If you could keep just one enlarger ...

narsuitus · Sep 17, 2019

Photo Enlarger by Narsuitus, on Flickr

I have owned the following three enlargers:

Vivitar (35mm)

Omega B-22 XL (35mm and 6x6cm) (Rodenstock Omagaron 135mm f/4 and Rodenstock Rodagon 210mm f/5.6 enlarging lenses)

Beseler 23C II (35mm, 6x6cm, and 6x7cm) (El-Nikkor 50mm f/2.8 and Schneider-Kreuznach 100mm f/5.6 Componon-S enlarging lenses)

I kept the Beseler but wish I could have also kept the Rodenstock enlarger lenses that I once owned.

ParkerSmithPhoto · Sep 17, 2019

wyofilm said:
My 4x5 LPL VC head. Very nice to use. Parts are easily available since they are currently being manufactured. I also have a dichroic head for it.

Yes. I have owned many enlargers but after buying my LPL 4x5 VCCE, every other enlarger feels like an AMC Gremlin.

Arklatexian · Sep 17, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
In line with the never ending, much too often occurring "If you could keep just one camera ..." and "If you were ship wrecked on a deserted island and had nothing available to eat, which camera would you choose?" threads, I hereby open the "If you could keep just one enlarger ..." thread!

I would keep my Chromega Dichroic II 5D-XL enlarger. Why? Because it is the only enlarger I have ever owned.

Of the 5 enlargers that I own, there is only one that I would keep, if I had to get rid of all the others. I only do B&W and my old Omega D11 is the only one that would allow me to continue working with 35mm, 120, and 4x5. It has been converted to an D11V by adding a variable condenser and has a nice. "cool" LED lamp house that won't "pop" my negatives. And I can still get parts for it. I would cry like a baby if I had to give-up my Valoy 2 but it only does one format.......Regards!

Pioneer · Sep 17, 2019

My poor "little" Beseler 45 with the dichroic color head. That is the only enlarger I have room for in my tiny little closet.

I also have a very nice Leitz V35 that has not been set up in years but I love it so much for 35mm that I refuse to part with it.

Finally, I have an old Elwood enlarger (read that to mean sometime shortly after Edison invented the light bulb) that I am slowly but surely cleaning up and getting ready for use. Not sure where I will put it when it is ready to go because it is a monster for sure.

Arklatexian · Sep 17, 2019

Pioneer said:
My poor "little" Beseler 45 with the dichroic color head. That is the only enlarger I have room for in my tiny little closet.

I also have a very nice Leitz V35 that has not been set up in years but I love it so much for 35mm that I refuse to part with it.

Finally, I have an old Elwood enlarger (read that to mean sometime shortly after Edison invented the light bulb) that I am slowly but surely cleaning up and getting ready for use. Not sure where I will put it when it is ready to go because it is a monster for sure.

I would love to use an old Elwood but I already have one hernia and don't need any more. The Elwood sisters sure built some heavy but rigid enlargers.........Regards!

ozphoto · Sep 17, 2019

I've owned a few over my darkroom life. The first one I ever bought was an LPL 66-SII and I saved hard to purchase an awesome Rodenstock 50mm f2.8 lens, to replace the cheap and nasty Cherry brand it came with.

Then I was gifted a superb Meopta Opemus IIA; it was complete, including 2 Meopta lenses that were incredibly sharp. This ended up as my MF enlarger.
A friend bought a house and I garnered another Opemus IIA, although this one was a bronze/brown colour, not green like the first.

Sold all three for an LPL7700 with a colour head which has been my workhorse ever since. If I only shot 35mm, I'd love to get either of those Meopta's back - they were beautiful.

As it stands though, the LPL7700 suits me just fine, bonus points: it can handle 6x9 too.

mshchem · Sep 18, 2019

Arklatexian said:
I would love to use an old Elwood but I already have one hernia and don't need any more. The Elwood sisters sure built some heavy but rigid enlargers.........Regards!

Elwoods are featherweight compared to some. I carried an 8x10 very slowly into my house, then back out a few months later. I used a 5x7 Elwood for years, cast aluminum good old beasts. Elwood actually silvered the inside of the dome. 8x10 takes 500W bulb, smokin' !

kevs · Sep 18, 2019

I will keep my De Vere 504 with a Varicon head; it's the third and bestest enlarger I've owned. My college gifted it to me when they cleared out their darkrooms to make way for a digital suite; it still bears their security bar codes. De Vere enlargers still sell for quite a sum; this one would cost me about £1,800 for a refurbished model!

The bellows was full of holes so I made a new one from scratch (thanks Internets!). There was no negative carrier so I made myself one using thick cardboard and PVC glue. I also made a green/blue LED light source with a (not very sophisticated) controller (thanks APUG!) so I don't have to faff about with those stupid, annoying acetate grade filters.

My negatives never pop due to heat from the lightsource and I never have the bulb expire just as I'm ready to make a print. Mind you, I'll never make a Grade 5 print with it unless I change some of the blue LEDS to violet ones.... so I think I'll keep that one for a while longer!

Nokton48 · Sep 19, 2019

jnantz said:
either omega E4, a bare bulb ( not enlarging much ) or the beam of light.

Nice! I have an old E3 with a homemade LED head and I'm just today ready to print a 5x7 B&W negative.

I think I would keep my DII if I could have only one.

