarger, has neg carriers for 4"x5", and 6x9cm and 6x6cm, and has the biggest condensors I have ever seen! Any info would be very helpful, thanks, hairygit

Rick A · Mar 15, 2010

Are you sure of the spelling? Do you possibly have an ASTRON enlarger? There is limited info on Astron, I've never heard of Astnon.

Rick

hairygit · Mar 15, 2010

The label on it definitely says ASTNON, it was e-bay item number 260562486939 on e-bay u.k., have a look at the photos, even looking with a magnifying glass it's certainly astnon! thanks for the quick reply

Rick A · Mar 15, 2010

The Astron looks like your description, an overgrown Gnome enlarger. Don't know what to tell you, except maybe it is a Gnome variant(rebadged)or verse visa.

Rick

hairygit · Mar 15, 2010

possible I guess, but this one says made in japan, I thoght all gnomes were made in u.k?

Rick A · Mar 15, 2010

Maybe a Lucky? Back in the 70's and 80's the Astron brand coveres camera lenses and darkroom gear. Dont know who made them, most likely they just rebranded different manufacturers el-cheapo gear. From what I can gather, mostly sold in Oz.

rick

hairygit · Mar 15, 2010

can't even find a photo on google of an astron, so I can't compare

Rick A · Mar 15, 2010

I found a pic of one from an ebay sale. Did you buy the UK one for .99 gbp ? It looks like a large version of the Astron.

Rick

hairygit · Mar 15, 2010

Yes, that's the one I bought, bargain price, but cost £60 (about $100 u.s) to get shipped here!

hairygit · Mar 15, 2010

Hi Rick

Assuming it is an Astron, would you know where I can get any information on it?

Phil

Rick A · Mar 15, 2010

Check out ebay sale #110504780042 and see if this looks like what you bought.
I cant find any other info for you.

Rick

hairygit · Mar 16, 2010

Hi rick, just had a look at the lucky on e-bay, apart from the general style (overgrown gnome) it is very different in several areas. Any idea how to post photos on here so I can show everyone what it looks like? phil

Ian Grant · Mar 16, 2010

hairygit said:
Hi rick, just had a look at the lucky on e-bay, apart from the general style (overgrown gnome) it is very different in several areas. Any idea how to post photos on here so I can show everyone what it looks like? phil

Go to Advanced reply and scroll down to manage attachments.

I think I've seen the name in a BJP Almanac (which is in the UK), there were once a lot of enlargers either made or imported into the UK which you rarely see second hand now.

Will have a look when I'm back next week.

Ian

hairygit · Mar 16, 2010

Hopefully the photos will have uploaded, so does this look familiar to anyone????

frobozz · Mar 16, 2010

Cursive is funny writing, but I would definitely say that reads "Astron" not Astnon - notice the different forming of the "n" at the end versus the "r" in the middle.

Duncan

Steve Smith · Mar 16, 2010

frobozz said:
Cursive is funny writing, but I would definitely say that reads "Astron" not Astnon - notice the different forming of the "n" at the end versus the "r" in the middle.

I also think it's Astron for the same reason.

Steve.

hairygit · Mar 16, 2010

definitely possible, do you know anything about astron, any info would be very useful!

Anscojohn · Mar 16, 2010

hairygit said:
View attachment 17394

View attachment 17395

View attachment 17396 Hopefully the photos will have uploaded, so does this look familiar to anyone????

******************
It definitely looks like an enlarger my wife bought, used, for me in 1972; it was labelled Bogen in this country. My understanding now is that it was one of the ubiquitous Japanese Lucky-made enlargers.

hairygit · Mar 16, 2010

Thanks for that John. Did it work okay? I paid the equivalent of $1.50us for it, so obviously don't expect Durst quality!

Anscojohn · Mar 16, 2010

hairygit said:
Thanks for that John. Did it work okay? I paid the equivalent of $1.50us for it, so obviously don't expect Durst quality!

************
It worked great for me. It did not have a filter drawer, and I could not afford under-the-lens filters at the time, so it forced me to tailor my exposure and development for use with graded paper.

Although I have two other enlargers now in the darkroom, I shall not part with the Bogen, which is packed away. It was a loving gift from my new bride when we were penniless graduate students and it has too much sentimental value to me.

The trick I learned from it was to make a very inexpensive foot switch and to be sure to let the enlarger "settle down" before making an exposure, thus to allow any minor-movement to disapate after I had made any adjustments.

hairygit · Mar 16, 2010

Anscojohn said:
************
It worked great for me. It did not have a filter drawer, and I could not afford under-the-lens filters at the time, so it forced me to tailor my exposure and development for use with graded paper.

Although I have two other enlargers now in the darkroom, I shall not part with the Bogen, which is packed away. It was a loving gift from my new bride when we were penniless graduate students and it has too much sentimental value to me.

The trick I learned from it was to make a very inexpensive foot switch and to be sure to let the enlarger "settle down" before making an exposure, thus to allow any minor-movement to disapate after I had made any adjustments.

Thanks for that John. Mine has got a filter drawer, on the right looking from the front. I bought it to do 6x9cm negs, as I had already bought 4 others after being told they would do all medium format negs, and none of them did bigger than 6x6cm! So next thing is to try this one, at least it has 6x9 neg carrier, as well as 6x6, and 4inch x 5inch, so here goes!

Ian Grant · Mar 16, 2010

If it's a 5x4 enlarger then it's possible there was a supplementary condenser lens for 6x9 and 6x6, I had one for my Johnson's V4.5.

The Astron advert is coming back to me, I can picture the Green coloured typeface, I think they were imported by J.J.Silber they were the UK importers for Canon, Halina, Praktica, Praktina and a lot more companies from the late 50's until the 70's or 80's.

I'll check in a few days.

Ian

any info please!

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