Compact enlarger?

[jasonjoo]

Hey folks,

I've started developing my own b/w negatives, but I realized that developing the negatives probably isn't as fun as developing prints. The first few rolls were fun, but now I really want to start making my own prints!

My "darkroom" is a larger-than-normal bathroom. I'm not sure how many square feet, but it's fairly large. I'm sure I could fit an enlarger in there, but still want to minimize the amount of space I take up. Any good suggestions? I shoot both 35mm and 120 film. While I would mainly be making smaller prints, I would still like the ability to print up to at least 12x18 or if possible, 16x20 (though I don't think I would print this big often, I would still like the option to do so). However, if this is not possible in limited amount of space, then 8x10 would suffice. As a rough estimate, I have a 4x4' area to place an enlarger.

Any suggestions in regards to setting up a darkroom for prints would be helpful as well. I understand that I would need trays, a rack of some sort to place the prints to dry, and squeegees. Aside from that, this is all very new to me, but I will do a search here first before asking more specific questions.

Thanks!

Jason

Edit: Actually, the largest print I would make would probably be 8x10 and a rare 11x14. I'm really not familiar with these ratios as I've been mainly a 35mm shooter and printed at the 2x3 ratio. However, 8x10 will probably be my limit. Anything larger and I'll have a pro lab do this for me. Thanks!

 

[Nick Zentena]

What format for the 120? The Omega B66 or B22 will handle up to 6x6 and is fairly small. If you need larger then the enlargers get bigger.

 

[jasonjoo]

Sorry Nick, I shoot only 6x6 (at the moment!).

Thanks for the suggestion.

Jason

 

[Jon Shiu]

I like the Saunders LPL 670 VCCE enlarger. Dial in filtration for contrast. Can do 16x20 on the baseboard.

For drying prints you can hang them on a line with clothes pins.

Jon

 

[bdial]

Durst has (had?) several compact enlargers that cover up to 6x6. Some of them are quite cheap on ebay. Another good source, better than ebay, for enlargers is Craigslist.
One nice thing about the Dursts I'm familiar with is that they knock down easily if you're doing a temporary set-up.

 

[David Brown]

What format for the 120? The Omega B66 or B22 will handle up to 6x6 and is fairly small. If you need larger then the enlargers get bigger.

I second the B22 for 6x6. If you want a color head (dicroic) for contrast, the Chromega B is essentially the same machine with a dicroic head. And, they go for next to nothing - one can hardly give them away (for some reason?). There is also the Chromega C, which will go to 6x7.

Anyway, they're all readily available. Just be a little patient and get a good deal. That is: make sure the enlarger has all its parts. Maybe the right neg carriers, too. Lenses are something else, but you might find a package with good leneses, too.

ALso, don't overlook the Beseler 23C - it can handle up to 6x9.

 

[jasonjoo]

Thanks for your suggestions. I posted another post on how to make prints in the darkroom forum and many people suggested the Beseler 23 as well. Seems like that is the enlarger of choice for a beginner!

I'll start hunting on Craigslist very soon

Jason