Can someone please give few main coordinates about which are the bests B&W enlarger?

[gabriele turchi]

thanks everyone
all these are very important coordinates , and i now i know more about how and what to look for ( especially the tip of looking for a "declared" complete package)

ps: i am in New york city by the way (since somebody asked)

i have one question that has not beee3nn discussed much :

what type of light source do you guys like ?

while searching seems that i have stumbled upon options like (sorry for the ignorance again , i am going to write terms )

diffused
condensed
cold
LED ( this is new technology )

i like the concept behind VC heads , but i also like to know what type of image (sharpness wise i guess ) can be obtained using different light sources systems
especially considering that some enlarger allow the use of different heads .

thanks!
g

[Luis-F-S]

This is all been answered in the first post . The image sharpness it's going to be much better than anything you can produce . The weak point is going to be you not the enlarger. have you considered buying a book on darkroom and printing there are lots of very cheap one out there and it would answer a lot of your questions. Every used book store has them available

[angusparker]

In the US: Durst 1200 w 450/500/501 Color Head
For those in Europe: DeVere 504

Both are very high quality and have service available / parts.

Color heads make the most sense for B&W - you can dial in the filters for VC papers - they work better than B&W heads where you have to manually insert filters, or the fancy new B&W heads that can't be serviced and have electronics that will go kaput in a few years. I would recommend you buy a back-up power supply for the color head because these can burn out. The power supplies tend to be relatively cheap on the auction site. They are usually specific to the color head with different plugs etc.

[xkaes]

i have one question that has not beee3nn discussed much :

what type of light source do you guys like ?

while searching seems that i have stumbled upon options like (sorry for the ignorance again , i am going to write terms )

diffused
condensed
cold
LED ( this is new technology )

i like the concept behind VC heads , but i also like to know what type of image (sharpness wise i guess ) can be obtained using different light sources systems
especially considering that some enlarger allow the use of different heads .

thanks!
g

This is another question that will produce multiple responses. Everyone has their own preference(s). That's one reason why many photographers, like me, have multiple heads. Each has its pros and cons -- depending on who you ask. LED is not a new technology. Minolta & Beseler created one, together, back in the 80's. It used RED, BLUE, and GREEN tubes instead of the traditional MAGENTA, YELLOW, and CYAN filters. You also need to add POINT LIGHT SOURCE to your list of heads -- just to confuse things even more.

[jose angel]

"what type of light source do you guys like ?"
(Edit; xkaes has been faster than me, I agree with him... Anyway I keep my post).

This is the typical question where each photographer will give you a different answer... from the tiniest point light source to any oversized diffusion type head.

Personally, I like condenser heads with a straight (not reflected) LED source. Advantages: sharp, easy to change light output (a must for me), cold operation, bomb proof, comfortable to use. They use to ask for filter sheets, that as mentioned, have to be inserted manually, either in a filter drawer or into an under-the-lens kind of slot. I prefer filter drawers but I must admit that is a not so practical method; in the real life, the under-the-lens method is way easier to use, and with certain techniques, way more convenient. Disadvantages: the dust issue (not actually a problem, I work perfectly clean but it takes some time to clean), and filters must be used with care (even a drop of water could ruin them, not an issue at all too, filters are cheap, -I have ruined a couple filters in 40 years, thought-).

[gabriele turchi]

tanks for everyone who are giving their testimony preferences ,

and i would invite whom does not not want to share their preferences to avoid reply .
i know that everyone have their own preferences and i know that there is practice to be done and books

but here am asking people testimony to whom want to share ,
since for me is helpful to hear what you guys like and why ..in order to create some coordinates .

thanks a lot
g

[gabriele turchi]

Personally, I like condenser heads with a straight (not reflected) LED source. Advantages: sharp, easy to change light output (a must for me)

jose,

what you mean by changing light output ? you mean power (watts) ?

thanks

g

[gabriele turchi]

This is another question that will produce multiple responses. Everyone has their own preference(s). That's one reason why many photographers, like me, have multiple heads.

that was my thinking ... ( but yes , now someone now will say : buy a cheap one and start there ...)


thanks
g

[Luis-F-S]

So are you buying an enlarger or taking a poll?

[jose angel]

"what you mean by changing light output ? you mean power (watts) ?"

Right. Depending on the task, you may need more or less light power (brightness) to get the *right* exposure time, which to my taste use to fall between say, 10 and 20 seconds (in order to make burning/dodging easier).
A dense negative will ask for more light, specially if it has to be printed big. In the opposite, a thin negative needs less light, same as smaller enlargements.
If you only have a full powered light source, you have to play with lens apertures to control light output, or to use ND filters to reduce light. Some enlargers, like the mentioned 4x5" LPL top dichro heads, enjoy a "light reduction" system (full/low), which is quite useful, but still too much bright to my taste (it is a quite powerful enlarger). You still have methods to lower brightness, but I think it is easier to simply change a bulb, or to use a dimmable system.
Obviously it depends on the density of your negatives, the size you prime to print, the format, the condensers/boxes, how fast you like to work, etc. Notice that I`m talking about my own preferences. For sure others could differ.