Any thoughts on enlargers for a bathroom darkroom?

Chris Nielsen · Dec 30, 2008

Hi all

I'm dead keen on getting my first enlarger - I already develop, now I feel it's time to start printing - this whole scanning then inkjet printing does nothing for me but it's all I have. Currently 99% of what I shoot is 135...

Anyway, the only practical space I have available to use as a darkroom is my bathroom. I've seen lots of advice on the net that says I should get an enlarger to suit the largest negs I might in future do, but I've looked at the larger models and they look a lot less portable than the 35mm ones. Portable is important as I will have to remove it between darkroom sessions and it looks to be a lot harder to move the larger ones around.

Any thoughts??? Should I just grin and bear it and get a bigger enlarger?

Thanks all...

glbeas · Dec 30, 2008

A Beseler 23C enlarger is not much bigger than some 35mm enlargers and is pretty easy to pick up and carry around. If theres a camera store that sells the old stuff nearby you could go there and heft a few different styles and see what you like/

Chris Nielsen · Dec 30, 2008

glbeas said:
A Beseler 23C enlarger is not much bigger than some 35mm enlargers and is pretty easy to pick up and carry around. If theres a camera store that sells the old stuff nearby you could go there and heft a few different styles and see what you like/

Thanks for that. Prob is I only know of 1 place that might sell stuff like that, been there and they have any number of overpriced camera bodies but not a lot in the way of enlargers. Unless someone on this forum living in Auckland can point me to a better place than Auckland Camera Centre I'd be grateful....

Pinholemaster · Dec 30, 2008

Beseler 23C is a great machine.

Chris Nielsen · Dec 30, 2008

I've had a look on the net for those and they seem like the ticket, just gotta wait for one to come up on the local auction site.. Or something similar. I'm overwhelmed with the options, to be honest, and most people are wanting horrific amounts of money for any enlarger that's not complete crud. So much for the old story about enlargers being all thrown away, seems there's demand after all. Who knew....

Anscojohn · Dec 30, 2008

The 23 C is a great machine; but unless your bathroom is much larger than any I have seen, my own thought is that something with a single girder would be preferable. I knew a fellow who shot all over the U.S. in ye oldene dayz and did all his printing in hotel bathrooms with a 35 mm Paterson. For many years I used a little Bogen 35, aka Lucky, by wedging the baseboard under the faucets of the bathroom sink and using the sink as a work surface. Be careful of chrome fixtures reflecting unwanted light; and be sure housemates have full use of the bathroom before you set up to print. BTW, I used the back of the water closet as an anchor point for a plywood plank; the other end resting on a wooden bar stool with enough photographic magazines stacked on it to bring it level. This held my trays. Fixed prints went into the bathtub filled with water.

Arvee · Dec 30, 2008

I picked up a Durst M300 about a year ago for $20. It looked like a toy it was so small. Well, I cleaned it up and put it online and it does a fine job next to my 23CII. I can't tell which enlarger produced which prints. It only does 35mm but it does 35 extremely well. I think the M301 is nearly the same. Plus, you can easily break it down and store it in a small cabinet.

Just my .02,

-Fred

jmxphoto · Dec 30, 2008

I have a Beseler 23C II for a darkroom I plan to build in the basement. Well with a pregnant wife and the birth of my second child this year, building a darkroom was too ambitious for 2008. I still *needed* a darkroom so I turned to a smaller bathroom in the house which is "mine". There is a decent size cabinet in it but the Beseler would have been a tight squeeze. I ended up combing fleabay for something to tide me over. I ended up with a Lucky 90M which is almost identical to a Bogen Super Pro. I cost me $45 shipped and came with a bunch of accessories. It handles up to 6x9 negs. Here it is in action:

grezs · Dec 30, 2008

Meopta enlargers are nice and very portable and very reasonable new and a steal on eBay. The Meopta site has an enlarger dealer listed in Auckland - Photowarehouse.

Chris Nielsen · Dec 30, 2008

So you lot don't think I'd be doing myself a disservice by starting with 35mm only? I guess if it's cheap who cares if I have to replace it later, I suppose...

ChrisPlatt · Dec 30, 2008

Get the sturdiest, longest column model you can afford and have room to store.
Buy a name brand so negative carriers and other accessories will be easier to find.

I bought an Omega C700 condensor enlarger for 35mm and 645; it does up to 6x7.
The enlarger was inexpensive and I found all the accessories I needed on eBay.
I keep it in a bedroom closet when not in use in my bathroom darkroom.

Chris

ford prefect · Dec 30, 2008

some of the smaller bogens will do 6x6

jmxphoto · Dec 30, 2008

Chris Nielsen said:
So you lot don't think I'd be doing myself a disservice by starting with 35mm only? I guess if it's cheap who cares if I have to replace it later, I suppose...

