Valoy II opinions

John Kasaian · Jun 27, 2007

What are your thoughts on the Valoy II? I've always thought they were cool looking machines, but I've never used one. Is $39 a good price? I'll be using to print b&w on graded paper so I wouldn't expect to need anything fancy--just a basic 35mm enlarger.

John Koehrer · Jun 27, 2007

It's a pre-focomat. I don't know specifically if the condenser/neg carrier is the same but the major dif was the autofocus

wfwhitaker · Jun 27, 2007

For a compact 35mm enlarger it can't be beat, IMO. Very simple, very sturdy, nothing to align (or mis-align). Hard to believe that anything Leitz could be had for $39, but if you say so... Sounds good to me. Rumor is that the Valoy was Eugene Smith's favorite enlarger.

I put a 63mm El-Nikkor on mine along with a 15mm extension ring so it would focus and I'm very happy with it.

John Kasaian · Jun 27, 2007

It went for $39 because it needs a new power cord, so no big deal I guess.
This one comes with a Leitz enlarging lens (I can't think which model off hand) and it seems like a good deal to me but I've never used one before so I thought I'd tap into the "well of knowlege" here!

wfwhitaker · Jun 27, 2007

John,

The condenser is the critical element. Make sure it's there and not damaged. Most any lens with a 39mm thread will fit. It's set up for a 50mm lens. That's why I had to use an extension ring with my 63mm El-Nikkor. But that's the limit of my knowledge. Use your judgement. But for $39 you can't get hurt too badly, right?

David H. Bebbington · Jun 27, 2007

wfwhitaker said:
For a compact 35mm enlarger it can't be beat, IMO. Very simple, very sturdy, nothing to align (or mis-align). QUOTE]

I have in fact known a couple of examples which were bent! I would say that the Valoy enlarger is one of the few Leitz/Leica products where the name is not backed by any apparent superiority in quality - in other words, the Valoy is just like any other 50+-year-old pressed-metal enlarger!

Regards,

David

John Kasaian · Jun 27, 2007

Bent? I'll have to check that out! The lens is a 5cm Emlar (sp?)

David H. Bebbington · Jun 27, 2007

John Kasaian said:
Bent? I'll have to check that out! The lens is a 5cm Emlar (sp?)

To be quite clear - bending will occur only if the enlarger has been knocked onto the floor or otherwise abused (but this does happen) - straightening is not impossible if you have a large pipe wrench or similar.

If the 5 cm Elmar lens is in good condition, this alone is worth more than $39!

John Kasaian · Jun 28, 2007

Condition being everything, I guess I'll have to wait and see if the ebay muses have been good to me

David H. Bebbington · Jun 28, 2007

Just a final point - as with any older electrical equipment, examine the power cord very critically, particularly at its hottest point (where it enters the bulb holder). If it shows any signs of being the original one (which I would expect would have been twisted twin rubber cotton-covered cable), replace it automatically, as you also should if the cable is newer but shows any signs of hardening/embrittlement. Also check the bulb - bigger than 75 W is a no-no, will automatically lead to overheating.

John Kasaian · Jun 28, 2007

Thanks for the tips! The seller revealed that the power cord will need replacing. I've done a similar replacement on a Kodak Precision "A" enlarger a few years ago. I will have to check the bulb though--if it survives the journey!

jmcd · Jun 28, 2007

Valoy II

Awesome enlarger, in my opinion. Inside the helical focusing mechanism, an extension tube is needed for my Rodenstock 50mm lens. I must say that I think the Valoy II is much better built than a stamped metal enlarger—it is solid and smooth, focus is excellent, and the negative is held flat by the condenser. I love mine.

Rick Jones · Jun 28, 2007

Valoy II

I bought mine in the mid 60's and have used it exclusively in printing my 35mm work. It takes up minimal space, beautifully designed with helical focusing replacing the more common bellows system, simple but elegant. Best of all I'll be printing with it long after the more sophisticated systems have died with the manufacturer out of business or no longer providing support. Only drawback in my mind is the lack of an above the negative filter slot. That won't effect your graded paper use but I need the flexibility of a VC system. I simply replaced the red filter with a home made bracket to which I attached a Kodak polycontrast filter holder. Never have seen the problems with below the lens filters suggested by others. Come to think of it 40 years of faithful service by a single piece of equipment sets a record along with my McIntosh MA 5100 and KLH 5's bought about the same time. Good stuff used with some care can last a long time!

Lee Shively · Jun 28, 2007

I had an original Valoy. Still do--it's in the attic with a lot of other stuff I should get rid of but refuse to give up.

I used it for several years and found it to be an excellent enlarger. I'm not sure what the differences are between the original and the "II". Mine had no filter drawer so I just removed the top of the enlarger and put Ilford filters on the condenser. It wasn't really difficult to do. Mine also came without an anti-Newton ring glass contraption that fits over the lower condenser--the one that presses on the negative. I did have Newton ring problems so I bought some ANR glass of the proper size and used it between the negative and condenser. It was a bit fiddley but it worked well.

The lens with mine was a Leitz 5cm f/4.5 Focotar with an extension ring. I preferred it to a 50/2.8 El-Nikkor I also had at the time. The lens/enlarger combination gave a really nice look to photos--kind of a mixed condenser/diffuser sort of contrast. Prints were very pretty. My current LPL enlarger is easier to work with and the Schneider and Rodenstock lenses I now use are sharper, but there was a quality to the prints made on that old Valoy that I sometimes miss.

Do replace the electric cord. Mine had a worn cord when I bought it and I tried to use it without replacing it. I got some interesting fireworks when I tried that.

Jerevan · Jun 28, 2007

I've also had a Valoy (pre-II). After my girlfriend replaced the electric cord and I cleaned the crud from the condenser it worked very well. Sturdy and as long as nothing is bent out of shape, it could go on forever. Lost it in a move, unfortunately. At first I couldn't figure why the heck exposure times were in seconds rather than minutes and how it got so hot you could fry eggs on it. But soon enough I found out that someone had put in a 150 w bulb. 75 w is really the maximum.

Valoy II opinions

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