Choosing an enlarger - novice questions

Trond · Mar 31, 2018

I worked in a bathroom-darkroom for several years, and it worked fine, with some limitations of course. I used a Meopta Opemus IIa, which is light and compact, on a Ikea kitchen cart. The enlarger and cart was stored outside of the bathroom when not in use. For tray support I used a few boards on top of the bathtub, but since you don't have a bathtub I would perhaps consider putting the trays in a stack to save space (you would probably have to build something for that). For the window I used a light proof fabric which I mounted with velcro.

In Norway, Meopta, Durst and Kaiser were all quite popular. Meopta enlargers are very common and you should be able to get one very cheaply (check finn.no). They are simple and sturdy, but you will probably have to upgrade to a better lens.

If you are having trouble finding suitable equipment, send me a PM and I'll do what I can to help. I know quite a few people in the analogue community in Norway so I'm pretty certain it shouldn't be to difficult to find what you need.

Trond

blockend · Mar 31, 2018

This long after the fact it's about which enlargers come up for sale. A few years ago 5 x 4 wall mounted enlargers were selling for scrap value. Prices are all over the place, from give-aways to top dollar.

If you think you might move to medium format a dual negative enlarger is a good idea, something like a Durst 60 that accepts 35mm and 120 negatives. I'd start with 5 x 7 resin coated paper and whatever lens comes with the enlarger, and just have fun. At that size the image will be sharp and paper is relatively inexpensive. If you get heavily into the black and white print you can invest more, but to build your printing skills any enlarger will do the job.

ac12 · Mar 31, 2018

BTW, if the darkroom has to be disassembled between uses, and you are just shooting and printing 35mm, a small 35mm enlarger may work well. A 35mm enlarger like a Durst M300 series is much smaller and easier to store than the larger M600 series 6x6 enlarger. And don't even think about a 4x5 enlarger. Once I set up my 4x5 enlarger, it isn't coming down, except when I move. I bought my nephew a F30 and that thing was so small, compared to the bigger enlargers that it looked like a toy. But it worked well and broke down into a small easily stored kit. The easier it is to setup and use, the more you will use it.
NONE of my Omega 6x7 enlargers store into anything as compact as my Durst M600. I think the Omegas were not meant to be broken down after being assembled, but the Durst appears to be designed to be broken down and stored.

mshchem · Apr 1, 2018

traveler_101 said:
Thank you very very much everyone for all the useful information - and also the encouragement! It is a difficult situation here - a rather small town house with no basement. Basically the only possible place to work is the first floor bathroom. I see now that some have gotten by with an even smaller space.

Just a few responses in the event any of you are curious - and a question or two more..

Yes, resin-coated paper.

Getting things locally is difficult here. To clarify - I am American, not Norwegian. I read and speak Norwegian; however I find it difficult to find good deals on anything in Norway, but I will try again. Items shipped to Norway are subject to a tariff if they are valued over 400 Kroner ($50) - but getting them from Europe is probably the best best. I am tempted to buy the enlarger in the States and bring it back as luggage - but then we have different voltage systems.

On e-bay I see many examples of the Durst 300 series - looks like the right size. (small); someone mentioned Leitz. Kaiser - o.k. I'll look. I am hoping for small enough that it can remain in the bathroom to minimise the preparatory steps required to get things up and going. Good idea on finding manuals before buying.

Aren't there two types of enlarger head? - is one better than the other? What is this about a colour head? You can use that for b&w - right?

Finally, at this point my goals are very modest. I have built up a small and slowly growing "library" of b&w negatives and would like to print some of them - perhaps to assemble a couple of booklets by theme or put some stuff on the walls. The thought of medium and large format - I don 't think it is going to happen, but you never know. I should have gotten into this back in the late 1970s/early 1980s when I first picked up a manual SLR camera and found I liked photography, but I didn't. have time and money for that then. When the digital revolution came I was instinctively reluctant (though I shoot digital - micro four thirds). I really found it interesting that some people still wanted to shoot film. I got interested in rangefinders and people at RFF convinced that it was possible to develop and scan b&w film. I started buying cameras and lenses - and experimenting with developers. It's fun and (sometimes) rewarding. Now I want to wet print my images. What lies ahead? Who knows? But I am approaching retirement and at that point I might have time enough to expand the hobby.