I wouldn't go 35mm only. Personally I'd want something that'll do around 6x7. Then again, I prefer shooting MF. The single column models are managable and are about as inexpensive as smaller format enlargers. The versatility would be worth it to me.

Venchka · Dec 30, 2008

The most space efficient print developing solution would be one of the Jobo print drums. The 2830 does 8x10s and the 2840 will do 2 8x10s or one 11x14. Use a Uniroller or Beseler base to spin it. Of course there are Beseler and Unicolor drums around as well. I have a Jobo 2840 and Beseler drums. I prefer the Jobo and the base doubles for film processing. Bogen made several small enlargers. I saw one recently on ebay USA. New in the box, Buy It Now for $80. It may still be there.

Happy New Year!

Wayne

Chris Nielsen · Dec 30, 2008

There was a Bogen listed here a month or two back that I somehow missed when it went up for auction. Seemed perfect for me and I'm grumpy I didn't see it. Looks like it went for about US $100 with 5 lenses.. Now at least I have some idea what I'm looking for so I can keep an eye out, before I was a bit overwhelmed with all the different models...

thanks all..

Stan160 · Dec 31, 2008

When I had to work in a bathroom, I mounted a Meopta Opemus 6 (which can handle up to 6x6 negatives) on a kitchen trolley: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nord_modular/155597970/

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 31, 2008

Look through the long "darkroom portraits" thread for photos of many different darkroom arrangements, including one of my dark/bathroom setups, which included a 4x5" enlarger in a very tight space.

I was able to use an Omega DII 4x5" enlarger in a dark/bathroom that still had to function for its original purpose by putting the enlarger on an old typewriter table with wheels. Since the baseboard was much larger than the typing table (though in general, the older Omegas have smaller baseboards than many 4x5" enlargers), I added a second set of four rubber feet to the baseboard, thinner than the original feet, so that it could sit solidly on the table on the new feet, but I could still use it on the original feet on a larger table, as I do in my current darkroom. The table fit perfectly over the commode, and I could just wheel it in and out as needed.

Chris Nielsen · Dec 31, 2008

@Stan160: Nice photo there, pity I don't have half that much room. I'm sure I'll find a way to make it work, I'm getting desperate to start printing...

@David.. Thanks for that, I will have a look at that thread and see what I can learn

Thanks all..

Claire Senft · Dec 31, 2008

I would make certain that the toilet paper stays in place.

JBrunner · Dec 31, 2008

Starting with the biggest enlarger you ever plan to need is good advice, but then again if you are going to be waiting around for it, you won't be doing much printing in the meantime. My advice is to find a 35mm enlarger cheap and local to you that fits the bill, and get printing. Then you bide your time looking for your dream machine while you build your skills. You will also learn more about what your dream machine might be.

jmooney · Dec 31, 2008

Try and find one with a toilet roll holder built in.

singram · Dec 31, 2008

Just get something and start printing

I found an auction on E-bay for a Durst M601 with timer, trays, easel, lens. At $119 this will get you everything but a safelight and chemistry. I'm sure there are cheaper setups, but this is one I found this morning.

As far as equipment goes, don't worry about used stuff. I acquired most of my darkroom equipment from darkrooms that were closing up, or extra stuff. Everything from my enlarger, to the trays, timer, graduates, steel reels and tanks etc. are all used and at least 20 years old. Just take care of the stuff and it will last a lifetime.

Getting a cheaper enlarger now gets you learning faster in the darkroom as well. There is a learning curve, and I am still learning. It isn't as easy as Photoshop on a Mac .

steve

Sirius Glass · Jan 2, 2009

I recommend that you get something larger than 35mm because G. A. S. happens. Besides what about your other 1%?

The larger the enlarger, the more stable the image will be. Small enlargers can have vibrations that cause blurring.

Get as large an enlarger as you can afford that will fit in the space allotted.

Steve

Chris Nielsen · Jan 2, 2009

Thanks for all the helpful advice!!! I know that if I get a 35mm enlarger the moment I hit the 'buy now' button a 6x9 one will instantly appear. I also have realised I *do* plan to go more seriously into MF, so I'd be wasting my money on a 35mm only model.

I'll keep waiting and watching local auctions. In the mean time my car needs a cambelt and my laptop needs a hard drive. Both are more pressing than an enlarger, sadly.

ChrisPlatt · Jan 2, 2009

You might find something free (or nearly so) on your local craigslist.

Good luck,
Chris

Any thoughts on enlargers for a bathroom darkroom?

Chris Nielsen

glbeas

Chris Nielsen

Pinholemaster

Chris Nielsen

Anscojohn

Arvee

jmxphoto

grezs

Chris Nielsen

ChrisPlatt

ford prefect

jmxphoto

Venchka

Chris Nielsen

Stan160

David A. Goldfarb

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Chris Nielsen

Claire Senft

JBrunner

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jmooney

singram

Sirius Glass

Chris Nielsen

ChrisPlatt

Any thoughts on enlargers for a bathroom darkroom?

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