Leitz Focomat IIa

[bwieder]

Hello,

I may have an opportunity to get a Focomat iia I cannot find a lot of information on this variant. I see a lot on the iic. does anyone know anything about this Model? Is it good for 35mm? I’m looking to get into 120 (6x9) and see that it can handle up to that. I currently use a Focomat Ic.

any help would be appreciated!

thanks

 

[AnselMortensen]

You could probably download a manual from butkus.org for a $3 donation, which allows him to collect & scan more manuals.

 

[Hilo]

The IIa can do 35mm up to 6x9. The advantage it has over the IIc is that the negative carrier is slightly larger than that of the IIc. Cameras give us different sizes negatives. Normally that's okay but I have some negatives from an old folder that don't fit well in the carrier of the IIc. For those I filed out one of my IIc's neg carriers.

The early IIa came with only one lens, the later with two. I am not sure how practical it would be to use the early version for 35mm. If you have space, keep the Ic next to it as each enlarger gives you extra possibilities over the other.

The light system of the IIc is better: the IIa uses tiny springs to keep it in place and centered. These springs are often missing, which causes uneven lighting.

A little warning, the IIa can be significantly older than the IIc and parts will be more difficult to find. The later IIc's Elmar 100mm and the Focotar 100mm were improved significantly.

Finally, do not expect much from the Leitz manuals in terms of operation. These mostly list the parts for these enlargers.
And, I would not seek to replace your Ic. In fact, the IIc / IIa are great in combination with a Ic. Because for 35mm the large condensers of the IIa / IIc can solve difficulties when it comes to totally even prints.

 

[guangong]

Leitz USA dumped all spare parts for IIa long ago. My friend has one that he would give me, but it lacks one crucial part that we have been looking for for years.

 

[Saganich]

I have a IIa and one potential issue is that lenses are either not interchangeable with other enlargers, OR I just haven't figured out how to adapt newer lenses or adjust the enlarger correctly for standard enlarging lenses. The original lenses are fine but impossible to replace. Make sure it comes with masks!!! Ask if it was rewired in the past 30 years. Make sure the carrier has all it's parts including glass on both sides.

 

[Hilo]

Leitz USA dumped all spare parts for IIa long ago. My friend has one that he would give me, but it lacks one crucial part that we have been looking for for years.

and which part might that be?

 

[bwieder]

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments,

It seems to me that the IIa is a good enlarger IF it has all the parts and is in good condition. Are there any enlargers that you would recommend that are better than the IIa? or are they all pretty much the same in overall quality once you step away from the Leica enlargers?

Thanks,

 

[Saganich]

I've seen IIc's going for less that new Beseler 23C XL...I would hit a used (with all it's parts) IIc before a new Beseler imho or a very reasonable used Beseler XL. I would only buy any used enlarger (especially medium/large format) from someone who was actively using it recently and knows what they are talking about, else it will have missing parts.