why did leica stop making enlargers?

chip j · Sep 24, 2014

Any reasons beside the decline in analog? The Ic, the greatest one for 35mm, was hard to find in good condition in the mid-90's, most of them having been worked to death. (I got a good one then).

summicron1 · Sep 24, 2014

I think it was part of the general cutting back -- sales of all that sort of stuff fell off a cliff, the used market is glutted, a specialty company like Leitz would never be able to make money producing what it could sell. I'm sure they barely make money selling M-film cameras now.

You can still find a Focomat Ic if you look -- I found one at a thrift store in practically new condition for $35 a few years back, with lens.

Hilo · Sep 25, 2014

Their last version 1C was grey instead of black - I have always thought this was to make it look more modern. It was produced until 1977

From 1974 - 1979 Leitz produced the last version Focotar 50mm, which was redesigned to 6 elements instead of 5. It is called Focotar-2.

My experience as a professional photographer begins in 1978-1979. I never considered buying a 1C new, but in the early years I could also not afford one 2nd hand. This enlarger was so strong, if a photographer managed to buy one, he never needed to buy another. Perhaps their prices excluded a large part of the amateur market. I bought one some years ago that had the original invoice from the mid-seventies, for the equivalent of euro 750. That was a lot of money then.

All in all I think Leitz just did not sell enough of them to make it very profitable. Perhaps someone who began buying them throughout the 70-ties can tell us more.

Ian Grant · Sep 25, 2014

Many experienced photographs at that time (1970's) were also shooting or contemplating moving up to medium format (in Europe) and consequently few would buy an expensive enlarger solely for 35mm work.

So it was small niche market for the Leitz enlargers,

Ian

Hilo · Sep 25, 2014

Ian Grant said:
Many experienced photographs at that time (1970's) were also shooting or contemplating moving up to medium format (in Europe) and consequently few would buy an expensive enlarger solely for 35mm work

Not sure about this, in fact many were sold and many always showed up second hand. And they still do.

But you are right about the question of a medium format enlarger. After the Valoy II, I went directly to the Focomat IIC (worked 6 months with a printer in Paris, in exchange for a beaten-up IIC that I still use) because I had little space and figured this up to 6X9 enlarger was all I needed. Butafter a couple of years I also got a second hand 1C, simply because it is such a great 135mm enlarger.

I will ask the original poster's question to a friend, who worked for Leitz his entire career, repairing and selling.

MDR · Sep 25, 2014

The Focomat enlargers are not a Leitz product but a Kienzle product, the Valoy could have been a Leitz product. Most Autofocus enlargers were made by Kienzle and sold under different names with different lens mounts. Kienzle enlargers are the Rolly Royce of enlargers and are still in production.

Since the later Leitz enlargers were not made by Leitz it was easy for them to get rid of a product that did not sell all that well.

chip j · Sep 25, 2014

WOW! Thanks for that info, MDR.

John Koehrer · Sep 25, 2014

Price and non existent market. Pretty much the capitalist way. Consider the prices relative to their competition.
The only reference to new pricing I found suggested almost eight grand in 1985 dollars for a llC.

K-G · Sep 25, 2014

MDR said:
The Focomat enlargers are not a Leitz product but a Kienzle product, the Valoy could have been a Leitz product. Most Autofocus enlargers were made by Kienzle and sold under different names with different lens mounts. Kienzle enlargers are the Rolly Royce of enlargers and are still in production.

Since the later Leitz enlargers were not made by Leitz it was easy for them to get rid of a product that did not sell all that well.

Kienzle also sels spareparts for old enlargers. Here is their website.

http://www.kienzle-phototechnik.de/

Karl-Gustaf

Mainecoonmaniac · Sep 25, 2014

I think they're the sharpest 35mm enlargers ever made. A 16x20 print from a neg looks like it has sand on the print it was so sharp. I've used them and I never liked them. The glassed carriers made the neg razor sharp edge to edge, but it also trapped dust and made Newton's rings under the right conditions. Using those glassed carriers, there were 6 surfaces to keep clean. I printed on a Focomat with a neg shot from a Leica and it's scary sharp. Too sharp for me. It's almost jarring.

