Newbie enlarger advice?

Samuelg · May 28, 2011

Hi there i have been consistently and successfully developing film of all varieties for a while now and as such i have hundreds of tiny pictures laying around so i figure the logical move now is to get into enlarging.

So can anyone with far greater wisdom advise me of a good/yet cheap (so i can justify loosing a chunk of my student loan) 35m colour enlarger, im not looking for huge pictures at all, i doubt i'd ever need to go bigger than 8x10.

Also any suggestions for a 120 enlarger would be great too.

Thanks in advance
Samuel

ic-racer · May 28, 2011

Just like real-estate... Location, Location, Location. Where are you located? In Midwest USA you can get enlargers for free. I posted a link to a free Leica Focomat in the bargains thread last week.

Jeff Kubach · May 28, 2011

Sometimes you can find them on Craiglist.

Jeff

Rick A · May 28, 2011

Blatant self promo: I have 3 nearly new Omega C-700 enlargers and two Beseler 23C II enlargers for cheap including shipping to anywhere in the USA. One of the Beselers is a Dichoic unit ready to print color, and includes the power supply. They all include a 50mm lens and 35mm negative carrier.

Samuelg · May 28, 2011

ohhhh no, alas i am uk based thanks for your advice though

paul_c5x4 · May 28, 2011

The LPL C7700 enlarger can often be found at a reasonable price (under £100). It is what I started out with, and I found it fulfilled my needs for 35mm & 6x6. Durst enlargers are also well regarded, but there is a wide range of models, so it is worth doing some research on the variants first.

ozphoto · May 29, 2011

I agree with Paul - I have the 6700 which goes up to 6x7 (and to 6x9 with a universal carrier minus the blades).

MartinP · May 29, 2011

If you are in the UK the cheap-and-cheerful Meopta Opemus would suit you well. They are/were very popular and sold in large quantities. More importantly, they are also well made too.

Available with condenser or dichroic heads and over many decades - look for a version 5 or 6 as those are still relatively easy to get spares for. The Opemus goes up to 6x6 (6x7 for the newest models) and the standard neg carrier was a very useable double-glass one, although you can order glassless cheaply from Fotoimpex in Germany if you prefer that.

Meopta also made the Axomat (for 35mm, less robust tan the larger models) and Magnifax (up to 6x9, very well made).

chimneyfinder · May 29, 2011

Samuel, I would second the recommendation for Meopta Opemus if your budget is tight as they come up for sale very cheaply, are solidly made and pretty foolproof. An excellent place to start (and carry on). I have a couple of enlargers available (Rolleimat Universal and LPL 7700 VCCE, with many extras surplus to requirements) and will email you details.
Regards, Mark Walker.

teepoe · Jun 3, 2011

Found mine on craigslist with a TON of other darkroom stuff thrown in. Stay patient and you'll see stuff pop up. Cheers.

Newbie enlarger advice?

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