Primos (Kienzle) A66 Enlarger

[Richard Jepsen]

Has anyone used this medium format autofocus enlarger and can you comment on it's performance and value? I love my Leitz 1c and wish for something similar in medium format with a parallelogram for elevation control.

 

[emerson531]

For an 6x9 Autofocus enlarger it would be hard to beat a Focomat IIc. The only down side would be the difficulty getting replacement negative carrier glasses. You should also realize that this enlarger cannot easily accomodate Rodagon or Conponon lenses because the lens holder barrel is very slim.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I once heard a rumour that Kienzle made some Leica enlargers. I have never verified this, and I pass it on for what it is worth, but I do know that Kienzle quality makes it entirely believable.

 

[Sparky]

I've used the 4x5 kienzles a ton. They're fairly similar to the Durst L1200s - the build quality is at least as good - and they shared a fair amount of features (i.e. remote rods for the filters, etc). I would expect the autofocus model to be excellent and of superior build and function. Kienzle doesn't mess around.

http://www.kienzle-phototechnik.de/home_english/enlarger/enlarger.html

 

[Richard Jepsen]

Kienzle owns the engineering drawings for the Leitz IIc. They sell a current model which is a dead ringer for the IIc and can exchange new lenses for the older Leitz optics. My friend was selling a IIc with all the assessories. Truthfully, it is a beast of an enlarger and does not fit my space. My title line says A66 but it is a A67 which takes a 6x7 neg. The current site does not show the enlarger and I have never seen one on the bay.

 

[Sparky]

You should try writing them.

 

[joepi]

Richard,

without any personal experience: the Kienzle stuff is highly regarded here in Germany and manufacturer support seems to be excellent. Therefore, contacting Kienzle directly will most likely produce a helpful response ...

JP

 

[Richard Jepsen]

Good suggestion to contact the firm. It looks like this is not an enlarger many folks have used. I have a nice LPL 670 but I prefer the smooth elevation control in the Leitz 1c and IIc.

 

[Christopher Nisperos]

Richard,

As for the "performance and value" of any Kienzle product, I don't think you'll hear many complaints. The stuff is top notch, Rolls-Royce quality (OK... BMW). For example, their 4x5 enlarger has a negative carrier mounted in a ball-bearing roll-out frame.. butter smooth!. A few of their products have chunky-looking designs, but what the heck .. you'll be using it in the dark! I'd rather use a funky-but-cool-looking Wedgewood gas range over a "clean design" electric stove, any day.

As I understand it, the Leitz Focomat was designed by Walter Klatt, who was a partner of --or sold his company to-- Paul Kienzle, the father of Wolgang Kienzle - - the current owner of Kienzle Phototechnik (the other story I've heard is that they co-designed it). Anyway, the Focomat is based on a Klatt-Kienzle design... not the other way around. That might give you an idea of the quality level you're dealing with.

Kienzle isn't very well-known, outside of Germany. Pity. They offer parts and pieces (and custom manufacturing) to keep all the Focomat and Varioscop-type enlargers alive and well ... they even used to offer PC-controlled VC heads. That means that --right now, in full-swing digital era-- you can easily find negative carriers, masks, red filters, condensers, etc. for all of theses "old" workhorse enlargers... no problem.

A couple of other Kienzle "secrets":
1.They sell re-furbished used stuff online
2.They've branched-out into plastics and offer a superb plexiglass print washer.

I don't think that the A66 is made any longer, but you should really give Wolfgang Kienzle a call (a really great guy, and a pleasure to do business with). He can answer your questions directy and save you a lot of time.

Good printing,

Christopher


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