RalphLambrecht · Sep 25, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I think they're the sharpest 35mm enlargers ever made. A 16x20 print from a neg looks like it has sand on the print it was so sharp. I've used them and I never liked them. The glassed carriers made the neg razor sharp edge to edge, but it also trapped dust and made Newton's rings under the right conditions. Using those glassed carriers, there were 6 surfaces to keep clean. I printed on a Focomat with a neg shot from a Leica and it's scary sharp. Too sharp for me. It's almost jarring.

I'd like to have that problem.

chip j · Sep 25, 2014

My big, heavy Durst M35 Micromat (35mm only) w/a spotlight bulb is a whole order sharper than my Ic. I have anti-newton glass for both. Only 1 side to clean.

resummerfield · Sep 26, 2014

MDR said:
The Focomat enlargers are not a Leitz product but a Kienzle product, the Valoy could have been a Leitz product. Most Autofocus enlargers were made by Kienzle and sold under different names with different lens mounts. Kienzle enlargers are the Rolly Royce of enlargers and are still in production.....

I had no idea Kienzle made 8x10 enlargers!

analoguey · Sep 26, 2014

K-G said:
Kienzle also sels spareparts for old enlargers. Here is their website.

http://www.kienzle-phototechnik.de/

Karl-Gustaf

MDR said:
The Focomat enlargers are not a Leitz product but a Kienzle product, the Valoy could have been a Leitz product. Most Autofocus enlargers were made by Kienzle and sold under different names with different lens mounts. Kienzle enlargers are the Rolly Royce of enlargers and are still in production.

Since the later Leitz enlargers were not made by Leitz it was easy for them to get rid of a product that did not sell all that well.

I'd checked their website and sent them a mail on price of their enlargers( I didnt know they made focomats -figured theyre among the few companies doing okay with analogue n enlargers). The Rolls Royce bit certainly is true (at least from thw pricing I was sent)!

Sent from Tap-a-talk

DREW WILEY · Sep 26, 2014

Even Durst completely shut down true pro enlarger mfg some time back, though they still market less expensive enlargers up to 4x5.
Some of the old units, if well care for, should last a century, and with declining demand by pro labs per se, I guess there just isn't much profit in it anymore, if any. The cost of the materials and skilled labor has skyrocketed since they heyday or many of these classic units. Nowdadays a lot of anodized aluminum and automated CNC machining is used in manufacture instead. Market prices vary for enlargers in general. Sometimes you
can pick up a hundred thousand dollar enlarger for downright free if you're patient. But these little Leitz ones are probably even less common!

Hilo · Sep 27, 2014

For now, I do not think the Focomats were made by Kienzle. Certain parts perhaps, or the technology of the automatic focus. I know people who worked for Leitz, from the early fifties, who went to the factory each year for schooling. I will ask one of them.

In the mean time, this is a nice read if you are interested in these enlargers (make some tea of coffee, sit down and enjoy, in particular when Mr. Zimmermann comes on stage . . .)

https://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89969

AgX · Sep 27, 2014

Hilo said:
For now, I do not think the Focomats were made by Kienzle. Certain parts perhaps, or the technology of the automatic focus. I know people who worked for Leitz, from the early fifties, who went to the factory each year for schooling. I will ask one of them.

Informing at Kienzle would likely be more effective.

Alex Muir · Sep 27, 2014

I have the V35 Focomat. There are two plastic levers that raise the pressure plate. These are prone to damage, and I had to obtain replacements from the Leica UK about 2-3 years ago. The man there,who seemed to be in charge of service, told me that these parts were manufactured by Minox.
Alex

why did leica stop making enlargers?

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