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Leica 35V Fotomat Enlarger

mwellman

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Feb 13, 2007
Messages
7
Location
Austin, TX
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ULarge Format
I am considering purchasing a Leica 35V enlarger. I remember reading about the enlarger 23-35 years ago but until the other day I had never used or seen one. I have been doing some internet searches. Here's what I've learned so far:

-- light bulb is an important item to check. You don't want an earlier version with the 6604 bulb. Look for a modified light base using 13139 bulb
--make sure it has the Leica WA-Focotar 40mm f/2.8 lens.
--newer versions are better than the older (I'm assuming because of the light bulb issue)

I would love to hear from anyone who has used this beautiful enlarger. What your experience has been and anything you can pass on about the enlarger. I would especially like to know:
--how do I determine what light is being used?
--how can tell the age or manufacturing date?
--what I should looking for when checking it out before buying.

Thank you
Michael
 
Hi, I have one with the old lamp and one with the new. Getting 6604 lamps is not easy but Leitz made a conversion kit so if you get an old one for the right price you could convert it (KHB Photographix sells the kit).

If you find one make sure that auto focus works and that it has the right setup for your work (there is a multigrade light box and a colour one). As with any enlager, check to see that all parts are included, sometimes the negative carrier is missing. Apart from that there is not much to say. It is very nice to work with.
 
I had one for years (with the Focotar 40mm lens) and it's a beautifully engineered enlarger. However, all of the replacement bulbs I tried (including those from KHB Photografix) were too dim, resulting in long exposure times. For that reason, I retired the enlarger and recently donated it to a community darkroom. YMMV, of course. I would check to see how bright the image is at the baseboard before committing to it, unless you are ok with long exposure times.
 
I've had a V35 for many years and it's my favorite enlarger for printing 35mm; very precise piece of equipment. I've never concerned myself with the bulbs because the outfit I bought came with a couple of replacement bulbs. The autofocus feature makes working with the enlarger very fast when changing print sizes, but IMO it's more of a "nice to have" vs being absolutely essential.
 
I had one (actually... two, one for use, one for spare parts). The unique benefit of the v35 is that it will autofocus up to 20*24" on the baseboard. The 40mm f/2.8 lens is excellent. But.... the build quality is poor, with plastic and sheet metal that tends to get rusty. The light mixing box is made of polystyrene foam that will turn yellow and decay over time. The condensors (one in early models, two in later models) are plastic and will become dull over time. The negative carrier is flimsy. Light bulbs are a problem, even the newer 13139 bulbs: the replacement bulbs one can buy nowadays are too dim, resulting in very long exposure times; in my case: minutes for a 20*24" print. I used it for half a year and then sold it and switched back to the good old Focomat 1c; much better build quality and easier handling.
 

thanks, how easy is it to switch out the modules? The one I am looking at comes with a color module but I would like to put the MG in? how long do the bulbs last?
 
Awesome enlargers. But have you considered a Ic?
 
Get a Focomat Ic and forget that thing. All the benefits - none of the headache.
 
The 1C is extremely well-built. It's also autofocus. It takes a normal light bulb. You need to use either under the lens filters or perhaps find one with a filter drawer. The condenser clamps down onto the negative and keeps it flat. And it's usually cheaper. Not sure there's anything that counts as a significant advantage over the V35 (other than the light bulb). I prefer condenser enlargers to diffusion. But you could still get the same prints from each.
 
mwellman said:
I have not. What are the benefits of the 1C over the 35C?
Click to expand...

Everything Don_ih said. They are solidly built and enjoyable to use. The only downside is the very hard to replace diffusion glass cover for the condensor.

One big advantage (although not a big deal) is that the Ic can accept most of the many, many 50mm enlarger lenses made over the years.

The later Ic with a white handle on the front or the even later ones with grey wrinkle finish and a white baseboard are generally considered more desireable due to having a filter drawer. But I don't think it matters much. The Focotar-II is the better lens. Mine was the old model with the original Focotar lens and I made my best prints with that enlarger.

These enlargers do a great job of keeping the negative flat.
 

Ive owned both the V35 and a 1c. I liked the 1c better but you will want to make sure you get the anti Newton ring with it.
 
I am going with the V35 I have a few more questions for those that I have used this lens.
--do you find the Variocontrast module gives you better prints than using the color?
--does the Variocontdrast module go from 0-5? I read on some old blog that it went from 0-4
--are the modules easy to change out?

thanks
 

Yes, the VC module goes up to grade 5.
 
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