Printing Medium Format on a Durst 184 ??

[rknewcomb]

Can you print medium format on a Durst 8x10 enlarger? Would that be a real pain and not practical? Not that I'd go out and buy an 8x10 enlarger just to print small negatives, but more the other way around - if one already had a 8x10, could you use it to print smaller negs?
Thanks.

[Greg Blank]

Not sure if it was using a 184, but a friend of mine that shoots 35mm exclusively at the time, produced superior and very large enlargements using a 8x10 Durst. He was doing like 24x36" prints that were very sharp for the size and format. Of course he had twenty years of printing exeperience. But the best 35mm enlargments I have ever seen. & the film of preference Kodak Gold 100.

Can you print medium format on a Durst 8x10 enlarger? Would that be a real pain and not practical? Not that I'd go out and buy an 8x10 enlarger just to print small negatives, but more the other way around - if one already had a 8x10, could you use it to print smaller negs?
Thanks.

[Frank Petronio]

I think Edgar Praus uses them for every format too, he has several.

The only smaller format enlarger that might be an improvement might be one of the Leica Focomats for 35mm, but otherwise I can't see where going to a lighter duty rig would be better.

[bob carnie]

Yes
I use a 11x14 enlarger for 4x5 and have done mf with it.

Can you print medium format on a Durst 8x10 enlarger? Would that be a real pain and not practical? Not that I'd go out and buy an 8x10 enlarger just to print small negatives, but more the other way around - if one already had a 8x10, could you use it to print smaller negs?
Thanks.

[cyrus]

Yes, I do it on my CLS 1840. You can even do 35mm if you want.

[rknewcomb]

I didn't know if the bellows would compress enough to use the 80mm or 100mm lens that would be required for that small of a negative.
Sounds like it can be done.
thanks!
Rbt

[Drew Wiley]

You might need a recessed Durst lens board, depending on what enlarging lens you acutally plan to use. There seems to be quite a few on Fleabay at the moment.

[Allen in Montreal]

You might need a recessed Durst lens board, depending on what enlarging lens you acutally plan to use. There seems to be quite a few on Fleabay at the moment.

I think you are right Drew.

rknewcomb,

There are some recessed boards that have an aperture control lever so you do not need to fight to adjust the aperture, just slide the lever that sticks out a touch. I see a lot of recessed boards being sold without that attachment, something to think about. Sticking your fingers up there and fighting the small space could wear thin quick.

I don't have the need, so I have never fully researched which adapters go with what lenses etc, but you may want to do that homework before buying recessed board.

[Drew Wiley]

I have one of those recessed tubes with the little red lever myself, but generally do
35mm on a different enlarger. The Durst numbering system for all those goodies can
be a bit confusing, but it's also fairly easy to have something like that custom machined.

[rknewcomb]

I was thinking nothing smaller then 2 1/4 x 2 1/4. The issues about the recessed lensboard are the Durst naming system ie: finding the correct one, and how practical it would be although possible.
Thank you for the helpful thoughts.
Robert N.