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Thread: Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

  1. #1

    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    Does anyone have any knowledge of and information about a Calumet E-100 8x10" enlarger? I don't know who manufactured it for Calumet but a wiring schematic shows a date of 1969 so it was probably manufactured into the 70s. It is listed on eBay now and it appears to be an extremely well-built enlarger but I would appreciate it if anyone can provide any information, specs, or personal experiences with this enlarger. The schematic drawing is quite complex. The enlarger runs on 220V and it has an electronic shutter, cooling fans, and a unique lamp system.

    I posted this question earlier but it didn't make it to the forum for some reason. I am NOT selling this enlarger. I am interested in buying it but I have never seen one like this and I would like more information about it. The seller has told me it's height which is too high for my current darkroom but I may be moving soon and a high ceiling in my darkroom is a must. The more I study pictures of the enlarger, including pictures that the seller graciously sent to me via email, the more fascinated I am about it.

    Any info anyone may have to share about this enlarger would be greatly appreciated and if I don't buy it, it should be put to good use by someone else. If only it was shorter!

  2. #2
    wfwhitaker
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    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    I hate to state the obvious, but have you contacted Calumet?

    You're getting yourself set up for a project with this one. But then, you probably won't have too much bidding competition, either...

  3. #3

    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    William,

    Of course I checked with Calumet. But it is very doubtful, based on my past experience with them, that I will receive a response from them before the auction ends. That's not a knock on Calumet. They are great people to deal with but they can be a bit slow in response to technical questions and, in this case, they would have to do some digging or find someone who remembers this enlarger - certainly not a top priority to them.

    Actually, it wouldn't be that much of a project at all. This sort of thing is not new to me by any means. The only problem is the height. Even if the light source didn't work, I would probably replace it with a cold light anyway. And I would simply remove the electronic shutter. No problem at all. Child's play!

    As for no competition on bidding: I beg to differ. While many labs have closed or are closing down and enlargers are on the market in quanitity, the bidding on good LF enlargers has been very competitive lately. I have been watching this for a long time. 4x5" enlargers can be bought very reasonably, but 8x10" enlargers are bringing very good prices these days. They are actually difficult to find and when one comes up on eBay it sells for a good price.

    I appreciate your response, however. It sure is better than the response I received on another board where, rather than respond to the specific question, I received a digital vs. film and a digital vs. LF??? rant.

    With all due respect, I am not asking people for their opinions on the future of LF photography vs digital photography. That is for another forum an the topic has been beaten to death. I am asking if anyone has had any experience with or knowledge of the specific enlarger that I mention above and, if so, to share information about this specific enlarger. That's all.

    Thanks

  4. #4

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    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    Tom, again, I think you misunderstood me. Here's my reply to your other post:

    "Hi Tom. I saw the listing also, and if I hadn't already bought an 8x10 enlarger I'd be tempted by this one too, although a drive out to Philly isn't in my immediate plans. I paid over $400 to have mine shipped to me in Idaho from Princeton NJ, which raised my total cost to nearly $1000. The fact is that it's getting harder and harder to even give these things away, and I hope the seller will consider giving you the enlarger if you go to the trouble to pick it up and haul it off and make use of it. There just aren't enough 8x10 photographers in the market for an 8x10 enlarger to absorb all of these units rendered obsolete by the digital revolution. It's a real shame, but on the other hand, there are real bargains to be had by those of us willing to commit to such a beast. Best of luck to you, Tom."

    To that I'll only add that I hope you find an appropriate place to stick your big enlarger.

    Hardly a rant, and there was no digital vs film argument whatsoever, just a statement of fact. Here's my response to your rather rude and misdirected reply on the other forum, which stands as well here:

    "Tom. I think you might have misunderstood me. I do have an interest in LF and shoot an 8x10 Deardorff, which is why I bought an 8x10 enlarger in an Ebay auction for $500 as the sole bidder from a pro lab that was selling the enlarger because they've gone digital. I don't own or shoot digital, or output to digital in any way, so I'm definitely not counting film out. Make of my experience what you will, and good luck in your pursuit."

  5. #5

    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    Jay,

    I'm sorry that you feel that my response to you was "rude" (from a message I received from you separately about a dialog we had in another forum.) You apparently found a remark that I made in another forum and assumed that I was talking about you even though I never mentioned the original forum nor your name. However, now that you have brought it up, your response in that forum was not an appropriate answer to my question. Again, I simply asked if anyone had any experience or knowledge about a specific enlarger. You did not but your response was basically a lecture about how digital is taking over and 8x10" enlargers are almost free for the taking. Gee! I would greatly appreciate it if you would point me to all these 8x10" enlargers that everyone is virtually giving away. I would greatly appreciate that.

