i'd love to print my 4 x 5 negatives so....

i'd love to print my BLACK and WHITE (ONLY) 4 x 5 negatives so which enlarger should I be thinking of getting to do 4 x 5 and 6 x 6 negatives.....I have no idea about, and thus would like recommendations for enlargers or lenses so recommendations for both would be appreciated for the darkroom I'll hopefully be creating (see my other thread)
ideally someone nearby in Spain for example will have one for sale in great condition so I'd love to know which models to hunt for on Spanish forums and ebay etc.....

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Greetings. You'll find many posts with this question answered at length. My brief answer in terms of enlargers is Durst 1200 or Saunders 4550II/4500II, in that order.

Leo

Enlargers - any of the 5x4 enlargers are good - they are/were built to professional standards and you are unlikely to wear one out in a life time of use

Look on EBay to see what is available in Spain, the most common Enlargers changes from country to country

As for Lenses – to cover 5x4 you need a 135 or 150mm focal length lens, but 6x6 needs only an 80mm lens – although you can use the 135/150mm lens and just get smaller prints for a given head/baseboard height.

Sorry I cannot be more helpful

Good luck

Martin

The brand of 4x5 enlarger is probably irrelevant to the production of excellent prints. What is really, really important is getting all the little bits needed for full function. If any of the following are missing, you won't be able to print without additional research and money:

Negative carriers, possibly inserts also
Lens board and or lens cones
Lenses and mounting rings
Mixing boxes of appropriate size or Condensers
Bulb
Working power supply (if applicable)
Filter drawer (if applicable)

I would recommend to get an enlarger with a soft light and a head for BW printing, that allows you to dial in your contrast setting, such as a Durst L1200 with a variable contrast head (VLS 501). Alternatively with a color head, which will let you do the same, but not quite as straight forward as a dedicated BW head. I would stay away from hard lights, because they emphasize any imperfections in (like scratches) or on (dust) the negs. For 4x5 you will definitely want a glass carrier.
For 4x5 you obviously need a 150mm lens, which you can use for 6x6 as well, unless you enlarge to a high degree or find your printing times get to be too long. Then you would look for an 80mm lens. Any Schneider or Rodenstock lens would be great.

I went with Omega D5s. They are good solid enlargers with lots of parts available at good prices. I am in the US. I'm not sure on the common enlargers in Spain. But I would buy one that you will be able to easily get a full set of negative carriers, lens cones/plates and optional heads for. Here it's Omega D5s or Besselers. I agree with Stefan on getting a soft light (diffusion) head. I have an Ilford Multigrade head for black and white and a dicroic head for color. A color head will be easier to find, and does work fine for black and white, but is certainly not as nice to use.

For 4x5 get a 135mm or 150mm lens. The Nikons are also great as well as the Schneider and Rodenstock.