Buy a nice used enlarger that takes upto a 6x7 cm negative. Don't worry about color right now. Don't worry about light source. Any condenser head with a regular light bulb or a unit with a dichroic filter color head will work. Get a timer for the enlarger, one that you can reliability set to 0.1 sec to 99.9 seconds. Buy a thermometer, 3 trays minimum. A timer for timing print development or use your phone timer. Wait until dark,turn off the lights and start printing . Buy an old Kodak Darkroom data guide . Ilford filters can be fixed under the lens or above the negative. Don't wait get started. You can't be reliant on computers to produce a fine work on paper, get going. Safelight can be as simple as a red led light bulb. Just do it. Mike

John51 · Apr 1, 2018

A Zenith UPA5 suitcase enlarger is an inexpensive stop gap and they are easy to ship. Downside is that the internal foam will be a sticky mess unless a previous owner has replaced it. Not a difficult job, just messy.

It'll be something to play with while waiting for a full size enlarger to turn up, it's (just about) good enough for 10x8 prints.

Hawkeye · Apr 1, 2018

traveler_101 said:
. I had no experience before that. Is it possible to do the same with wet printing or is it too complicated to proceed without any hands-on instruction?

The process is not complicated at all. I am self taught as are many here. I had a book that detailed the simple process and I followed it and quickly became proficient.

Everything you need to know to make prints is on the Ilfordphoto.com site.

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/category/learning-zone/

Ilford also has good youtube videos that demonstrate the process.

https://www.youtube.com/user/HarmanTL/videos

Get your equipment and give it a go. When you have questions, just ask.

It is a buyers market for darkroom equipment. You should be able to get good quality items for nearly nothing.

Svenedin · Apr 1, 2018

Hawkeye said:
The process is not complicated at all. I am self taught as are many here. I had a book that detailed the simple process and I followed it and quickly became proficient.

Everything you need to know to make prints is on the Ilfordphoto.com site.

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/category/learning-zone/

Ilford also has good youtube videos that demonstrate the process.

https://www.youtube.com/user/HarmanTL/videos

Get your equipment and give it a go. When you have questions, just ask.

It is a buyers market for darkroom equipment. You should be able to get good quality items for nearly nothing.

Yes, you can get good equipment for reasonable prices but be prepared to put in some effort. I drove a 300 mile trip (after work!) to pick up an enlarger because the seller was not prepared to ship. I was taught basic darkroom practice at school aged about 16. The rest I have picked up from books and also from APUG/Photrio and the helpful people on here!

ac12 · Apr 1, 2018

KISS
Get a plain condenser head enlarger, to start with. It is easier to learn on. And less things to go wrong, especially important for out of production enlargers.
Some/many of us still use a condenser enlarger.

Svenedin · Apr 1, 2018

ac12 said:
KISS
Get a plain condenser head enlarger, to start with. It is easier to learn on. And less things to go wrong, especially important for out of production enlargers.
Some/many of us still use a condenser enlarger.

Is there any other type

AgX · Apr 1, 2018

See post #21.

Svenedin · Apr 1, 2018

AgX said:
See post #21.

It's a joke AgX!

crumpet8 · Apr 3, 2018

Hey,

I used to live in Oslo, see if Trond can hook you up with an enlarger, the analogue community in Oslo is pretty strong. but I’d also look into Chateu Neuf at Majorstuen. They have a darkroom there and I don’t believe you have to be a student to be a member.

traveler_101 · Apr 4, 2018

Hi crumpet,

Thanks for posting. Where are you living now?

Yes Trond is helping me with advice and might be able to scare up some equipment for me. Right now I am looking at a Durst M300 series and will probably buy it this weekend. The price is right and it looks clean.
Only down side is that it has no other equipment with it.

