coriana6jp said:
I have been scanning my negatives for a while, but have been yearning to get my hands on an enlarger and get away from Photoshop(never really been satisfied with the PS results anyway). So I have decided to start looking for an enlarger. I shoot 645 thru 4x5, so obviously I would need something that can handle up to 4x5. I have used a darkroom before, but I have never looked into getting an enlarger myself before now. I doubt I will ever do color enlargment (I will stick to PS for that), so I really dont need a color head, I think.
I have no real ideas as to what I should be looking for. Any ideas or advice about what to look for in an enlarger would be greatly appreciated.
Thanx!!
Gary
Hi, Gary. You are one of the few Japan-based APUG fellows, so I'm assuming you're looking for something to use in Japan, right? If so, your choices are either to go for the domestic (Japanese) ones, or non-Japanese ones from elsewhere.
Since many AUPGers use eBay, B&H, and many other sites outside of Japan to keep their film photography rolling, they can tell you on that part. So, I'll do mine on the domestic market based what I've found out.
If you look for an enlarger in Japan, Yahoo Japan Auction site seems like a good place to buy something used and cheap, and usually there are a bunch of domestic-brand (Fuji, LPL, and Lucky/Fujimoto) enlargers in there.
They are ready for 100V just like any other electrical appliances in your house, so you don't need a voltage converter, etc.
My quick view on the domestic models is that Fuji used to make A450, which you can go up to 4x5 neg. I believe it's a condenser-head type and no longer in production. The latest model called FD 690 which I use is only up to 6x9, but I'm a 35mm shooter and I've found this to be good for my use.
LPL has a couple of 4x5 enlargers both new and old, but they are diffusion-head types. You can check their website. Lucky/Fujimoto has maybe less than a few models for that. I don't know anything about it actually, but it's as popular as other two.
I've found that many photo schools use Lucky and/or Fuji enargers for the most part, just like how Omega and Beseler are in the U.S.
You can go to some photo equipment & supplies stores to find an enlarger, but mostly they don't have that many in their store space. You should always try, though. If you go to big corporate chain stores like Bic Camera, they usually carry new models there. So at least you feel what they are like.
Whatever you choose, my advice is this: Look for something with a good stable column design and a chassis. But keep in mind usually the more stable you want, the heavier the whole unit gets. They weigh anywhere between 10 to 30 kilograms.
Alignment is another issue, and be sure what you get is either aligned and can be aligned properly. Many Japanese models don't have a way to re-adjust once they are assembled. They are not quite like Omega or Beseler.
Also check the lamp house to see if the lenses (condensers) and filters (for diffusion-head) are okay, not deteriorated. If you are looking for new ones, they don't have this problem, but used ones, you never know.
Most importantly because of the new product safety law called PSE law, you have to be careful on your estimate on what electrical appilances you can and cannot easily have access to. I don't think you will have problems with the products that are still in production, but if you go for older products and/or foreign brands, you will likely experience a little difficulty.
Getting spare light bulbs could be one issue in a long term. If you find a rare piece of equipment, be sure you can get what you need for it.
The other thing is that for probably some foreign brand electrical appliances, the repair service/maintenance could be no longer available domestically. The shift from analog to digital seems very fast and much faster in this area. You can always check with Ginnichi, Fujiya Camera, Camera No Nitto in Tokyo only to find this out on this issue.
So, be prepared to have to get things done outside of Japan when something comes up.
I've been using a Fuji enlarger as a main one with all the accessories available and easily obtainable. It produces the quality I like, which is very similar to what I used to get with a condenser-head Omega D2. That's where I stand.
Meanwhile, I'm looking for a vintage type, either Leitz or Omega, but even when I get one I won't count on it as much on a daily use. It's just too much trouble for me right now, I hate to say. That's probably just me, though.
The bottom line is whatever you feel comfrotable using, that's what you will be using for a long time.
Here are two sites/pages as the references for starting darkroom photography in Japan:
http://www.hit-on.co.jp/head.htm
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