Enlarger Wanted

[MattKing]

Thank you all so much for the replies and help.

What exactly is this lens board you are referring to? If it has a lens attached to the unit, do I still need to worry about the lens board? Do all enlargers have these? Or are they for specific units?

Each brand and/or model of enlarger will use its own style of lens board or lens mount, except for those few enlargers that just have a permanent thread.
Lens boards/mounts/permanent threads are what you attach the lenses to.
Lens boards are to enlargers and lenses like wheels are to cars and tires.

 

[Sirius Glass]

First one needs an enlarger. Then they will have a better idea of which lens board they need.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Cast your net wide. Omegas and Beselers and Dursts are all excellent enlargers but there were other quality makers out there as well. I managed to score an Ilford 500 enlarger a decade ago from an older fellow five miles away who had to move. I paid $100 and he gave me everything he had in the darkroom -- trays, beakers, tongs, canisters, everything -- he was grateful that someone else was going to pick it all up and put it to work. I don't think that's an unusual experience. It just takes some patience and searching.

 

[Jim Jones]

I used an Omega B22 for a few decades and thousands of prints. Perhaps its greatness weakness (and also a strength) is adjusting the lens mount. It is easy to adjust, and perhaps too easy to get out of alignment.

 

[Bill Burk]

If you find a person with loads of stuff they would give you for $100 and that’s all you got, wait until you see what else they have before you hand over your loot. I once gave someone $200 for their lot (which included a small Durst CLS11 dichroic colorhead), then found out they had a RolleiMarin underwater housing.

I had nothing left to offer and had to leave it there not knowing what they were hoping to get for it.

 

[choiliefan]

I may have missed something but have you tried any of the brick & mortar camera shops in your area yet? Many shops still stock darkroom supplies and usually an old enlarger or two.

 

[Rick A]

Thank you all for your input,

I am not a Facebook user, but my wife is. I'll have her check it out.
I appreciate all the help I can get! Always willing to learn

Rick, Thanks for the offer!

Hopefully I can find something soon

It's Christmas, do a road trip to Pa. Really. It's only 6 hours each way. Seriously!!.

Santa doesn't disappoint!

 

[VinceInMT]

I agree that buying local for something like an enlarger is the preferred way to go but in some places that really can limit what is available. Another option is to use a site like (no affiliation):

https://www.searchcraigslist.org/

and you might find a deal on something that’s worth a drive or, maybe, a seller who would ship.

 

[bwieder]

It's Christmas, do a road trip to Pa. Really. It's only 6 hours each way. Seriously!!.

Santa doesn't disappoint!

haha, I'll see if I can send you a personal message. I am a teacher and get some time off soon.

 

[MattKing]

haha, I'll see if I can send you a personal message. I am a teacher and get some time off soon.

You won't be able to initiate a private "Conversation" until your post count is higher - it is a system wide spam and scam prevention tool - but @Rick A can initiate one with you, and you can respond.

 

[epatsellis]

You may want to touch base with Roberts camera, they likely know of several in the Indy area

 

[bwieder]

You won't be able to initiate a private "Conversation" until your post count is higher - it is a system wide spam and scam prevention tool - but @Rick A can initiate one with you, and you can respond.

Thanks for the heads up! And thanks all for the great feedback!

 

[Philippe-Georges]

Unfortunately you are not located in the EEC...

 

[Rick A]

haha, I'll see if I can send you a personal message. I am a teacher and get some time off soon.

allenrick467 at gmail.com

 

[xkaes]

Decide first what your largest format will be. If you are strictly 35mm or smaller, don't get a medium format enlarger, like the 23C. That's overkill. Get an enlarger designed for your format(s) -- same with the enlarging lens(es).

 

[binglebugbob]

I'd recommend holding out for a Beseler 23C or 23CII. It is probably the most common enlarger, used accessories are readily available. There is still a good supply of new and used parts for them, and they'll print anything up to 6x9cm negatives You're not likely to outgrow it unless you go to 4x5 format cameras. Parts and accessories for some of the older enlargers mentioned are not going to be nearly as common. I have seen Beseler 23C enlargers advertised for between "free, come and get it" to around $100 depending on what it includes. You might get a fairly complete darkroom if you are a little patient.

If you're not in a hurry, one should turn up reasonably soon. If you ARE in a hurry you could place a "wanted" ad on Craigslist or contact a local camera club if there is one in your area. For Craigslist, I'd specify no more than 15 miles away and payment only on pickup to discourage scammers.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Decide first what your largest format will be. If you are strictly 35mm or smaller, don't get a medium format enlarger, like the 23C. That's overkill. Get an enlarger designed for your format(s) -- same with the enlarging lens(es).