    I also pointed out that there were only two 8x10" enlargers listed on eBay in the last week or so. One of them was being sold by someone who had no eBay history at all. The ad was virtually a study in illiteracy and the seller only would say that he had a Beseler 8x10" enlarger for sale. No model was given. No picture. He said that he would furnish a picture upon request but he could not do so when asked (I requested a picture). He said he had a lens but he didn't even know what make it was. In short, there was an unknown 8x10" enlarger for sale on eBay, of unknown condition, with no pictures available, and potential buyers did not know if it even came with carriers, etc. This was being sold by a seller who had no history on eBay at all and other things in the ad were suspicious.

    So, what happened? It sold for $1225 today! There was bidding competition for it. Now, the mere fact that there are very few 8x10" enlargers available on eBay (the world's largest open auction) and the fact that people competed to buy one sight unseen and without knowing much about it at all, seems to contradict your contention that 8x10" enlargers are practically being given away. And there really aren't any 8x10" enlargers going on eBay for cheap. I have been watching for a long long time.

    The fact is that good 8x10" enlargers are not easy to come buy and they are going for relatively high prices. You were very lucky to get yours for $500. Very lucky indeed if it is a good enlarger and did not need work or additional money put into it. I also pointed out that I agreed with you that 4x5" enlargers were plentiful and they could be had for very reasonable prices. But my question had absolutely nothing to do with digital photography in any way.

    You may have felt that I was "rude" but I felt that your reply was presumptuous and, frankly, a bit insulting. I was not asking for a lecture on the status of large format photography or for your opinion on the state of digital photography. I have been shooting and printing LF for approximately 40 years. I have absolutely nothing against digital photography whatsoever. If you re-read my question, you will see that I merely asked for any information that anyone might have on that particular model of enlarger. That's all. It was a simple question. You did not have the answer. That' fine. But you chose to make a "film is dying" argument instead of answering the question. I found that to be a bit irritating. If you choose to answer someone's question by NOT answering it but rather giving your commentary about the state of digital vs. film photography, I think you can expect people to be a bit irritated. Ironically, my response to you was very respectful.

  6. #6

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    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    Tom, you are mistaken. I did not lecture or argue, but only pointed out the fact that digital imaging in pro labs, where the vast majority of 8x10 enlargers are to be found, is making optical 8x10 enlargers obsolete in that application, and as a result those enlargers are selling cheap, your ebay story notwithstanding. I speak from experience as I bought my own 8x10 enlarger in an ebay auction with no other bidders, for $500. Not opinion or lecture, but fact. My enlarger originally sold for somewhere in the $50,000-$100,000 range 15 years ago and is in near mint condition. While my reply in that forum might not have answered your question directly, it was a friendly message on the topic of 8x10 enlargers, the market for them, and my experiences therein. If you find that rude or insulting, you're sure to be insulted often and repeatedly in these forums.

  7. #7

    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    Jay,

    The ironic thing is that I never said that YOU lectured me. You have made an assumption. I was speaking in general and you also made the assumption that something said in another forum was about you. It wasn't. I posted a similar question in at least 5 forums - actually, it may have been 6 and I did receive a digital rules lecture in one of those.

    As for 8x10" enlargers being cheap, the fact of the matter is that you are simply wrong about that. Just because you got a good 8x10" enlarger for a good price does not mean that, in general, it's easy to find good 8x10" enlargers for a good price. Since you have already bought one, I can't imagine why you would be following the market for them so closely. But I am following the market very closely and I have been for many months now. I can assure you that 8x10 enlargers are not out there being sold cheaply or being practically given away as you imply. Again, if you really believe that, why don't you share some of these great deals with us? As of yesterday, there was only one 8x10" enlarger on eBay - the world's largest open auction - the one that was the original subject of this thread. Show me one, please. I don't mean that sarcastically. I am serious. I would greatly appreciate it. And I have not just been searching eBay by any means.

