Durst AC1200 (5x4") with the controller as big as a Commodore 64...
Marc!
Durst AC1200 (5x4") with the controller as big as a Commodore 64...
Marc!
Hello from France!
The probability that you could find one of those enlargers made in France is quite low outside Western Europe, however, here they are:
I have two AHEL enlargers, a 6x7 cm and a "AHEL 12-45", film formats up to 4x5".
A good friend of mine has a REINHEL, format ~ 11x14". Reinhel used to make various enlargers from 9x12-4x5" to 18x24cm - 20x25".
The 11x14" model is very rare ; my friend bought it from an official French Goverment used equipment auction.
The problem with many used REINHEL enlargers & other vintage LF enlargers owned by institutions is not that they are rare; the problem is to locate, secure and buy or acquire one for free, before the equipment is discarded as scrap metal ...
And you can add to this French list the PRIOX brand, but most PRIOX large format PRIOX enlargers that you can find are designed for 9x12 cm and not 4x5". Some 13x18 cm (~=5x7") PRIOX might have existed since 13x18 cm was very popular among German and French professionals until ~ 1960 - 1970.
And we can add that KlENZLE, Germany manufactures new large format enlagers (although not cheap, this is another story )
http://www.kienzle-phototechnik.de/V...grosserer.html
A list of brands on the German wikipedia page on enlargers:
Agfa, Beseler, Durst, DeVere, Jobo, Kaiser, Kienzle, Liesegang, Meopta, Omega, Teufel, LPL
Some like TEUFEL are probably unknown in Northern America: TEUFEL was the distributor of AHEL enlargers in Germany and Austria.
Zone VI with a Modern Enlarger lamp VC head.
Omega D-II, 4x5, which is code for a D-2 with a pull/push system instead of a crank for raising/lowering the negative stage. IIRC just an older D-2 hence the distinction with Roman numerals. Like the D-2 it is fairly ubiquitous in the US, parts and attachments easy to find and the whole machine is very ruggedly built and all the cool kids have one.
Apparently they were even employed as bomb sights
Elwood Commercial, 8x10. A huge machine made mostly of wood and castings. Cheap, old, and simple, accepts 8x10 negatives. The diffuser discs often don't survive but that doesn't seem to matter much. Need parts? Build them yourself---it's easy enough.
Did I mention cheap?
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Omega DII with Aristo V54 Lamp.
LPL 4500 II, which does up to 4x5. In the past I've had two Omega D2 enlargers, one with condenser head and one with the color Chomega head.
The LPL is a dream, and well supported with new parts available.
Federal 450 w/Aristo V54 head. Elwood 5X7. The others - Federal 250, Beseler 23, Omega DII, and MEOPTA - are just sitting around waiting for their chance.
Durst or DeVere are top of the line. Beseler MXT is a cheap easier to find alternative that takes up less space. The head is just as important a consideration as the chassis. If you use VC paper get a color head.
I have Durst 1200 with 500 color head.
A DeVere 5108 over here in Spain.
Durst L1840 8x10 why this.. it was within driving distance for a truck
Omega D5000...why this...I have all the service manuals and know the electronics inside and out and have many spares because it is USA made.
Minolta Mod III...why this... in 1975 it seemed a better enlarger than the Omega B22 I was looking at. Why do I still have it? Perhaps I was correct at the time.
Philips PCS150...why this...it was given to me 2 years ago. Why do I still have it? It works great & I have dedicated it to 35mm. It is a condenser additive head. Nice to have something a little different.
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