Enlarger Advice

Hello,

I have been recently playing with film more and more and having a great time. I recently learned how to develop B&W and want to take it to the next level and learn how to print.

I'm looking for some advice on an enlarger.

I'd like to keep cost down as I'm not sure if this is a passing phase, or if I'm going to keep doing this. I will use for 35mm and maybe MF someday, but probably not larger. I will never print color.

I see several enlargers for sale in my area such as Beseler 23C and Omega, but I have no clue what I am looking for. My Step-Dad is very good at this and he has Durst that he converted to a "cold light head???" and says I definitely want one with a "cold light head". Is this really important? It doesn't seem like too many I see for sale have this.

Also, anything I need to consider depending on using graded paper vs. variable? He uses graded, but I don't know if it makes a difference which enlarger I get when considering which paper type to use.

Lastly, it needs to be somewhat portable as I will have to do in a bathroom for now and will likely take everything back down to the basement when I am done. If I decide I like doing this, I will create a better darkroom place, but I'm not going to go through the expense and effort until I know I really enjoy this.

Thanks in advance for any advice and/or suggestions you may have.

I've just set up a darkroom for the first time, so my advice is limited but probably relevant. I would say, if you have a basement where you can store the gear, then set-up down there and forget that you have no running water for now. It does make things easier, but its not essential. When printing you only need 4 trays with the final being water hold/wash. But you can then just take the prints upstairs to wash them properly - they're easier to carry than an enlarger! Certainly if you are wanting to do MF, then the enlarger is going to be quite large and heavy and you *definitely* don't want to be carrying it about. I've never used a cold light head, but as I understand it, the benefit is there is no heat transfer to the negative which can then be in a glassless carrier (less surfaces for dust). Personally, I would go with whatever turns up at the right price. You can always trade later.

I had a Besler 23C before I got an Omega to be able to do 4x5. Either if in good condition and properly set up and leveled with the base board should serve you well. A consideration should also include which is being sold with the better lens if otherwise equal. You can always buy another lens. I have used both a condenser and cold light and have been using an Aristo variable contrast light source for a number of years. Light source and paper choice end up being personal preferences. Variable contrast papers have the advantage of needing less inventory of paper and being able to expose different areas of a print at different contrasts. Either enlarger can be used with vc filters. If possible room for six trays would be best ( develop, stop, fix 1, fix 2, clear and water hold or wash). Lastly, you don't need running water in the immediate area although it is more convenient.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

There are many inexpensive condensor head enlargers, some use incandesent bulbs. There is nothing wrong with them. For beginners I recommend variable contrast paper, resin coated for convenience. Variable contrast filters that slip into a filter drawer or a set for under lens. Omega makes a C-700 that will work for 35mm thru 6x7cm, the most common medium format sizes(6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7)and is light weight but stable and sturdy. You can find them cheap or buy a new one as they are in current production. Invest in quality lenses for the machine, you won't regret spending for good glass.

jhgnag said:

... My Step-Dad is very good at this and he has Durst that he converted to a "cold light head???" and says I definitely want one with a "cold light head". Is this really important?

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Be careful - people always advise others that they should buy something just like the one they have: it is often the only thing they know; it validates their choice - and why wouldn't they have made the best choice?; and if it turns out to have been a lousy choice - well, misery loves company.

Good advice usually takes the form: "I had an A, I replaced it with a B, didn't really like the B so now I have a C. But I think a B might be the best choice for you." [Assuming, of course, they aren't just trying to sell you their old B.]

Cold light heads are an acquired taste: some swear by them, some swear at them. They are probably not the best choice for someone just starting out. A 'diffusion head' enlarger will bring the supposed benefits of a cold-light head without the headaches. Identical prints can be made with condenser enlargers, diffusion enlargers and cold light enlargers - though each will need a slightly different grade of paper to produce matching prints. Identical prints can also be made by adjusting the negative development and using a single grade of paper.

There are a lot of used enlargers on the market. Some choices are:

Durst made some very nice compact enlargers that would enlarge up to 6x6cm negatives. The problem with Dursts is they often require odd accessories like LAPLAs and WTFIIs that can set you back the price of the enlarger. Make sure it comes with all the bits you will need: lens boards/adapters, negative carriers and condensers. If you need an enlarger you can put in a drawer at the end of the day these are likely your best bet.

