New used enlarger...

I currently have access to the the darkroom at the school I work at, but at some point, I'd like to set up my own at home. This is a long term goal (need to move out of the apartment I live in first). There's no rush, I just want to start looking for a good deal. I shoot only 35mm, but some day maybe I'll pick up medium format. Large format: very very unlikely. All B&W.

So, if I want at a great enlarger to last me a lifetime, what should I keep an eye out for on the used market? I have an old Minolta color enlarger, but finding parts for it is a bear. At the school's darkroom, I've been using a Beseler 23CII. This is the level I'm working on right now.

Tim, never say never There are so many good deals on 4x5 enlargers out there that you might as well get one - most are very sturdy pieces of kit and you will be able to use any size smaller than 4x5 you would like to. If space is the problem you probably won't go wrong with the 23CII. You'll probably get a bunch of differing opinions, this is just my opinion
Erik

No reason not to look for a good 4x5 enlarger and at least a couple of lenses at first. Beseler 45's and Omega D series enlargers are good choices if you are in the US. The used market has a plentiful supply of these machines, spare parts, and accessories at decent prices. I'd suggest looking for a 50 mm. lens for your 35 mm. work, but be advised that it will likely be difficult to make prints smaller than 5x7 inches with it mounted to a big enlarger. With my Omega D4, I cannot lower the head enough for smaller prints. Switching to the 80 mm lens, normally used for medium format up to 6 x 6 or 6 x 7 cm., I can easily make prints at 3 1/2 x 5 inches.

I've got a new Nikkor 50/2.8 N that I bought off of ebay about 2 years ago.

A 4x5 enlarger would be totally kick ass, but I don't have the space for that. At all. Not yet.

Tim:

1) I use my bathroom in our condo. The darkroom equipment (trays, chemistry, safelights, enlarger, etc.) are mostly in bins, and get brought in when required;
2) I use a Beseler 67C that sits on an easily stored, rolling microwave cart. A Beseler 23CII would fit well on the same cart. Both a 67C and a 23CII would work well on a darkroom counter, even if they had previously spent lots of time on the cart.
3) a 4x5 enlarger could certainly follow, and if it was a Beseler, it may very well share some things with a Beseler 23CII, including a new Nikkor 50/2.8 N.

As I type this, I have a few 11X14 prints on the stand behind me, waiting to be trimmed and sent out (slightly late) on a Group Print exchange. I printed them yesterday, and the darkroom is already disassembled and back in temporary storage.

For normal work (8x10s or smaller) it takes me about 30 minutes to set up and be printing. 11x14s or 16x20s are a bit more awkward, and take more time (the trays are a tight fit, and they are in my downstairs storage).

Matt

If you have the space for a 4x5 or 5x7 enlarger, you might as well look for one as, with a little luck, it won't cost more than a small 35mm machine. I paid $25 for an 5x7 Omega E6, Omega Light set-up, including a couple of lenses, what seems like a full set of carriers from 35mm up, filter turret, spare lens boards, timer, etc. It doesn't take any more space on the bench than a 23cII and is not nearly as likely to be put out-of-kilter as the Beseler, which I also have, my second in fact.

If space might be a problem for awhile, I like my Durst M600 because it works well for small to medium sized prints on it's baseboard; larger if projected onto the floor, ie. It breaks down quickly into three sections for easy storage/set-up and will do the 6x6 stuff nicely. Parts are plentiful and I think it's a very well made design that'll work well in small digs such as a half-bath, closet or washer/dryer space.

Even if you want a larger tool, a small enlarger like this could serve until you find a good deal on that 'lifetime' machine and still have a useful after-life as a dedicated contact/small print enlarger, a copy stand or with some imagination, a suitcase darkroom set-up.

Unless a really great deal pops up, bide your time taking a discussion on which machine to buy and keep in mind that capacity to spare is a good thing. Keeping a watch on the postings here for what the experienced printmakers are using and why, might just be your best guide to what to look for.

Eli