I am aware of the student organisation's facility at Chateau Neuf, but as I generally work on my photography on weekends I'd prefer avoiding commuting into Oslo on weekends in addition the work week commuting I do. I live in Kolsås.

crumpet8 · Apr 4, 2018

traveler_101 said:
Hi crumpet,

Thanks for po n Kolsås.

Nice! Im in Bergen at the moment, I'll send you a message about the rest of the gear, most likely you can find something second-hand in country

traveler_101 · Apr 6, 2018

Hi everyone, I'm back. Trond and crumpet have been helping me. I now have my choice of two enlargers. One is a Durst M301 "colour filter" and the other is a Kaiser VCP 7002. Obviously the Kaiser wins hands down in flexibility (since it takes up to 6x7) and probably in quality. I have no plans to go beyond 135 film, of course one never knows but at present it isn't in my playbook. My concerns are mainly with compactness and ease of use for a novice. Reading the instruction books of the two enlargers on line has made the Durst seem much easier to operate. And perhaps it is smaller? The vertical rod on the VCP 7002 is a meter high, I have read. That's a bit of a problem. Any additional comments welcome. Thanks.

Svenedin · Apr 6, 2018

Well I'm biased but I'd go for the Kaiser VCP 7002. It's the same size as my 9005 I posted a picture of in post #7. You have the benefit of easily available spare parts and a dichroic multigrade head so no need to mess about with a filter drawer. The enlarger is easy to operate, there really is nothing complicated about it. I use mine on a desk setting down. The light bulbs it uses are readily available (an important consideration). You can take the Kaiser apart for storage in about 2 minutes. One big thumbscrew is loosened and the head comes off the column, another thumbscrew and the column comes off the base.

traveler_101 · Apr 6, 2018

Svenedin said:
Well I'm biased but I'd go for the Kaiser VCP 7002. It's the same size as my 9005 I posted a picture of in post #7. You have the benefit of easily available spare parts and a dichroic multigrade head so no need to mess about with a filter drawer. The enlarger is easy to operate, there really is nothing complicated about it. I use mine on a desk setting down. The light bulbs it uses are readily available (an important consideration). You can take the Kaiser apart for storage in about 2 minutes. One big thumbscrew is loosened and the head comes off the column, another thumbscrew and the column comes off the base.

Thanks for reminding me of that earlier post. Could you do me a great favour and tell me what the enlarger weights (roughly) and the dimensions of the base? I am trying to see whether I can fit it in a closet which is adjacent to the bathroom without taking it apart and reassembling it each time or, if not, whether it is light enough to carry it upstairs to store it a walk-in closet. I am assuming that these bases are provided by the manufacturer and are uniform in diomension.

Svenedin · Apr 6, 2018

Yes it will have a baseboard. I'll go and measure it now. As to weight it isn't that heavy. I am guessing around 15 Kg in total but I never move mine assembled, I always take it apart to move it. My spare enlarger sits happily on some cheap Ikea shelves when not in use (in three pieces: baseboard, head and column). Kaiser do make a number of different sized base boards (and different height columns) to allow for bigger enlargements.

My baseboard is 600mm wide and 500mm deep. The thickness of the baseboard is 32mm (or higher if using the rubber feet which are not completely necessary)

I don't think you have to worry about the height. I sit down at a desk to use my enlarger. With that arrangement there must surely be enough ceiling height? If there isn't I would not be able to stand up in your bathroom!! I do tend to forget though as my ceilings are nearly 13 feet high (3.95 metres).

traveler_101 · Apr 6, 2018

Svenedin said:
Yes it will have a baseboard. I'll go and measure it now. As to weight it isn't that heavy. I am guessing around 15 Kg in total but I never move mine assembled, I always take it apart to move it. My spare enlarger sits happily on some cheap Ikea shelves when not in use (in three pieces: baseboard, head and column). Kaiser do make a number of different sized base boards (and different height columns) to allow for bigger enlargements.