Saunders/LPL enlargers are also very nice. They are diffusion models - so instead of the condenser sets you will need the complete set of 'light chambers'.

Beseler 23's are very common. They are cruder than Dursts or LPLs but they also have a certain cockroach toughness to them - you can't kill them. You can not put them away when not in use [or not easily].

Omega made the very nicely made 'B' series back in the 60's. Though long in the tooth, if in good condition, they work well and accessories are easy to find on ebay. Omega made a newer family of MF enlargers in rather a bewildering array of models: some are condenser, some diffusion.

Meopta enlargers are another good choice, again make sure it comes with all it's bits.

You will want to start out using variable contrast RC paper. Graded paper no longer comes in a wide variety of grades and so you need to be very good with your exposure and developing technique and produce nearly perfect negatives. VC paper can usually pull a reasonable print from a train-wreck of a negative. RC paper processes faster with less fiddling - a good choice as it lets you see the finished product quickly so you get feedback on your work while you may still remember what it was you did when making the print.

VC heads let you dial in the paper contrast when using VC paper. However, the same results can be had with VC filters than either go in the head or under the lens. It is also possible to use a color head for VC paper, but you often can't get the full range of contrasts.

Rick A said:

There are many inexpensive condensor head enlargers, some use incandesent bulbs. There is nothing wrong with them. For beginners I recommend variable contrast paper, resin coated for convenience. Variable contrast filters that slip into a filter drawer or a set for under lens. Omega makes a C-700 that will work for 35mm thru 6x7cm, the most common medium format sizes(6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7)and is light weight but stable and sturdy. You can find them cheap or buy a new one as they are in current production. Invest in quality lenses for the machine, you won't regret spending for good glass.

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I would second the suggestion to look at the C-700, they can be picked up used very inexpensively. If space is a constraint, there is a version with a papersafe and an easel built into the baseboard. I used to teach B\W photo classes from my home darkroom and we had a few of these for students, they worked well for what they were. I used one in a bathroom darkroom for 6x6, and it performed OK.

Welcome aboard!

I've also just set up my first darkroom. I have a Meopta Opemus V and find it a good enlarger for a beginner. It's easy to use, fairly robust and not too heavy! The split line focusser is useful. I can't comment on others, though, since I only have experience with the Meopta.

For 35mm work you will want a lens in the 40-80mm range, although with an 80mm lens you may be limited as to the size of the prints you can make so 50-65mm is probably optimum for 35mm work. You will of course need a negative carrier for 35mm negatives.

If you can get an enlarger with a colour head, VC head or with separate multigrade filters then I suggest variable contrast (multigrade) paper initially because that way you onlly have to keep one type of paper on hand. With graded papers, you would need to keep several different grades since you can't print all negatives on a single grade with good results.

Good luck and enjoy,
Andrew

35mm = Leitz Valoy or Focomat, with a newer lens preferably, which makes the Valoy perhaps the better choice as the auto focusing cam on the Focomat will become a bit inaccurate with a newer lens

These two Leitz enlargers are now very cheap and are an easy size for storage and carrying, forget a 5x4" enlarger for the bathroom, that is silly

My advice to people since I started teaching photography in 1976 is that your enlarging lens is the most important lens to spend well on and buy quality - The logic is that this lens is the bottle neck through which the quality of all your other lenses has to pass - If anyone disagrees with this they are wrong, totally utterly wrong

Now have fun and try several paper types, starting with variable contrast and find your own path - Don't blindly follow the preferences of old photographers, except me

John

There are many good basic enlargers to start with, Bogen, Durst, Vivitar. I see a lot of enlargers on C list, this AM a Vivitar that works with 35 and 6X6, a not a great unit, but at that price you can upgrade if you really want to invest. Timers, safelight, trays, filters, and other needed equipment can be quite costley.

I've got a Printmaster 35 enlarger in great condition that I need to sell. PM me if you're interested.

AM a Vivitar that works with 35 and 6X6, a not a great unit

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I wouldn't disregard the Vivitar V1. Its a sturdy, well made piece of kit, and the dichroic head has a unique "lightpipe" which totally insulates the neg from heat, hence no problem with glassless carriers. OK, it's what I have.....

