Since I got back into LF (about 6 months now, I think), I've been thinking about enlargements. That is, I've been thinking about how I can make them, and most economically. I've come to some conclusions, and I would be interested in the opinions of the rest of the forum.
I have a complete B&W darkroom, set up to handle 35mm and MF up to 6x6. My enlarger, however, is an Omega B-22, so it will only handle up to 6x6; my best chance of obtaining 4x5 enlarging ability is probably going to be a Beseler 23CII, which would mean selling the B-22 (probably for only about $100) and finding a decent used 23CII (probably over $200). This would leave me holding the bag for over $100, obviously. This is a major problem, however, since the budget is tight right now.
I also have a good Epson printer, which prints completely satisfactory (for my tastes) images up to 8.5" wide. Now, the obvious problem is that I can't print larger than that-- while the 4x5 negs would certainly give me more in the (traditional) darkroom. But here's the fact-- I rarely print larger than 8x10 anyway. This is by choice, not by necessity; the MF stuff I do could easily print 11x14 and 16x20, but I simply prefer the 8x10 size most of the time.
Beyond that, I do enough work on the pro end which requires digital retouching or a quick proof off of a negative that something that can handle 35mm and MF negatives in a scanner would be a great tool to have around. The problem is, the "closest" thing to a true film scanner with this range is $1000s more than I can afford. However, I have seen favorable things about some of the flatbeds that are set up to scan negatives also, like the Epson 3200, the Agfa Arcus, and the Agfa Duoscan. These, I could afford-- especially if I sold the flatbed I already have and replaced it with one of these.
Finally, here come the questions: which way should I go? Should I go with the scanner, and keep the Omega in the darkroom for a while-- then upgrade to the 23CII down the line? Or should I forget the scanner altogether, and figure out how to get the enlarger I need?
I guess what it really comes down to is this: are these scanners good enough to be worth it? Has anyone used the Arcus? Duoscan? I've seen them for reasonable prices on eBay. (Not so much the Epson...) What is the largest image I could expect from one of these Agfas from a 6x6 or 6x4.5? How about from 35mm? How about from 4x5?
Any input you have is welcome. Thanks for letting me ramble.
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