Looking for a 8x10 enlarger

[darkroom_rookie]

dajaab, did you receive my message?

 

[dajaab]

Post a photo of the underside of the underside of the the lens stage, where the turret would go. The last photo you posted is a a plain turret, which you can use to mount up to 3 lenses on Lapla boards. I have no experience with the motorized turret, you can probably sell it if you don't use it. I prefer the Unipla instead of the turret which mounts a single lens since it has less moving parts (none) and is easier to align. You should be able to pick one up used at auction. Once you buy a lens, I'd send it to SKG and have him make you a custom Lapla board to go on the Unipla or Turret, or if you want, I can send you a plain Unipla board which I'll never use and he can mount it on that. It has a 3 5/8" hole, but he can make a plate to cover and have the len's threads cut in the right size hole. The lens would then screw into the Unipla. This is probably a cheaper machining job than having a Custom Lapla made for the 240! If you're only going to use 1 "large" lens, that may be an option and you can mount smaller lenses on the turret each on their own Lapla board. I buy Laplas at auction when they're cheap and then send them to SKG with a lens if the Lapla's threads are different from the lens and he can cut new threads on the Lapla. You can now pick up a couple more Lapla's when they're cheap. Just make sure they're Laplas since some of the smaller ones (Sixpla, etc) won't fit the Unipla/Turret because the ouside diameter is too small. Recessed laplas are called Setoplas. A 2839 Setopla has a a 28 mm recess and 39 mm threads. You can use those on the Unipla for lenes that need a small recessed board, but on the turret, the turret probably won't turn because the board will stick out too far. You'll have to mount the Setopla on the hole in the turret that's at the front. This will make more sense when you get the turret in hand.

Hi Luis,

Step by step things become clearer !
this is the underside of the lens stage, I believe it's a common lens stage as all Durst 184 :

I will ask the seller, if he don't know how to do, I gonna sell this motorized focusing system.

I'm still looking for my 240mm lens, I'm waiting some responses.
I think I'm gonna use one large lens mounted on an Unipla, if SKG can cut the lens's threads directly without custom Lapla, it'll be perfect.
Once I'll have my lens, I'll tell you. Your offer will be welcome
Maybe I will use the turret for small lenses, in case I use this enlarger for 4x5 or less, but I have a very good De Vere 504, will see

Best
Pierre

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

I would opt for a 300mm lens. It'll have more even illumination especially on larger prints.

 

[Luis-F-S]

I would opt for a 300mm lens. It'll have more even illumination especially on larger prints.

You can only go 4X enlargements on an L-184 with a 300 mm or 5X with a 240. So if Rodenstock says it covers what's your basis for a 300 other than you have one you can "sell pretty cheap"?

 

[Luis-F-S]

Pierre I just wanted to make sure it had a removable turret which it does.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

You can only go 4X enlargements on an L-184 with a 300 mm or 5X with a 240. So if Rodenstock says it covers what's your basis for a 300 other than you have one you can "sell pretty cheap"?

I've many times used lenses shorter than the diagonal of film. Up to 2x or 3x it's generally okay. Go much larger and deficiencies begin to make themselves apparent. Who's to say dajaab won't eventually project horizontally?

If one is going to accuse another person of nefarious behavior then I suggest it's better that person spit it out plainly and without reservation. I suggest we be men enough to make bold truthful statements or adult enough to keep quiet.

 

[Luis-F-S]

It wasn't my intent to accuse anyone of anything. Owning both 8x10 enlargers and Rodagons up to 300 mm from personal experience and Rodenstock data sheets it's beyond me why anyone would use a 300 mm lens when a 240 will do the job unless you're going to horizontal project huge enlargements or have a need to excersize very long arms on the Durst! To back this up, I posted (see post #21) Rodenstock's Scale, Size and Focal Length graphs from their "Process Lenses" catalogue as backup. In case he ever feels a need to make prints larger than 40" x 50" then he can buy a 300 mm lens which will get him up to around 15X (120 x 150"), or a 360 mm lens which will get him to infinity. Just hope he has a really biggggg darkroom! However, from his post below, I just don't think that's his intent!

Hi Luis, thanks for your advice.
240 mm for 8x10 are you sure ?
my budget is limited, I can buy only one lens for the moment, so no mistake ;-)

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

Luis, I understand your point about using shorter lenses for small enlargements when an enlarger has limited height. It's just not my way of doing things. I don't like to impose limits on possibilities. If we limit our enlargements to 2x-4x... then why bother with larger formats?

 

[Luis-F-S]

Hey dajaab how many prints larger than 40x50 you're going to print in the next 20 years? I know I haven't made any in the last 40!

 

[dajaab]

20x24 is enough for me, but just for fun I'd like to try bigger one or two time

 

[dajaab]

we never know !

 

[Luis-F-S]

Good, 16x20 is plenty large for me and usually smaller. I don't even like to print that large because my darkroom is not that big and my 6' sink limits me to 3 16x20 trays. It's much easier to print 11x14! You can go up to 40x50 on your current enlarger with a 240mm lens. Don't be in a hurry on the lens, I sold one last year for around $100, and I bought a really clean one for $80.00 at auction. Sometimes people want to give themselves so many options that they will never use that they option themselves into obsolescence.

 

[Luis-F-S]

If you have need of this Unipla, I'll send it to you for little over the cost of shipping. It's left over from where I took off the Lapla mount to make up a DeVere Durst adapter. You can see what it looks like in the third photo of post #9. Since you have a 504, you might want to make a similar one so you can use the same lenses on both enlargers. just PM me.