Everyone, thank you for all the posts and comments. I have a lot to learn, but feel like it's time to just dive into this. I forgot to mention my Step Dad is a wonderful resource, but he's 2000 miles away. He has a freezer full of his graded paper and the older Tri X 400 which is great for him. He's convinced the developing time on the newer Tri X is too short. I told him to try developing it for 6:15-6:30 in HC110 (his developer), but he's pretty well stocked up on what he's been using for 40 years.

So I understand I should just start with the variable contrast paper (especially since I don't have a freezer full of the other stuff). To use the variable contrast, I need filters. Does a color enlarger accomplish the same thing? There's a Super Chromega D Dichroic II Enlarger for sale on Craigslist in Denver that looks like it's in good condition. Again, I have no plans of ever printing color, but would the color enlarger be a good choice to use with the variable contrast paper?

Mr. Rusty, I have plenty of space and a HUGE basement. It just has several, large window which is why I was leaning toward the guest bathroom, but I guess I can figure that one out.

If anyone has a chance, I'd love to know what you think of any of the enlargers on Craigslist in Denver. There is also a 23C II for sale on eBay in Loveland, CO (a couple hours from me) that looks to be in good condition. I tried posting the link, but I guess I don't have enough posts to let me do that on this forum. What do you think?

My step-dad emphasized the lenses also. He recommended Nikon EL or Schneider.

I feel like I'm going backwards with all this, but digital is losing becoming less and less satisfying.

Thanks again.

You are sure to have lots of fun with a b&w enlarger setup at home. Try looking for a complete set if you don't have accessories such as trays, safelights, timer, grain focuser, etc. these will usually save you a bit of money than buying separate and get you started right away.

I also had an omega c700. It's a nice light enlarger with a smaller foot print that can handle up to 6x6 or 6x7 I forget as I didn't have the carrier for mf. I gave mine away last year when I moved over to my lpl setup which I use now. Good lenses are also plentiful and affordable now. Good luck on your hunt!

I started real slow, went to tons of garage sales, the last hour (Sat or Sun) for those with enlargers/darkroom equip, and got some great gear for great prices; momements before they were trash bagged. At a glance of Denver CL there are some sales this weekend, that worked for me well. At a glance of your communities Craig's, some stuff looked a lot of $($200+) others didn't look like all the gear was there (neg carriers, lens(es), baseboards, etc).

You can print B/W with a color head or not, you can print VC on either so long as you have a color head to adjust the filters or use VC filters. Or use graded paper like your father in law, it is still for sale, check Freestyle Photo...


Welcome to analog! Ask questions away, this place is a great resource!

Hello;
I have a enlarger you could have for free, this was given to me. Yes I live in the Denver area and if you send me a PM a phone number will be provided. Believe it is an Vivitar, good condensors, 50mm lens, 35mm & 6 X 6 carriers, filter drawer, and the light bulb even works. Steven.

Yes a colour head will allow you to use VC papers without needing multigrade filters, although you may struggle to get the most contrasty grade (V) because some colour heads cannot give sufficient magenta filtration. Also with colour heads there may be more exposure variation between different grades since the multicontrast filters are designed to (roughly) balance the exposure between different grades. I use a colour head this way and in practise I haven't found either issue to be a problem.

snederhiser said:

Hello;
I have a enlarger you could have for free, this was given to me. Yes I live in the Denver area and if you send me a PM a phone number will be provided. Believe it is an Vivitar, good condensors, 50mm lens, 35mm & 6 X 6 carriers, filter drawer, and the light bulb even works. Steven.

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Hard to beat the price, especially if you're just trying the darkroom on for size.
Windows can be covered with cardboard, foam core, plywood, blackout cloth. Just about anything that keeps the dark in.
If you insist on using the bathroom, I'd stay away from the 4X5 machines. They're not convenient to move up or down stairs. If you take it apart to move it it becomes a Royal PITA.

Omega DII

When I was getting started I bought a used Omega DII from an older gentleman for $150 with a couple lenses, tilt legs, easel, and trays. Just look around you for somebody selling an enlarger for cheap and try it. But make sure it is in good condition, no rips in the bellows, and is relatively clean. After I got mine I had to clean the glass. Nbd.

Agreed on the digital becoming less satisfying, that's why I went analog. I still shoot digital too.