Is a Durst Laborator 1200 with a VLS 501 head a usable enlarger?

**Drew Wiley** · 21-Mar-2022, 18:28

Tin Can, the L1200 is a top of the line 4x5 enlarger, the largest one which came out of the amateur division, with a largely extruded aluminum chassis, not the true commercial division which made the bigger ones using a lot of much more expensive machining, and which closed down some time earlier.

**lassethomas** · 23-Mar-2022, 08:45

Thanks everyone for chiming in and for advise.

I ended up winning the auction. I got it for $800 + $150 in gas to pick it up.
A more than fair price I hope, considering the condition and the completeness. If not I will still have a lot of fun.

And planing the weekend is not a problem anymore

**MartyNL** · 23-Mar-2022, 09:45

Originally Posted by lassethomas

Thanks everyone for chiming in and for advise.

I ended up winning the auction. I got it for $800 + $150 in gas to pick it up.
A more than fair price I hope, considering the condition and the completeness. If not I will still have a lot of fun.

And planing the weekend is not a problem anymore

Congratulations! You won't be disappointed.
Have you picked it up already?

**lassethomas** · 23-Mar-2022, 17:01

Originally Posted by MartyNL

Congratulations! You won't be disappointed.
Have you picked it up already?

Thanks! No I'm driving down on Saturday.

**MartyNL** · 23-Mar-2022, 23:41

I don't know if you wish to have any advice about transportation but it takes 2 people to carry it, 50-60kgs. And depending on whether your vehicle has the height to transport it whole and vertical or horizontal or in parts (tools)?I have 4 in my darkroom, so feel free to ask. The last thing I'd want is for any damage or injury to occur.

By the way, I paid €1000 for my last enlarger, with a CLS 501 head, it was bought new by just one careful owner now in his 80's. He still had the receipt and it clearly had been his pride and joy.
In my opinion, you got it for a good and fair price.

**Cor** · 24-Mar-2022, 06:50

If you remove the head, probably wise for transport, be aware that the reaming part of the head will jump up to the top of the big rail. Better secure the head at the lowest position, and use a good belt or spanner to secure it there. Take off the colour head and transport it separately. If you can, transport the enlarger horizontal. I moved mine just a short distance, and I had a Renault Kangoo, and I seem recall I could transport the enlarger upright.

But maybe there are other opinions on transporting a L1200

Good luck,

Cor

**fj55mike** · 25-Mar-2022, 07:45

Not to spam all of the Durst 1200 threads, but I use a VLS501 that came with a faulty EST power supply. Rather than try to repair, I use a modern switching power supply that's been going strong for 6+ years. Just in case this helps anyone with a faulty TRA or EST: https://www.largeformatphotography.i...urst-1200-DIY)

By the way, I love my VLS head although the changes on the dial are not perfectly calibrated to the current Ilford papers but in practice that doesn't matter to me.

**platypus** · 25-Mar-2022, 08:58

Originally Posted by Cor

Better secure the head at the lowest position, and use a good belt or spanner to secure it there.

Sorry, this is terrible and possible extremely dangerous advice.
Moving a Durst enlarger always set the head at the TOP of the column first.
Then you can remove the colour head without fear of having your face hit or arm broken by the counterweight pulling the head plate up to the top of the column.

L1200s aren't that big, if you can transport it complete (obviously take the neg carrier out, and pad everything very well) that's a good idea.

**ic-racer** · 25-Mar-2022, 16:04

You got a great enlarger!

**interneg** · 25-Mar-2022, 18:33

Originally Posted by Drew Wiley

Tin Can, the L1200 is a top of the line 4x5 enlarger, the largest one which came out of the amateur division, with a largely extruded aluminum chassis, not the true commercial division which made the bigger ones using a lot of much more expensive machining, and which closed down some time earlier.

Not really, the only major extrusion on the L1200 is the column, the rest is formed/ welded steel & die castings. It just looks a little different from the older Dursts that used the metal tube column(s) & die castings. Not much evidence inside those Dursts of very high precision tolerances, paint-on-paint surfaces seems to have been accurate enough for them. There were/ are enlargers built with precision ground surfaces at the critical alignment points (De Vere - and other even costlier machines) - but Durst seems to have aimed to get parts accurate enough at the time they were cast.