4x5 Enlarger Advice Needed

[Artar1]

Greetings,

With the high cost and scarcity of new 4x5 black and white enlargers, I'm considering having one made. Can anyone direct me to previous threads on this subject or share your personal experiences?

Also, where can I buy a 4x5 cold light head? Aristo is out of business, and EBay seems to have limited offerings. :confused:

Thanks!

[Tin Can]

My advice is to grab a free one while they are still around. I have given away, to good homes 5 enlargers this year.

Don't make one, a waste of time.

I have none left for give away or sale.

[C_Remington]

[QUOTE=Artar1;1081566

With the high cost and scarcity of new 4x5 black and white enlargers, I'm considering having one made. Can anyone direct me to previous threads on this subject or share your personal experiences?

[/QUOTE]

Huh?? People can't give these things away.

[Roger Thoms]

Where are you located? 4x5 enlargers are plentiful around here. You might want to post a WTB ad in the classified section here on LFPF.

[KennyMark]

Where are you? I can make your day.

[Kevin Crisp]

Go on Craigslist, decent 4X5 Beselers are common for $125 or less. Get one without the braces going forward on the baseboard since that can interfere with an easel.

[Artar1]

Greetings,

Thanks so far for all the posts.

KennyMark, I live in Tracy, CA, which is about 60 miles east of San Francisco. What do you have in mind?

As for the high cost, new enlargers are quite expensive.

Thanks

[Jon Shiu]

You should be able to find a lightly used LPL/Saunders 4x5 enlarger for $500 or less. In my opinion the dichroic head or VCCE head are better than a cold light, if you are looking for a diffusion light source. Look on craigslist and ebay.

Jon

[BradS]

Greetings,

Thanks so far for all the posts.

KennyMark, I live in Tracy, CA, which is about 60 miles east of San Francisco. What do you have in mind?

As for the high cost, new enlargers are quite expensive.

Thanks

I have a Omega D2 in storage in Pleasanton. If you can come pick it up before friday afternoon, it is yours. SSend me a PM or email to make arrangements.

(EDIT) I'll be headed back to Sonora Friday evening...and will drive east on 205...maybe able to drop it close/at your home?

Very Sincerely,
Brad.

[KennyMark]

Artar1,
I too have a D2 with just a condenser head or an Arista cold-light with it for starters. Beyond that I have some additional options depending on your desires.
Yes, new is very expensive, however, I've never found a used enlarger that didn't work. Pretty? Sometimes not. But some are in remarkable condition considering their age and treatment.
PM me if Brad's D2 offer doesn't work out, but I think that'll be the better option for you between Pleasanton and Holland, MI.

[Kodachrome25]

You should be able to find a lightly used LPL/Saunders 4x5 enlarger for $500 or less. In my opinion the dichroic head or VCCE head are better than a cold light, if you are looking for a diffusion light source. Look on craigslist and ebay.

Agree with this, the Aristo heads are good enough once you put a compensating timer and probe set in, but they still have just barely enough coverage for a 4x5 neg, sometimes with fall off regardless. The LPL 4500 series heads cover the neg far better and the VCCE head is peerless, an utter joy to use.

All that being said, the best LPL models are not exactly growing on trees, I have only seen a couple of 4550 XLG / VCCE's on ebay in the course of a year and I paid an average price for mine, not a bargain.

[Kodachrome25]

Greetings,

With the high cost and scarcity of new 4x5 black and white enlargers, I'm considering having one made. Can anyone direct me to previous threads on this subject or share your personal experiences?

Also, where can I buy a 4x5 cold light head? Aristo is out of business, and EBay seems to have limited offerings. :confused:


I'd be patient on the cold light head, they pop up often enough and you could put an ad in here as well. I think I even have a spare in storage from when they were going for peanuts.

As far as building your own, with all the replies above, you are better off getting one of many practically free ones although I found a mint Beseler CB7 head with geared movements that I am going to be making into a mural enlarger, so it is not like it is out of the realm of possibility.

[lenser]

If you end up with one of the Omega D series, look into finding one of their old Omegalite heads. It looks like a flying saucer, replaces the entire condenser head assembly, and does a remarkably good job with an easy to find circular florescent tubes in case one ever needs replacing. Many of my favorite prints have come from this combination. Personal opinion time: It is vastly better than the condenser heads as far as print detail and compares quite favorably with my Zone VI with it's cold light head. Maybe not a scientifically perfect, but extremely good and comparable non the less.

The last one of those heads I noticed on the bay sold for under $50.00 and was bought by a local friend who is also thrilled with the performance.

As others have said, your should have little trouble finding the enlarger being given away in today's markeet.

Good luck.

[Artar1]

Hi, KennyMark and BradS,

I will send you a personal email later today. I'm on the production floor all day and will be away from a computer.

Thanks for your patience.

[Jim C.]

Omega D2 enlargers and parts seem plentiful and inexpensive, as is the Omegalite D heads,
I recently snagged both, a D2 with variable condenser and a Omegalite D for under $100.

Deciding on whether to repaint the interior of my Omegalite D, since it's no longer white but a cream white color.

[Graybeard]

If you end up with one of the Omega D series, look into finding one of their old Omegalite heads. It looks like a flying saucer, replaces the entire condenser head assembly, and does a remarkably good job with an easy to find circular florescent tubes in case one ever needs replacing. Many of my favorite prints have come from this combination. Personal opinion time: It is vastly better than the condenser heads as far as print detail and compares quite favorably with my Zone VI with it's cold light head. Maybe not a scientifically perfect, but extremely good and comparable non the less.

The last one of those heads I noticed on the bay sold for under $50.00 and was bought by a local friend who is also thrilled with the performance.

As others have said, your should have little trouble finding the enlarger being given away in today's markeet.

Good luck.

For $50, you might be able to find a Chromega head - certainly will find one under $100 with a bit of patience. A Chromega head will fit any D-series Omega (may need a couple or hardware store items) and uses halogen projector bulbs which are pretty easy to find.

The Chromega is also a diffuse light source with the advantage of color printing filters which work quite well with VC black and white papers. Filtration for VC papers with a fluorescent tube light source can be a real nuisance.

Omega D2's appear every few weeks around here (upstate NY) for $25 when they're not free.