My baseboard is 600mm wide and 500mm deep. The thickness of the baseboard is 32mm (or higher if using the rubber feet which are not completely necessary)

I don't think you have to worry about the height. I sit down at a desk to use my enlarger. With that arrangement there must surely be enough ceiling height? If there isn't I would not be able to stand up in your bathroom!! I do tend to forget though as my ceilings are nearly 13 feet high (3.95 metres).

Thank you very much for your help. It appreciate that you took the time to gather these measurements for me. Good point regarding variations in the base boards and columns. I will need to call the man selling the Kaiser to get the dimensions of his baseboard and the height off the column. But if it is similar to yours then it would have to be disassembled to be stored nearby the bathroom. The width of the base is fine, but the depth of the base extends beyond the width of the table and I cannot go any wider (without impairing traffic movement in the bathroom). That means the enlarger would extend a couple of inches on either side of the table. I don't know if this would be a problem. The height of the bathroom ceiling is 55 inches above the top of the table presently in the room. So if I sit down at the table there should be little problem there.

ac12 · Apr 6, 2018

I would NOT try to carry an assembled MF enlarger, especially up/down stairs. It is just too clumbersome, and if you do not drop it, YOU could go tumbling down the stairs
That is why disassembly can be/is important for a temporary darkroom.

The M301 however is small enough that you can move it assembled.

traveler_101 · Apr 6, 2018

Does anyone have a Durst 301 who can tell me about its size and also about availability of parts?

Svenedin · Apr 6, 2018

traveler_101 said:
Thank you very much for your help. It appreciate that you took the time to gather these measurements for me. Good point regarding variations in the base boards and columns. I will need to call the man selling the Kaiser to get the dimensions of his baseboard and the height off the column. But if it is similar to yours then it would have to be disassembled to be stored nearby the bathroom. The width of the base is fine, but the depth of the base extends beyond the width of the table and I cannot go any wider (without impairing traffic movement in the bathroom). That means the enlarger would extend a couple of inches on either side of the table. I don't know if this would be a problem. The height of the bathroom ceiling is 55 inches above the top of the table presently in the room. So if I sit down at the table there should be little problem there.

It won't be a problem if the baseboard overhangs the table by a couple of inches provided you do not bang into it when you are making an exposure. The centre of gravity is such that the enlarger will not tip over if there is a minor overhang. You will not be able to use the rubber feet for the baseboard in that set up but they are not strictly necessary.

traveler_101 · Apr 6, 2018

ac12 said:
I would NOT try to carry an assembled MF enlarger, especially up/down stairs. It is just too clumbersome, and if you do not drop it, YOU could go tumbling down the stairs
That is why disassembly can be/is important for a temporary darkroom.

The M301 however is small enough that you can move it assembled.

Yes I thought exactly the same about carrying a 35-40 lb object. Still fishing for information about the M301.

Sirius Glass · Apr 6, 2018

A 4"x5" enlarger is too heavy to lift and move around. If it has to be moved into place, move it on a cart.

ac12 · Apr 6, 2018

M301
Lens board:

If you only print 35mm, you just need to get a NEPLA or NEDOPLA lens board for a 50mm lens. Hopefully the enlarger will have it, and hopefully it will be threaded for a 39mm lens (39mm lens thread is the currently more common size). Ask the seller.

Negative mask

Also negative mask, you will want the NEDMA 35, 35mm mask. Same, ask the seller.

I don't know what the Color Filter version is, unless it has a dichroic color head, where you dial in the color filtration.

Sorry but I'm reading a French M301 manual, and I don't read French, so there is limited stuff that I can tell you.
You should be able to get parts easier in Europe than in the US. But Durst is out of the enlarger business, so parts will be on the secondary market or old stock in someones back room. So you want the Durst as complete as possible, to minimize hunting for parts.

More info

Baseboard 14x14 inches.
CLS 35 color head (if this is what you have)

US version takes a GE EKP 30v bulb. I don't know what bulb the 220 version takes, maybe the same.

Choosing an enlarger - novice questions

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