5x7 camera/enlarger

[Percy]

Hi.
Having discovered the joys of 8x10 contact printing, as well as the agony of carrying an 40-50lbs around in order to make a maximum of 4 images per outing, I decided to try a 5x7, in the form of a battleship grey Burke and James. I find I am carrying this little monster EVERYWHERE! It folds nicely enough to fit in a small back pack, and is light as a feather compared with my 8x10 Orbit.

Question is, where might I find another? Mine is old, scruffy but works perfectly well. Don't know exactly why, but I find my self wanting a back up, as I finally seem to have found my main format.

I am not particularly interested in the high end, designer type, mega-buck cameras. I want another B&J! Or something similar. Plain. Simple. Sturdy. Functional. Know what I mean? I seemed to have lucked up on this particular flatbed; don't even know what the model name is. But I like. I like a LOT. Contact printing 5x7 negatives is great; enlarging would be great as well. Anybody know where I could get my hands on one of these? (already tried Midwest...no go.) Hope this makes sense.

[Jim McD]

Welcome to the 5X7 B&J world. I have had one for 15 years and it my main workhorse.

I have steered several people to B&Js at the Boston Used Camera Show (happening next weekend, www.phsne.org) for $200-$350 depending on condition and accessories. Look around for a used camera show in your area of the world. I also see them on that auction site from time to time.

View Camera had an article several years ago showing a B&J completely refinished by Patrick Alt-they are beautiful maple underneath that ugly paint. I haven't gotten around to refinishing mine yet

[John Kasaian]

I think the 4x5 B&J is a 5x7 with a reduction back, so if you find a 4x5 B&J you could probably swap backs.

For a cheap enlarger, look for an Elwood. They show up on eBay every so often. Try to get one with the diffusion disc intact, but if its busted you can make your own out of gg.

As a general rule, if you have to pay more for an Elwood than what it'll cost to ship it to you, you're paying too much!

[Ola Lagarhus]

Does anyone know how the condenser system in the Elwood enlarger is constructed?
Are there two lenses above, that cover the 5x7 neg?

[Percy]

Been looking on ebay...can't find one (enlarger).
Anybody know of another resource?

[John Kasaian]

Ola,

None of the Elwoods I've seen are condenser types. The only ones I know of are diffusion types unless they've been fitted with cold lights from Aristo (which isn't too bad of an idea!)

The kids know him as "Mister Elwood" as He someimes wears an overcoat, and is bolted to a platform with castors so I can wheel him into the Barbie darkroom as He normally resides in the parlor (I've got a very understanding Bride!) ;-) Someday if I come across an exceptionally large fedora, I'll take a photo of "Mr. Elwood" just for fun!

Cheers.

[Capocheny]

Percy,

I've also just bought a 5x7 camera and was thinking about getting back into the whole process of developing and printing. As a result, I went on the "hunt" for an elarger and was offered the following package...

Zone VI 5x7 Enlarger with variable contrast, cold light head.

Handles 35mm to 5x7 film sizes.

Comes with 35, 6x7, and 4x5 carriers; 2 columns; baseboard; lens board and focus extension.

Includes Beseler digi-timer and footswitch.

Schneider Componon-S Enlarger lenses:

100mm f5.6

150mm f5.6

All in great condition.

The price was US$2,500.00 plus shipping.

I don't know if it's still available or not... but if you'd like me to ask about it, let me know off-line.

Cheers

[Don Wallace]

There is a De Vere closed loop (computer controlled) 5x7 enlarger available locally (Ottawa, Canada) for about $1000. This has a colour head. De Vere's are the Rolls-Royce of enlargers. I use a 4x5 De Vere and it is a dream.

I, too, am really getting infatuated with the 5x7 format. I don't really save on weight because I use a 5x7 back on my 8x10 Ansco, but I really like the aspect ratio. It is also a lovely contact printing size. I use a Durst condensor enlarger for 5x7, and I would buy the De Vere myself, but if I get one more enlarger, my wife will either kill me or divorce me.

There are a LOT of enlargers out there as more and more people go the digital route. These are halcyon days for those of us who prefer the darkroom to the computer. For my 4x5 De Vere and my 5x7 Durst, I paid less than $50 US each. They came with a 150mm Rodenstock Rodagon and 210 Schneider Componon S. Keep your eyes peeled and don't be in a rush.

[ronald lamarsh]

Welcome to the club: for an enlarger look on e-___ or elsewhere for a Burke& James solar enlarger. I got mine for $95 the bellows isn't great but it is all functional. Its a tungsten diffusion enlarger so make sure it has the factory diffusion glass etc. I took mine off the factory stand and mounted it to the wall fixed in place and use a variable height enlarging table. You really don't need to spend $1500 on an enlarger.

[Jim Galli]

I bought a B&J 5X7 on the bay recently for $56. Bought it for a friend to test the waters in LF a bit. It came with 2 Bausch & Lomb 5X7 tessars and a good useable packard shutter. It was so dirty I took it apart and gave it a bath in warm soapy water. Try that with a Wisner I also bought a Kodak improved #2 5X7 that has the additional focal plane shutter attached to the back. That's a trip. Big flap flap shutter clanging away. It was less than $200 and unlike the BJ, is quite pretty being all finished cherry. My permanent keeper though is the Deardorff. But I'm amortizing it at $50 / year for the next 28 years.