Interesting little enlarger on Craigslist

[removed-user-1]

Anybody know anything about this Hansa enlarger? I'd like to have the easel anyway so I may give this person a call. $40 altogether.

 

[Denis R]

not quite sure

looks like vivitar

 

[r-brian]

It looks alot like a Lucky enlarger I have, simple little condenser enlarger. As long as you have the negative carrier and a good lens (if the one on it came with the enlarger you may want to upgrade), it show be fine. After all, it's the lens that makes the image.

 

[zumbido]

It's the lens that "makes" the image, but keep in mind that other physics affect it. Make sure you can reliably and repeatably adjust the thing for (at least) parallel between the head and easel.

 

[Mike Wilde]

I recently rehabilitated a Hansa dichroic, and passed it on as part of a 'darkroom in a box' kit that I put together out of things surplus to me.

So now I have a happier wife, since I have less 'junk' in the house.

I also have a young work mate tickled to be able to start printing again after his last available darkroom evaporated when he left uni.

The Hansa's build quality was alright. I had to make a clip to pick the lamp (an MR16 type affair) back into the middle of the optical path; the original one was missing.
I also added a couple of screws into the factory tapped holes to hold the diffusion box into alignment.
I made a 6x6 neg carrier out of foam core and 4 ply mat, since it only came with a 35mm carier, and the coverage was good for 6x6.

 

[Mark Layne]

I had one of those Lucky enlargers 40 years ago. Still have the set of filters that came with it
Mark

 

[mgb74]

Given the obscenely low values of darkroom equipment, I actually think that it's priced fairly high. I vaguely remember these from (I think) late 60s and 70s. A basic light bulb in a shell above a lens carrier. If it was a B22 or Durst or Beseler I say fine - even at a higher cost. But $40 for what is essentially a give-away enlarger plus what appears to be a fixed format easel seems high. I seriously doubt the seller is being inundated with offers.

There are so many good small format enlargers looking for a home I think it's counter-productive to spend time and money on this one. Just my 2 cents.