Building a home darkroom with a few options.

[ConnorR]

Edit: I believe this should be in Darkroom Equiptment... Sorry! Feel free to move.

I'm looking for the cheap route to a black and white darkroom in my home. I shoot mainly 6x6 with hopes of 4x5 in the future. My sister uses 35mm. I have printed in the school darkroom before and own an 80/5.6 Nikkor for 6x6 printing. I made a want ad on Craigslist and came up with a few people, here are my options:

1)
"I have a 4x5 Omega D II enlarger
The enlarger includes
a lens cone with a 135 mm lens, a flat lens board, carriers.
I'd like 100 for the enlarger, lens, carriers and easel
I can include negative carriers for 35, 6x6 and 4x5.
It has a 135mm lens. I will also include a lens board that you can mount a smaller lens in for 35mm or medium format negatives.
For an additional $20, I can add a 50 or 75mm lens. Mounting a lens on the flat board will require a retaining ring, which I may have, but I am not sure.

The enlarger is in good condition, I was using it regularly until I bought a fancier one a while back.
I have various easels that I can include, your choice."

Price of $100, would still need safelight, trays, etc etc.

2)
"Besseler 67 Enlarger
easel 11"x16"
safe light w/ red bulb
3 packs B&W printing paper..one is open
pack of B&W test strips
2 film spools and tank
lens cleaning tissue paper
Voss enlarger focus aid
Kodak Polycontrast II filter set
pkg. archival preservers to hold negative strips
bag of clips to hang wet prints
Kodak auto tray siphon
dial thermometer (hooks up to faucet)
one black tray
Book..."Into Your Darkroom Step by Step by Dennis Curtin
if I find more stuff..I'll include it

(storage containers & some trays were tossed away last year..badly stained)

All for just $50 FIFTY bucks !"


3)
"I have a enlarger B600, trays, tongs, filters, safe light, paper safe, exposure meter, contact sheet platform. It's for 35mm if interested and I'm in xxxx."
No price yet, but I'll update this thread when I have one.

Which would you guys do? Any advice? Thanks!

 

[MattKing]

1) and 2)

Then you will have something like what I have .

Both are good quality. If you now have or in the future will have room for both, you can dedicate the Beseler to 35mm. Or to colour printing. Or as a light source for paper flashing ...

The Beseler is quite a bit smaller. Accessories are reasonably easy to find on eBay for both of them, although I seem to see better prices on eBay for the Beseler. You can even buy new stuff for the Beseler (it is essentially the same as the current model).

Matt

 

[sidearm613]

I agree with matt. Assuming you have the funds, get both. I love beseler enlargers, even though mine at home is an omega. If I had to pick just one, shoot for the D-2. It will even enlarge 4x5 and the whole D series is just great. However, and this is how I got my enlarger, is that you should make aquaintences and friends of local APUGers or old style photographers. They are great people to know and they happen to tend to be super generous with their old stuff, so if you have patience you could end up with an enlarger and tons of super cool accesories for almost nothing, just a little dusting. Photographers rock!

 

[ic-racer]

1 and 2 are good prices. Get both

If you only have room for 1 enlarger, get the 4x5. D2 is a great enlarger. You can't go wrong with that unless that one has been abused. Get the extra lenses for $20.

 

[ConnorR]

I'm purchasing the D2 tonight. Hopefully I will be able to buy all but the enlarger/easel from the other option. Not enough room for both enlargers!

 

[Bob-D659]

For the $50 buy the lot, you can easily pay $50 for everything else. Besides the smaller enlarger can be stored in a box till you build a bigger darkroom.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

You need the right condensers for the D2 unless it is a variable condenser model.

One can make do with a larger set, but when it come to looking at a print side by side with the proper one, the difference in illumination is easily seen.