What are good 5 x 7 enlargers?
What are good 5 x 7 enlargers?
An Omega E-5 with a cold light head works well for BW but are very difficult to find anymore. However, they're big enough that shipping by USPS, FedEx, etc would be a major problem compared to picking up with your own vehicle. The heavy double-rail column alone is 5+ feet, in addition to the enlarger head and wall-mount pedestal. I'm not aware of 5x7 enlargers that are markedly smaller. You might consider getting a good film scanner instead and then digitally printing.
There are still aged 5x7 Elwoods around. Elwoods are darned good machines for the price, IMHO.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Think Intrepid will ever make an enlarger kit for their 5x7? I’ve inquired a couple of times about it, the first time they said it wasn’t in the works. The second time they never responded. Might fill a niche.
“With great film size comes great responsibility”
www.formlevelphoto.com
I have a 5 x 7 Devere enlarger that I think is remarkable.
I used a 5x7 Elwood for basic B&W enlarging for several decades. It sat on the floor of a low ceiling darkroom. Other than that, it was satisfactory.
I've just refurbished and installed a Durst 138 S in a small darkroom. The Durst's are big but less of a beast that the DeVere. You probably won't see one at a reasonable price in the US though.
I've refurbished an Omega E-3, including a replica of the enlarging table, using catalog photos as a guide. The E-3 was made under Military Contract, not available to the general public. Then Came the E-4 and E-5. The 5x7 Omegalite is from an Omega E-4. The enlarger was designed to be pushed horizontally against a wall, so the enlarger is approached from the right side, in order to reach all the controls. In my darkroom, it is installed vertically, due to my darkroom footprint.
Darkroom Renovation Phase 2 No 6 by Nokton48, on Flickr
E3 CLA 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr
These are original E-3 Negative Carriers in my collection. I've added quite a few more since this photo was taken.
Flikr Photos Here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/18134483@N04/
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