I'm starting a darkroom in my basement and have aquired quite a bit of used stuff, but the most expensive piece of equipment is the enlarger. I plan on doing only black and white 4x5 and some medium format work with it. Where would be a good place to start looking for a used enlarger? shipping costs are outrageous on ebay. And also, do I want a dichro head? Condenser? Cold Head? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Brian
brian... if you're worried about shipping costs, we need to know where you're located.
---Scott
www.srosenberg.com
You could always BUILD one ;-) There were some real bargains on e-bay when I was looking but the shipping costs were close to $400, so I built one. It may not be pretty and/or fancy but it works fine and cost me less than $350, including the colour head and the negative carrier.
http://www.geocities.com/diannebest/Enlarger/Enlarger.html
With the wholesale shift of commercial photography to digital, finding an enlarger these days is often a case of asking around. Have you contacted local photo studios (especially commercial photographers,) to see if they have anything they'd like to get rid of? It's a buyer's market for darkroom equipment these days -- my beseler 4x5 cost me the princely sum of $4.50 (or was it $7.50? Can't recall.) at auction when the local high school moved their photography program to digital. I also attended the auction of a local commercial photography studio where half a dozen Beseler and Omega large format enlargers went unsold as no one was interested in bidding for them (this was about a year and a half ago.)
Also regarding E-bay, keep watching the sales. Sooner or later one may turn up which is close enough to your location that you can just drive over and pick it up. That'll save the shipping money!
Mike
Politically, aerodynamically, and fashionably incorrect.
Hi Brian,
I suggest that you take a look at the selection of previously owned large format enlargers on the Midwest Photo Exchange website (www.mpex.com). There are several nice Omegas and Beselers listed at very reasonable prices. You will also need a lens in the 75-80 focal length for medium format and a lens in the 135-150 focal length for large format, as well as negative carriers, lensboards, etc. You can call, or e-mail Jim (jim@mpex.com). Tell him what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. Don't forget to mention that you were refered by this forum. He has the capability for shipping enlargers anywhere in the world.
i'm located in south central PA. If anyone knows anyone that has one close, let me know!
Brian-
Post your question on www.apug.org...there was a guy who had a whole bunch of Omega D2's in a warehouse...not sure how much he was asking by they were in Philadelphia which probably isn't an unreasonable drive for you.
Good luck.
Brian,
How much closer to Midwest Photo Exchange do you want to be? They are located in Columbus, Ohio. Practically next door to you.
If you do decide to try Midwest Photo in Columbus, Ohio, phone them first. They have a fast turnover in equipment and you will want to know that they have what you need in stock.
If you make the trip, you should also go to Columbus Camera. They are located in an old church about 1 mile from Midwest Photo. Columbus Camera usually has some used large format equipment, and they always have a large assortment of used lighting and darkroom equipment in stock... you are more likely to find several 4x5 enlargers here but it is like playing bingo, you either hit or you don't...
It would be well worth your time to get a few friends together and make the journey... It's nice to see all the cameras you read about displayed in one store. Take plenty of money and a large van...
I bought my 4x5 enlarger from midwest photo exchange about 12 years ago. Granted, my feedback is probably past its expiration date, but I couldn't have been happier either with the enlarger or the service. The shipping costs must have been reasonable because i was poor as dirt at the time.
I got besseler 4x5mx enlarger, which is fabulous piece of hardware, with some limitations. It requires some kind of modification (adjustable lensboards) in order to be aligned properly. I also had a machine shop modify the glass carrier to eliminate vinetting and reflections. But the basic structure is excellent. It will last forever and give you very little trouble. I was skeptical of the motorized carriage at first, but now I realize how smart it is--it saves the enlarger from the constant stress of having a handle cranked on all the time.
Light sources are an interesting question. I got a zone vi cold light, which i use with their compensating metronome. i love printing with the metronome, but the cold light is a horrifically uneven light source. I modified mine with a compensating mask made from lith film. Even so, I feel that I do more edge burning than makes sense. A regular cold light is also a terrible choice if you use vc papers or if you ever print 35mm.
This being said, I've found my cold light to be completely reliable and consistent (with the compensating metronome) for 4x5, graded paper use. I'm curious to know what kinds of sources other people use, especially when they need more versatility than i do.
One more note: stay away from Omega enlargers at all cost. They are the worst. There is no way to keep them aligned for more than a minute. Somehow Omega fast talked their way into a lot of institutional darkrooms (like my college darkroom) and pro darkrooms (like the one where i used to work), and have left a trail of furious engineers, darkroom managers, and maintenance people in their wake. I have not heard a single good thing about them, nore have I had a single good experience. On the other hand, Besseler, Saunders, and Durst all seem to make good products.
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