Which Enlarger?

[Diaga67]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking at purchasing my first enlarger, and I looking at used ones with 6x7 or larger capabilities (I shoot 6x7 currently). I have found various Beseler enlargers, but I did find a Beseler 45M. For those of you that use this model, do you like it? How old typically is this model of enlarger?

Any recommendations on other enlargers? Thanks!

Jim

 

[Konical]

Good Morning, Jim,

I've used the Beseler 45 MCR-X for over thirty years. I have no hesitation is recommending it, provided the condition and price of the one you're considering are both OK. Omegas and, certainly, Dursts have many satisfied users also, and prices for both used enlargers and top-quality used enlarger lenses are rock-bottom right now. Congratulations on getting in at the right time.

Konical

 

[Flotsam]

You should also consider that it is a very big and heavy enlarger so you need to make sure that you have plenty of space for it. An alternative that will takes negs up to 6x9 would be the much smaller 23C.

 

[Bob Carnie]

hi Jim

I would recommend Omega Enlargers , I have a few and am very satisfied with them.
good luck
Bob

 

[Peter Williams]

Jim,

I just purchased my first enlarger a few weeks ago and I got the Beseler 45MXT with the condenser lamphouse. Mine came with a 150mm El-Nikkor lens, a glass 4x5 carrier which I use for all formats (I currently shoot 6x8 and 6x6), the baseboard, and a timer. I paid $300 for the whole lot and I have been very satisfied so far (my inexperience notwithstanding). There are some real bargains out there right now. I really like being able to move a knob to adjust the condenser for the various negative sizes. Also, the enlarger is too large when mounted to the baseboard to fit through the doorway to the darkroom (my wife still calls it the front bathroom, but I'm trying to break that habit),so I take the board off and move the pieces separately. It is a large one, but I do not have any trouble moving it around myself. Good luck, I'm sure that you will be hooked as quickly as I have been.

Peter

 

[srs5694]

I recently broke down and bought my second enlarger, a Philips PCS130 with PCS150 control unit. Here's the eBay auction. As I got it, it does up to 6x6 format, but with another condenser it'll do 6x7. It's a very nice enlarger and is a bit of a "sleeper," in the sense that this model tends to sell for low prices on eBay given its capabilities, which include color filtration, up to 6x7 negative support, and a tilt head for perspective control or wall projection. The enlarger itself (head, baseboard, etc.) was reportedly made by LPL, while Philips did the electronics (the PCS150 control unit, I presume). It's got some peculiar features that drew me to it (I like peculiar ), such as being a condenser enlarger with built-in color support and the fact that it uses additive color (red, green, and blue lamps with variable brightness) rather than subtractive color (a "white" lamp with cyan, magenta, and yellow filters).

Downsides include unusual bulb requirements (three 35W, 14V halogen bulbs, ~$20 apiece) and difficulty finding accessories, including that 6x7 condenser set if one doesn't come with the enlarger. For you specifically, the fact that it tops out at 6x7 could be an issue; the general recommendation is to get an enlarger that can handle formats a bit bigger than you currently use, in case you decide to upgrade in the future.

Note that the PCS2000 is an enlarger with a similar control unit, but it tops out at 6x6 format and it uses a diffusion system rather than condensers.