Info on enlarger

[Ricardo de Oliveira]

Hi ,
there's a Meopta Magnitarus 5x7 enlarger for sale at the local ebay. It comes with a Meopta Meopar f4.5 210 lens. I'd like to know more about it. Seller is a bit laconic. The photos shows some real antique piece of engineering but it seems to be in good shape. Any info will be welcome. I know Meopta is from Theckoslovaquia and the enlarger dates from the 50's and that's all. Thanks. And the price is good too.
Ricardo

[coisasdavida]

It looks ugly!
You have to find out if it has a condenser.
The lens could be easy replaced with something else if it is no good.
Good luck!

[Ricardo de Oliveira]

Well Guilherme, the seller said the condenser was ok and the whole thing is working properly. I'm sure it's not going to win any design contest but, it works in the dark isn't it.:)

[joselsgil]

Ricardo,

If the price is a great deal, it may be worth it. One problem down the road, would be spare parts such as bellows or negative holders. Depending on where you live, spare parts may be difficult to acquire.

The only Meopta enlarger that I have seen, were designed for 35mm and MF negatives. I have never seen the large format enlargers from Meopta.


Good luck,

Jose

[jose angel]

The Magnitaurus looks to be a pretty simple "lightweight" enlarger. I wonder if it can use ordinary opal bulbs, still available in 250 watts. If the price is right (I mean, the same or a bit more that you`d pay for a lunch), you can run the risk. You can tape the bellows if there is a leak, or to made your own film holders (two sheets of glass can do the work), and to replace the wires or the lamp base.

But if you have to order a bellows, or to look for new condensers, or for any simple small part like a lens mounting ring, the deal will became money lost. Beware of "home refurbishing" kind of gear; if the seller is not so communicative, or unexperienced with the gear, to have a good deal is simply matter of luck. So the price should be then ever lower!

If the seller says all is right and in working condition, it only depends on the price you`re willing to pay.

Many of this enlargers from the fifties are just like oversized 35mm film enlargers, in my experience perfectly capable for B&W printing with MG filters under the lens. The best ones have better adjustment facilities, are more stable, with more durable parts. I have never used this one, don`t know about its peculiarities. Time ago I bought a 5x7" MPP for almost nothing, and after cleaning and adjusting it (it took me a lot of time), I found an almost like new and perfectly capable b&w enlarger of a great and beautiful design.

Be aware of the enlarger`s height; it looks so high!

[Ricardo de Oliveira]

Hi Jose,
I guess I'm chickening out on this. I don't want a restauration project right now. The price is around 350.00. And I'm not paying lunches in fancy restaurants these days. I only need 4x5 afterall. I'll be waiting for another deal and keep working in the hassel negs so far. Thanks for your input.
Ricardo

[LF_rookie_to_be]

If you manage to find a cheap Fujimoto 450M-C, I recommend it wholeheartedly. Lot of genuine 2nd-hand parts available from China. M39-only lensboards, but easy to convert to larger - M50 and M58 for 58-72 .75 adapter is what I did so far, for 105 G, 210 and 210 G lenses. Brilliant machine!