DURST Laborator OR Pictochrom OR DUNCO

Please, help me to choice enlager to print from ILFORD & MACO B&W films.

I mean, I use it only for B&W print and dimension of prints are from 30x30 to 60x60. However, I no need 60x90 desk, just set enlager to table or mount directly on wall.

Currently I use Hasselblad 503CW with CFE & CFi lenses,
Rolley and Fuji 67 with Fujinon lenses. 95% of my work are on 6x6, some are on 6x7...

What model are tecnically excellent for prints are from 30x30 to 60x60:
DUNCO Model II-7CVC/XL67
DURST Laborator L900
DURST Laborator 138
Durst PICTOCHROM 12 x 12 cm Profi Elite

Some model have lenses, linked to device, some have internal colormeter, including timer, etc...

If price does not have a weight, what is best choice for QUALITY if use Rodenstock APO enlager lenses?


Sorry for stupid newbies question. Before this time in Kyiv (UKRAINE) i use only DURST 138 with color head CLS 301. In capital of Ukraine is ONLY 2 of this enlagers and one of this are broken. And no chemistry in official photostores... Digital world...

And sorry for bad English.

Dear Sergey,

I'd be VERY wary of Durst, because parts are difficult/impossible to get new for Durst enlargers that are no longer in production.

Dunco are good.

If you can find one, consider De Vere (still made in UK, parts still available).

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

I own a Rodenstock Apo Rodagon 80 which is truly awesome doing big enlargements, for about 60 cms/23 inches from 6x6 I think you can do it as well with any other modern lens. For the enlarger, giving that list I'd go for the Dunco.

Roger Hicks said:

Dear Sergey,

I'd be VERY wary of Durst, because parts are difficult/impossible to get new for Durst enlargers that are no longer in production.

Click to expand...

The units might be not out of production but there are loads of parts around.

Dunco are good.

Click to expand...

To compare the Laborator class--- or even more extreme the Pictochrom--- to Dunco is like to compare a Tata Indica to a Bently Continental.

If you can find one, consider De Vere (still made in UK, parts still available).

Click to expand...

Are you sure? I was under the long standing impression that DeVere went belly-up a bit over 10 years ago. A few of its employees went solo with the stock of parts and service contracts and created Odyssey Sales but its all, if I'm not mistaken, old stocks.

Between DeVere and Durst upper-tier mechanical enlargers I think its a toss. I would not bother with the computer controlled models such as the Pictochrom or the DeVeres with the ZBE heads as both are prohibitivly expensive, when possible, to service. That's here in Munich and not the ex-USSR. Pictochroms are cheap right now since as soon as a board fails they are little more than expensive to dispose of scrap metal. When they work they are cooler than cool but ...

In 6x9cm and smaller format film my favorite Durst is the DA-900 (which is what I use) followed by the Laborator 900. The L138/139 or even L1200 I find less than useable with miniature films. Its equivalent DeVere, the model 203, is not in its league and is not as flexible. What makes the 900 so nice is that I can quickly change condensors, go from point source to opal, use a Dichoic colour head, Ilford Multigrade 500 head or cold light--- switching takes well under 1 minute. On the other hand, between the Durst L1200 and DeVere 504 I prefer the DeVere hands down. If you are not doing 5x4" then I not bother since they are both, I find, less nice to work with in MF than my DA-900 or a L-900.

In optics.. Forget the APOs.. They don't really deliver much.. save the cash.. If you are only doing 6x7 and want to save a LOT of cash.. then I'd even look at an Agfa Varioscope..

If you, on the other hand, you want something NEW.. and really considered Dunco.. then have a look at Kienzle.. The Kienzle enlargers are nice and well built.. hardly much more expensive than Dunco or Kaiser but a large leap.. and at a less than Durst new prices..

Great thanks for all! I'm really happy

Good day for all!

At the first, great thanks for all for help. All posts are very important for me. I read each. And thinking on each. Thanks for help.

At the second, God send to me present and now I ready to pay for Pictochrom with 3 Rodenstock lenses. Great condition.
I understand all technical "bottlenake" (electical issues, no lot of spare stocks, big age of enlager, big price for spare parts, old age of light sensor, etc.).

But quality of B&W print is more important for me. Any printers know some "bottlnake" in B&W printing 60x60cm on this model?

Great thanks for help.

Dear Edward,

Yes, I'm sure De Vere is still in business, and they are still making new enlargers as well as refurbishing old ones. Odyssey acquired De Vere in 1995 and (unlike Durst) supply new parts to order: you don't have to hunt about in scrap-heaps. That's why I have a De Vere 507 head on my MPP Micromatic: a cretinous shipper broke the filters on my Durst 138 head and they were not replaceable. Personally I would never touch a Durst again. Nice people but zero product support for out-of-production enlargers.

I last visited Odyssey/De Vere before their last move (to Brighton) but have no reason to believe that they have ceased production: I still see them at the trade shows. A telephone call to Brighton confirmed all that I have just written: they ARE in business.

For an economical, solid, easily levelled enlarger, the Meopta Magnifax is probably impossible to beat. I have two, both with Meograde VC heads since we gave up 'wet' colour printing -- one of them used to have a colour head.

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)