MPP Micromatic Enlarger....how much?

[Matthew Rolfe]

I am hoping to get hold of a MPP Micromatic enlarger from a friend who got it for free and has no use for it. I believe it has the condenser head for 5x4, it also comes with 50/80/150mm lenses. I would quite like to know what it is worth so that I can give him a fair and accurate price for it.

[Pete Watkins]

I have the cold light version. These enlargers can be a bit of a nightmare as they were built as automatic focusing enlargers. This means that they came with lenses and factory matched cams for each lens. I'm trying to locate a special fitting that would allow me to use "unmatched" lenses with my enlarger. My model, and I would assume that the model that you are looking at, can go up to 5x7 if you have the negative holder (MPP also produced half plate holders).
If everything is there and this includes negative holders with good glass I wouldn't go above £30-00, but that is just my opinion.
Best wishes,
Pete.

[Matthew Rolfe]

Thanks pete

I believe that the lenses that come with it are the original ones supplied, so hopefully it will work just fine?....hopefully.

[Tony Lakin]

Hi
I have a 5x7 MPP Micromatic with a cold cathode head, It came without lenses but the cams are still in place, I adapted it to take any lens but without auto focusing, I believe they were originally supplied with three Taylor Hobson lenses with matching cams, I paid £100 about 10 years ago so I guess now with the lenses between £40-60 if it is in reeasonably good nick.

Hope this helps.

[Matthew Rolfe]

Two of the lenses are schneider, the enlarger and lenses come as a set that, as far as I know, was used regularly. So I guess the enlarger has been modified or adjusted to work with the lenses. This may seem quite a basic question, but how much of a limiting factor is the automatic focus? what are the pros/cons?

[Tony Lakin]

Two of the lenses are schneider, the enlarger and lenses come as a set that, as far as I know, was used regularly. So I guess the enlarger has been modified or adjusted to work with the lenses. This may seem quite a basic question, but how much of a limiting factor is the automatic focus? what are the pros/cons?

Matthew
My apologies,I made a mistake regarding the lenses originally supplied, follow the link below for info on the MPP users site.

http://www.mppusers.freeuk.com/enlarger.htm

[Richard Littlewood]

I've got one too!. I'ts a decent enough enlarger if you can line it all up OK. The cold light has warming up issues, although non too serious if it's warmed up before exposure. Mine also has a condenser head.
As for the auto focus, I found it a pain in the arse, and it probably only works a treat if you have the right lenses, lens boards and keep the column on it's baseboard. My problems started when I took off the baseboard and mounted the column to the wall. All auto focus distances went to pot, so I ended up removing 2 of the 3 alluminium strips that guide the wheel, and reshaped them so the focus wheel wont run out of steam at either end of it's travels, and if it does I move the runner wheel on to the next reshaped strip. Sounds faffy but it works, and if you ever suffer not being able to focus with your chosen lens/print size it's worth looking into.
Pete. £30 quid for a 7x5 enlarger? You must really hate yours!

[Matthew Rolfe]

Cheers Richard.

The enlager comes with the baseboard (most likely the original one) so that should make life a bit easier.

[Matthew Rolfe]

Thanks Tony, I may be ok with the Schneider lenses then.

[Pete Watkins]

Hi Richard,
Lets just say that I'm not over impressed with it. The filmholders were a bit of a mess as well.
Matt, the original baseboards seem to have an MPP transfer on the front of them. The cams were supposed to be matched to each individual lens to the extent that the lens maker, focal length and nomber were etched onto each individual cam. Total pain.
Back to a point that I made in my first posting, does anybody know about the attatchment that MPP produced to enable other manufacturers lenses to be used on these enlargers? I've seen a rough picture of one and it looks a bit like one of those adjustable bellows attatchments that were made for 35mm cameras to enable the photographer to take closeups, they fitted between the camera body and the back of the lens.
Best wishes,
Pete.

[Richard Littlewood]

Pete.
Know what you mean about the bellows attatchment. I had an Omega auto focus enlarger - like the MPP in many ways - a D3 I think. It came with the bellows device. I tried to fit this on to the MPP, but no go. Good luck if you are looking for an MPP device! My only solution to the issue of running out of focusing movement was to alter the runners. I can now enlarge from 6x7, 6x9 and 5x4, with 100 and 150 lenses, to sizes from 10x8 to 40x30 without silly focusing problems. All I do is move the wheel on to a different track if focusing comes to a stop.
I used to put a spacer between the little wheel and the circular cam to jack the lens closer to the neg, and now and again dislodge the big wheel from one of the 3 runners so the wheel casting touched the column to get more distance from neg to lens, but the only solution, I found, all round, was to alter the runners. They come off easy, and it's not too difficult to work out how to re-shape them. One just needed turning upside down, and the middle one needed some cutting out, and I didnt touch the smallest one.

[Tony Lakin]

Pete.
Know what you mean about the bellows attatchment. I had an Omega auto focus enlarger - like the MPP in many ways - a D3 I think. It came with the bellows device. I tried to fit this on to the MPP, but no go. Good luck if you are looking for an MPP device! My only solution to the issue of running out of focusing movement was to alter the runners. I can now enlarge from 6x7, 6x9 and 5x4, with 100 and 150 lenses, to sizes from 10x8 to 40x30 without silly focusing problems. All I do is move the wheel on to a different track if focusing comes to a stop.
I used to put a spacer between the little wheel and the circular cam to jack the lens closer to the neg, and now and again dislodge the big wheel from one of the 3 runners so the wheel casting touched the column to get more distance from neg to lens, but the only solution, I found, all round, was to alter the runners. They come off easy, and it's not too difficult to work out how to re-shape them. One just needed turning upside down, and the middle one needed some cutting out, and I didnt touch the smallest one.

That's pretty much the same as I remember doing to my Micromatic, I cannot check the detals a my mine was consigned to the attic years ago and would be very difficult to access, I now favour my Devere 504 and 108 enlargers mainly because of baseboard controls.

[Pete Watkins]

Hi Richard,
Thanks for that. I've looked at that little wheel and circular cam from time to time and wondered....................
I'm concentrating on contact printing at the moment but I'm going to need get a bit of enlarging done sometime. I have a couple of spare cams from a totally clapped out Micromatic I bought for £20 a year or so ago. When I say that it was totally knackered the cold light head was O.K., an electrician mate overhauled it for me so I have a spare head if needed.
Thanks again,
Pete.

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