The Laseralign keeps all my Omegas in proper alignment. I confirm alignment every time right before printing. Grain always razor sharp.

lts · Sep 22, 2019

I would NOT keep my Durst HL2501AF horizontal enlarger, my Durst Laborator 1840, my Omega F, one of my Durst Optimo or Durst Optocom enlargers, but one of my

KIENZLE T67/69 enlargers. 35mm and medium format up to 6x9 will suit very most of my needs until the end of my days.

Of course together with most of the interchangeable head modules (exchangeable within seconds), like the condenser module, the color module, the splitgrade module with led (or the one with halogen bulbs). Only the complicated, motor-controlled special color module (VCC) I would probably leave out.

Ian Grant · Sep 22, 2019

My De Vere 5108, best enlarger I've owned.

Ian

ic-racer · Sep 22, 2019

My Durst can do everything from 35mm to 8x10. Here it is setup for some 4x5 printing with the LARABOX 450 and a 150mm lens.

Michael Firstlight · Sep 22, 2019

I've owned and use dozens of enlargers over my 50+ years of darkroom work including enlargers that I've owned, enlargers in paid darkrooms, enlargers in community centers, enlargers in HS and college darkrooms, ones in corporate labs, and friends enlargers - far too many to list. To be fair I can't speak to Deveres though - never user one. - that may be the only type I've not had my hand on, but otherwise to date there is nothing that compares to my LPL 4550 XLG VCCE/K&IF. As someone else said, most others feel flimsy by comparison. I used to adore my Dursts - also solid, but the LPL is clearly step above, smooth as silk and justifies the high prices they still fetch (and will only go higher).

Mike

Nokton48 · Sep 22, 2019

E3 Fully Renovated 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

E3 Finally Installed by Nokton48, on Flickr

The Omegas are plentiful and sometimes available. Lots of accessories available too.

eddie · Sep 22, 2019

I’m with Michael on this one ( must be his great high school education ). My favorite is my current one- LPL 4550 XLG with the Heiland Splitgrade. I’ve owned a Federal (5x7) Omegas and a Beseler in the past. I also had a Durst 4x5 in my darkroom about 35 years ago, while a friend was away in grad school.
I enjoyed all of them, though. All quite capable of producing excellent prints, but the Federal was a real beast to use.

Bruce Osgood · Sep 27, 2019

(QUOTE="Sirius Glass, post: 2212141, member: 18240")

I would keep my Chromega Dichroic II 5D-XL enlarger. Why? Because it is the only enlarger I have ever owned.[/QUOTE]
I agree. But I began with Besseler 23C and got the D5-XL to use MF & LF negatives. I don't do 35mm any more.

Patrick Robert James · Sep 27, 2019

My Saunders 4550 VCCE would be the one I'd keep, but I hope it never gets to that point, and there are some things I would change about it if I had a mill... The Focomat 1c that I have is great for banging out prints for 35mm and I figured out a way to hinky it up for Minox.

Although there are others I wouldn't mind having if I ever have the space and the moolah for them.

darkosaric · Sep 27, 2019

Focomat V35!

Mainecoonmaniac · Sep 27, 2019

ic-racer said:
My Durst can do everything from 35mm to 8x10. Here it is setup for some 4x5 printing with the LARABOX 450 and a 150mm lens.
View attachment 231396

I just got enlarger envy. Durst are very well built. I had a chance to buy a Laborator but didn't end up buying it. But I've owned and used a Beseler 45MXT for over 30 years and they're sturdy. Your Durst is a better enlarger.

mshchem · Sep 27, 2019

ic-racer said:
My Durst can do everything from 35mm to 8x10. Here it is setup for some 4x5 printing with the LARABOX 450 and a 150mm lens.
View attachment 231396

They're so cute when they're little

foc · Sep 28, 2019

Purely for nostalgic reason. It was my 1st enlarger I bought in 1977. It dismantled into the baseboard which was a suitcase.

John51 · Sep 28, 2019

I did walkie snaps in the mid 70s. I'd found a lab that would do colour enprints to order off the roll, 2 prints from neg #1, 4 prints from neg #2 etc. but the margins were thin and I would lose money on a roll if I didn't sell enough prints.

Then I got a Zenit UPA5. My prices went from £0.60 for colour enprints to £0.35 for a b+w postcard. More trade and more profit per print. That enlarger worked hard. I'd get home about 1am, soup the film, give it a quick wash and start printing the wet negs. Some nights would be 100+ postcards. All into folders and addressed envelopes ready to post by 6am. To save on stamps, I'd hand post those within walking distance. Many a customer had their photos delivered before they got up the next morning. Happy days.

Luis-F-S · Oct 21, 2019

DeVere 5108. Probably the best 810 and down enlarger made

KenS · Nov 1, 2019

iakustov said:
Durst 138.
Just bought the AN glass for the negative holder and the spare lamps I have should be enough for many many years of wet printing work.

If I may.. I like to 'second' that choice But I'd also choose to have the added ability to change over to 'point source' illumination
for making B/W inter-negatives from microscopy Ektachromes... the 'results will 'amaze.. but probably do not have the means to so do. Any.. and all of your 'clients' would wish they had also used a 4x5 'back' to make a B/W negative.

Ken

ParkerSmithPhoto · Nov 1, 2019

wyofilm said:
My 4x5 LPL VC head. Very nice to use. Parts are easily available since they are currently being manufactured. I also have a dichroic head for it.

Nothing better. Makes every other enlarger look like a 1975 Pinto.

If you could keep just one enlarger ...

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