Elwood enlarger

[MichaelGJ47]

G’Day All
Yesterday I heard about a 5x7 enlarger for sale at a very reasonable price so I hopped in my car drove a hundred miles and found an Elwood 5x7.The reason I wanted it is I have a 5x7 camera but I always use the 4x5 reducing back as I had no way to print. This giant is a little different than what I am used to ,no condensers just several piece of glass above the neg carrier, it came with spare 500 watt bulb ,lens board ,4 pieces of thin metal about 4x5 and a glass neg carrier.What would be the right lens to use - 150mm? Anybody that can tell me anything about this enlarger or has old articles about it would be appreciated .
Thanks Michael

[John Kasaian]

It depends on how big you want to print.
In Elwood's horizontal configuration the size of your dark room is the limit!
In the vertical configuration I spend a lot of time working on my knees (no fun) as I don't have a very high ceiling
Anything from a 180mm to a 250mm should serve you well.
I use a 229mm Ilex Copy Paragon my 8x10 'wood with no complaints

That's a very fine looking Elwood, btw!

[rfesk]

Looks great! I have one - yet to be put in service but will never sell. I thought they took a 250 watt bulb.??

[Ironage]

I just purchased a 7 1/2 inch for mine in the current set up after testing a 203mm camera lens and finding it a bit too long but usable. I plan to only enlarge to 11x14.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Rick A]

https://cameraeccentric.com/static/i...s/elwood_1.pdf

[Tin Can]

Did that Elwood come from Missouri? I saw a very good one FS there

I have one like it, also a wall mount, same thing and an 8X10 that is massive. I gave away one other 8X10.

Lens boards are easy to make as is a neg carrier

Be very gentle with the masking knobs, they have aged poorly, but also replaceable

Does it have a stack of diffusion glass, with one center filter? The factory changed that setup a couple times, but DIY again

I rewired a new porcelain lamp socket for safety, the same part is still sold, I got one from Amazon this year.

The bulbs don't last forever, so for setup I use a huge CFL, then switch to the 500

The dome is spun copper, with a very bright chrome plating that is thin, be gentle

One had a 10" f8 coated Kodak lens, I now use a modern faster lens

The folding elevation upright is adjustable by 2 bolts at the fold, for alignment, once done it is amazingly stable, which I checked with laser and posted somewhere here...In one pic below there is the laser on the easel

I am in far southern IL, the one I almost bought was 50 miles away

I really like the Art Deco design of the Elwoods

IMG-1572 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

web 1940's Elwood Enlarger by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

G’Day All
Yesterday I heard about a 5x7 enlarger for sale at a very reasonable price so I hopped in my car drove a hundred miles and found an Elwood 5x7.The reason I wanted it is I have a 5x7 camera but I always use the 4x5 reducing back as I had no way to print. This giant is a little different than what I am used to ,no condensers just several piece of glass above the neg carrier, it came with spare 500 watt bulb ,lens board ,4 pieces of thin metal about 4x5 and a glass neg carrier.What would be the right lens to use - 150mm? Anybody that can tell me anything about this enlarger or has old articles about it would be appreciated .
Thanks Michael

[Jim Jones]

Tin Can -- To extend the life of a 500 Watt lamp in the Elwood for framing and focusing and even for exposing, place a 12 Volt auto lamp that normally consumes about 5 Watts of power in series with the 500 Watt lamp. This extends the life of the 500 Watt lamp by a factor of maybe 3 or 4 times. The auto lamp can be shorted out to return the enlarger lamp to full power. A variable output transformer accomplishes the same thing, but is more expensive.

[Tin Can]

Thanks Jim, I now do have a Variac, free, I paid shipping from a member here and now I forget that name, but have his email from the event

So thank you too Mr Variac!

Tin Can -- To extend the life of a 500 Watt lamp in the Elwood for framing and focusing and even for exposing, place a 12 Volt auto lamp that normally consumes about 5 Watts of power in series with the 500 Watt lamp. This extends the life of the 500 Watt lamp by a factor of maybe 3 or 4 times. The auto lamp can be shorted out to return the enlarger lamp to full power. A variable output transformer accomplishes the same thing, but is more expensive.

[Jim Noel]

I have had one for 30+ years. A good solid enlarger. My normal lens is a 180 Componon. Tye bulbs seem to last forever. I have a spare,but have never had to change bulbs.

[Tin Can]

I see in pic 2 we have the same old Linhof. They are great cameras in studio.

Linhof Kodak 405 (1) by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

G’Day All
Yesterday I heard about a 5x7 enlarger for sale at a very reasonable price so I hopped in my car drove a hundred miles and found an Elwood 5x7.The reason I wanted it is I have a 5x7 camera but I always use the 4x5 reducing back as I had no way to print. This giant is a little different than what I am used to ,no condensers just several piece of glass above the neg carrier, it came with spare 500 watt bulb ,lens board ,4 pieces of thin metal about 4x5 and a glass neg carrier.What would be the right lens to use - 150mm? Anybody that can tell me anything about this enlarger or has old articles about it would be appreciated .
Thanks Michael