Enlarger for half frame 18x24

[John_A]

I got a Lpl 6600 b&w enlarger for free. It seems that Omega/lpl still sells accessories for it but I havent found a mask for half frame negatives (if there ever was such a thing availible?).

Should I make a mask insert for the 135mm tray, or is it better to find a dedicated 18x24hf enlarger, since most of them goes for peanuts anyway?

I know durst m301 came with 18x24 accessories, but there might be better options around?

 

[AgX]

Wherer there ever enlargers dedicated to 18x24 ?

 

[Dr Croubie]

http://www.khbphotografix.com/LPL/LPL6700Series.htm
There definitely were carriers for 110, 126, and 1/2 135, KHB lists them as out of stock though. You never know what fleabay might turn up if you're patient.
For a free enlarger, there's no harm in trying a regular 135 with a cardboard mask, or there's always the universal carrier.

 

[Simonh82]

If you can find Durst half frame accessories, it might be worth seeing if you can fit them in your enlarger.

I got some durst negative masks along with my LPL 7700 and I can fit the 35mm one into the universal mask in place of the glass. I use it if I'm having problems with newton rings.

Alternatively a universal mask with adjustable blades would probably work too.

 

[summicron1]

just mask the carrier you have with a couple of snipped pieces of a business card. Rack the enlarger head up a bit higher, there you are.

I do this with my Focomat all the time. Half frame, minox -- no biggie.

 

[NB23]

I have a dedicated half-frame negative holder for my Focomat V35. I'd love to use a half-frame camera one day... Seems to be the easy solution for diptych photography.

 

[moltogordo]

I have both a big Chromega D 4x5 Dichroic, and a Saunders LPL 6600 as well. I've been trying to get a half-frame negative carrier for the 6600 for some time. I do have one for the 4x5, and so I usually use it when doing my Pen F negs. But these carriers don't come up very often.

I shoot a lot of half-frame, and I've found that a regular 35mm carrier in my 6600 is just fine if I want to use it - it holds the half-frame neg just as securely as the full frame, as long as it's in a strip. Just put the neg in the middle of the opening, and you'll be good to go.

For critical sharpness, use a glass carrier, but that can lead to a lot of spotting and so forth, unless you're a dust nazi, which I'm definitely not.

I'd recommend, also, looking for a 35mm f2.8 Rokkor lens to mount on your 6600. It was meant for half-frame, and oboyisitsharp!!! I picked mine up mint on Evibay for $80 and it was worth it. Getting that much closer to the baseboard means additional stability, and you should be able to easily do an 11x14 on the baseboard with this lens.