Found a Durst 1200 for sale locally....worth getting?

[sperera]

as some of you may know I'm setting up a darkroom and the most important item i need now is the enlarger.....I shoot up to 4 x 5 format......

......what you guys think of this.....for sale 2nd hand - Durst 1200 (with its condensors for black n white the seller says.....so i need to ask which head right??? so which should I be hoping it has!?) + Schneider Componon-S 50/2.8 + Schneider Componon-S 80/5.6 + Schneider Componon-S 150/5.6....plus some other darkroom bits and pieces....going for dollar equivalent of about 1,250 US dollars

 

[sperera]

oh and what questions should I throw at the seller.....about the bits i need to hit the ground running and not have to buy extra stuff.....THANKS!!!!!

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi !
The Durst 1200 is a very fine piece of kit.
As the lenses provided cover from 135 film up to 4x5, I suppose it has the whole set of condenser (fine because they are EXPENSIVE).
Look at the negative holder : it may have glasses (an anti newton ring above and a plain one under the negative OR a set of metal mask tailored to the format of the negative being printed. You may get the lot of metal masks and the glasses for the carrier.
Have a look inside the lamp house to check the lamp holder and the mirror finish.
Last but not least, these Durst enlarger where awfully expensive when new, but 1250 USD seems a tad high for me unless it has been totally overhauled and the lenses are modern and perfect Schneider .... Art that price tag ask for a waranty and run away if any lens has imprefections (fungus, marks, and the like...)
Have a nice day !

 

[blaze-on]

That's high by about 2x...

I got mine 3-4 years ago with the 501 color head, and most accessories for $500.

 

[36cm2]

I agree with Georges. The price may be a bit high, but it may just be because of where you're located and the availability of these enlargers there. I got a fine example with all the bits that I needed for $500, but New York is a great market for this stuff. In terms of what to look for:

There are three Durst enlarger head options: (i) CLS501 (dichroic color head, most versatile), (ii) VLS501 (Diffusion head designed for use with variable contrast papers, great if you will ONLY do black and white work), (iii) Femokit B/W (condensor head with opal lamp, lower end model I would assume).

Mixing boxes - If you have the CLS/VLS system you need mixing boxes that diffuse the light and output it correctly for the size of film your printing. FEMOBOX 450 (4x5 film), 69N (6x9 and 6x7 film), 66N (6x6 film), 35N (35mm). You can get away with using larger sizes for smaller formats if need be. I have only the 450 and the 69N and their fine for me for 4x5 down to 35mm. Make sure there are no scratches on these at all.

Condensor combinations - I don't know much about this, because I don't have a condensor head, but I believe that if your model has the condensor head, then you need a FEMOCON 151 condensor for 6x7 to 4x5 film and a FEMOCON 80 for 6x6 to 35mm film.

Negative carrier - The unit should come with a FEMONEG negative carrier. It's a square frame with a hinged top and a couple of slides on the side that move two masking strips inside the unit. As Georges mentioned, it will be accompanied either (i) by two glass carriers (FEMOGLA AN (anti-newton) for the top and FEMOGLA (normal glass) for the bottom, or (ii) by a series of masks that can be dropped into the unit. If it has only the masks, then be sure you have the masks you need for the formats you will develop (the available options are FEMOMASK 35N (24x35mm), 45N (4.5x6cm), 66N (6x6 cm), 67N (6x7 cm), 69N (6x9 cm), 92 (9x12 cm), 450 (10x12.5 cm) and S (special sizes). I have seen many debates on whether negative holders with glass or or without glass are better. I would say with glass is better, even if more difficult to keep clean.

Lens boards - You'll need lens boards for the varying length lenses you may use. I believe the most common are LAPLA42 (for 150mm lens, 4x5 film printing), LAPLA39 (for 80 - 135mm lenses, 9x12 to 4.5x6 film printing), and SETOPLA 2839 (for 35-60 mm lenses, 35mm film printing).

Bits and bobs - My enlarger also came with knobs that hang down from the enlarger head for easy adjustment while working closer to the print. I'm not sure if these are standard, but they're very cool.

Generally, make sure there are no chips in the gearing on the column and check to see that everything moves very smoothly. A good Durst L1200, as the Sopranos would say, "moves like butta" (smooth like butter, for those that have never been to Bayonne, NJ). If it feels jangly, don't get it, it's not right.

Hope this helps. Best of luck.

Leo

 

[resummerfield]

It sounds as if the “for sale” enlarger has the Condenser head. For 4x5 work, you need 2 pieces of glass: the Femocon 151 and the Femocon 152. These condensers also work for smaller format negatives, although Durst offered the Femocon 80 for medium format and the Femocon 50 for 35mm, to help brighten up the image on the baseboard. I have enlarged 35mm with the Femocon 151/152 set with no problems.

Most people consider the CLS501 dichroic color head to be more versatile for variable contrast B&W work, due to the built in filtration. The Condenser head can also do vc work, but you need supplemental filters. I have both heads, and find neither head is ideal for all printing (the old diffusion vs. condenser debate). I use the CLS501 diffusion for the great majority of my work, probably over 90%.

I think the kit is overpriced. I would offer about half, if everything is in excellent condition.

 

[johnnywalker]

Don't know about the price, I paid $750 for a Durst 1000 with two heads and three lenses a few years ago. However, if it comes with a Lapla42 lens holder, hang onto it. They are rarer than hen's teeth.

 

[sperera]

thanks for all your help guys!!!!!!!!!!!