    Jay, I think that you and I both over-reacted a bit Yes, I know that you were not arguing that film is dead or that digital rules. And, yes, I know that your point was that traditional labs are closing down and that should make LF enlargers plentiful on the market. The only place we disagree is about the availabilty of 8x10" enlargers. You seem to think that they are practically dropping out of the sky and almost free for the taking but I know for a fact that that isn't the case at all. There has been a renewed interest in LF photography and esxpecially in the larger formats. Being a LF photographer for 40 years myself, I am very aware of what is going on in the field. The renewed interest in LF photography has caused a demand for LF equipment that is keeping prices up. In fact, LF equipment, in general, is selling at a premium now. You know that if you follow the market. Good LF cameras and lenses are going for very high prices right now, for example, especially the more sought after models. On the other hand, 4x5" enlargers really are plentiful now and good deals are out there. Typical traditional labs used 4x5" equipment. When I worked as a custom color printer that's all we had. Generally, only the big custom pro labs had 8x10 enlargers and many of those labs have stayed in business and still offer traditional or hybrid printing that required them to keep their 8x10" enalrgers. For example, Gamma, Chicago's biggest and best pro lab, while offering digital services, still does it's traditional film work. And, as you know, many photographers prefer a combination of digital/traditional techniques when prints are the goal.

    The only real point I made from the very beginning was that I had asked a specific question about a specific enlarger and I was receiving responses that were not pertinent to that question. With one exception, what I received in response was information that had nothing to do with the question specifically. I knew that those responses would take the thread off track and that's exactly what happened as it turns out. (Witness our dialog!) I wanted information from someone that was familiar with a particular enlarger quickly - before the auction ended. When the responses went off track I tried to get it back on track by saying that I was not asking for people's opinions on the future of digital and film photography, the availability of 8x10" enlargers, etc., I wanted to get the subject back on track. It was clearly too late for that. Just take a look at how the thread turned.

    I suggest that you simply read my original question again and ask yourself if your reply was pertinent. Or, to put it differently, did you have specific information or experience with a Beseler C-100 enlarger?

    That said, I do apologize if you felt offended. I realize that I was perhaps too blunt in trying to get the thread back on track so that I could get the information that I needed in time. Actually, this whole thing has become a bit silly. The funny thing is that, if you and I met, I have no doubt that we would like each other very much. We just had a misunderstanding.

    Best

  8. #8

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    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    What is the link to the auction? I'm not in the market, I just finished mounting my Elwood horizontally, but it sounds interesting. Unfortunately, I don't have the vertical space to pick up one of these nice 8x10s.

    Good luck.

    Also, did you call Calumet? They take a while to reply to emails, but they're usually pretty quick on the phone.

  9. #9

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    Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    There is what appears to be a very well made 8x10 enlarger in good condition on ebay right now with a starting bid of only $200 and no reserve with no bids. Make of that what you will, but I don't see the competitive market for 8x10 enlargers that you describe manifesting itself in the context of this discussion. I follow the market for LF equipment because I'm interested and occasionally pick up a piece of equipment, or refer a friend to a piece of equipment. Nothing mysterious or nefarious, I assure you. As for the digital imaging/obsolescence issue, the enlarger in question is offered for sale precisely because the pro lab in which it was used has deemed it obsolete in favor of digital technology, and my enlarger was sold to me by a pro lab that considered it obsolete in favor of digital technology. I think these facts justify my remarks. I didn't claim that 8x10 enlargers were falling from the sky, just that the market is shifting from pro labs to home darkrooms and that there aren't the same numbers of each. This is simple economics, that you can dispute if you like, but to what end? The good news is that if I'm right, and I believe that I am, you should be able to pick this enlarger up for a fraction of its original value and enjoy a fine piece of equipment for as long as you're physically able to do so. Good luck.

  10. #10

    Re: Information on Calumet E-100 8x10" Enlarger?

    I realize that this is a very old thread but I came across it while searching for information related to its content.

    Mr. Johnston is (and was) absolutely correct when he said that 8x10" enlargers were (and are) difficult to find. I was in the market for one when this post was first made and I'm still in the market for one! And it has to be remembered that someone who wants an 8x10" enlarger has to find one that is a reasonable distance from them or else pay huge freight costs if shipping is even an option - and it usually isn't. Also, many, if not most, 8x10" enlargers are too big for a home user so even when you find one, it may not work for you. Another poster here pointed to an 8x10" enlarger that was available on eBay when this thread was active. That's one enlarger on all of eBay - i.e., the entire world! And that's supposed to prove that they were readily available? And we don't know what kind of enlarger it was, where it was located, or what it finally sold for. It is a fact that good used 8x10" enlargers have never been readily available. Anyone who doubts that merely has to read all the threads on forums like this by people asking where they can get an 8x10" enlarger.

    The main reason I chose to reply to this old thread is that, upon reading it, it's clear that Mr. Johnston was saying that his thread had been hijacked and it really was! He made it clear that he needed information about a specific enlarger quickly but the thread got hijacked by people talking about digital and how many 8x10" enlargers are on the market. It appears that he never received his answer. This brings up the point that it's important that replies stick to the topic. In other words, just answer the question, especially if the original post asked for specific information quickly.

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