Au contraire get one step larger enlarger because there will be times that larger than the negative is needed for printing and more importantly if one is active on APUG then they will be drawn down the rabbit hole to larger formats. When I joined APUG I had been using 35mm for over four decades and I was happy. Then it found myself buying Hasselblad cameras and lenses at then subbargain basement prices. Next I was buying 4"x5" cameras and lenses. Then I descended into developing film in the kitchen sink. Suddenly I bought a Jobo process. Next came an enlarger and a darkroom for color and black & white printing. I was only barely able to pull myself back from the 5"x7" and 8"x10" abyss! Forget the enlarger and run before you descend into economic ruin!!!

 

[bwieder]

As of right now I am a 35mm shooter. I hope to move / try out medium format at some point. But I don't foresee that anytime soon.
Another question regarding Enlargers.. Do the lens' matter much? Do all enlargers have a universal thread mount? I understand some might need a lens board. But they all seem to have threads on the end of the lens.

 

[MattKing]

A really good 35mm enlarger is a great choice. A 35mm only enlarger that is designed for the beginning darkroom worker and designed to a low price point - not so much.
The advantages of the Beseler 23C line are its good quality, its robust nature, its flexibility, and the excellent availability of used enlargers and accessories.
I prefer my LPL 7700 enlargers to the Beseler 23C enlargers. I also prefer my first generation Beseler 67C enlarger (slightly) to the Beseler 23C enlargers.
But If I was starting out, and I came upon a well equipped 23C II or III or perhaps even a 23C I that was in good shape, I would consider myself lucky.

 

[MattKing]

As of right now I am a 35mm shooter. I hope to move / try out medium format at some point. But I don't foresee that anytime soon.
Another question regarding Enlargers.. Do the lens' matter much? Do all enlargers have a universal thread mount? I understand some might need a lens board. But they all seem to have threads on the end of the lens.

Yes - lenses matter.
For 35mm, a 50mm lens is usually best. There are/were many different ones made, and their quality and price varied as well.
Lenses also vary a bit with respect to thread size.
A 39mm thread is the most common - particularly for relatively modern 50mm lenses.
The lenses attach either to the enlarger/lens board/lens mount in two main ways. Some lens enlargers/lens boards/lens mounts are threaded themselves, and the lens screws directly into those threads.
In many other cases, the lens boards/lens mounts have a hole in them that the lens threads protrude through. The lens is attached to the lens board/lens mount by screwing a retaining ring / jam nut on to the threads and thus pulling the lens body into contact with the board/mount.
To give you a sense of how complex this can be for larger format enlargers, and to give you a sense of how many lenses are out there, here is a lens mount reference link for the Omega D5 4x5 enlarger. That enlarger uses plates which attach to boards or turrets, which mount easily and quickly to the enlarger chassis. The enlargers you are considering will be simpler - don't worry!
http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/LensMountD5.htm

 

[xkaes]

If you want a pretty exhaustive list of enlarging lenses, check out:

https://photocornucopia.com/1061.html

And just like with cameras, everyone will tell you that "this enlarging lens is better than that one". Take it all with a grain of salt.

A bunch of tips on enlarging lenses is at:

http://www.subclub.org/darkroom/lenses.htm

 

[Paul Howell]

In most cases a good 4 element is a fine starting point, a 6 element lens is better if your thinking about doing large prints, in the 8X10 to 11X14 range a 4 element lens is just as good. If you like doing smaller prints, 5X7 or 4X6 then a 75mm lens is a good second lens as the enlarger head is at a greater distance from the print giving you more room to burn and dodge.

 

[Sirius Glass]

As of right now I am a 35mm shooter. I hope to move / try out medium format at some point. But I don't foresee that anytime soon.
Another question regarding Enlargers.. Do the lens' matter much? Do all enlargers have a universal thread mount? I understand some might need a lens board. But they all seem to have threads on the end of the lens.

Typically use a 50mm lens for 35mm, 70mm to 90mm for 120 film and 135mm to 150mm for 4"x5".

 

[xkaes]

The enlarger list at Photocornucopia (above) has the rear thread sizes for most lenses. Most lenses have a Leica (39mm) thread, but longer focal length lenses are often wider -- and you need to know what size lens board you can get (or make) for the enlarger you are considering.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The enlarger list at Photocornucopia (above) has the rear thread sizes for most lenses. Most lenses have a Leica (39mm) thread, but longer focal length lenses are often wider -- and you need to know what size lens board you can get (or make) for the enlarger you are considering.

OP, Make note of this, it is important.