Opemus 4 or Durst M607

[BoxBrownie]

Hi All,
I have the possibility of acquiring one or other of the above very cheaply locally and wondered if anyone had some advice.
I shoot 35mm (most of the time) and MF (Up to 6x7 but not too often, usually 645 or 6x6).
The Durst is without a lens.
I have been developing my own film for quite a while now but have very little experience with enlargers.
Any advice gratefully received.
Steve B

 

[BoxBrownie]

Also for a bit more (£100) the following - IFF enlarger and base board, super dichronic, 6x9cm, colour head

 

[BoxBrownie]

Oh well I did it. Went and got a very good condition Durst M 670 with colour head for £15. Also got a Patterson timer thown in.
But I haven't got a lens. What should I get. I guess I'll be printing more 35mm than anything else but will also want to do some 645 6x6 & 6x7.
Would a 50mm f/2.8 EL Nikkor be a good start or an f/4 of the same as there are quite a few of these on Ebay?
Is it easier to start practising on 35mm negs or on larger ones?
I've not really done this before as I have been developing and scanning only for the last couple of years.

 

[Wade D]

I would hold out for the f/2.8 Nikkor myself. I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) it is a 6 element design as opposed to the f/4 being a 4 element. Overall a higher quality lens. 35mm is a good place to start if you're just into printing for the first time.

 

[srs5694]

I agree with Wade. I've got both f/4 and f/2.8 Nikon 50mm lenses, and the f/2.8 is a much better lens. In fact, I've got a few other 50mm enlarger lenses (Industar and Durst 4-element and a Vega 5-element), and the Nikon f/4 is the worst of the lot, although I might not notice a serious problem except in side-by-side comparisons.

That said, sample-to-sample variability in enlarger lenses is reportedly quite high. Thus, it's possible that I've just got a dog of a Nikon f/4, or you might end up with a dog of an f/2.8 if you buy one. Still, you're best off getting an f/2.8 Nikon or some other 6-element lens from a reputable manufacturer (Fuji, Rodenstock, etc.). I haven't checked prices in a year or so, but at that time, used 6-element lenses were going for US$50 or so, and 4-element lenses for not much less than that. Thus, there's very little point in getting a 4-element lens.

 

[BoxBrownie]

Just won a EL Nikkor f/2.8 N on ebay.
Also order some Fotospeed RC VC Oyster paper, Ilfor universal developer and selenium toner so I hope to be up and running at the weekend.
Anyone ever made a DIY printing easel?
I want to print 5x7 on 10x8 paper.