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Thread: Enlarger Question

  1. #1

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    Enlarger Question

    Folks:
    I've lost my mind and am planning on building a darkroom while the rest of the world is abandoning them in droves. The main reason for doing this is that in ten years it won't be possible and I will regret never having done this. I have a question about enlargers and VC B&W printing and would appreciate some help from the folks here.

    I am contemplating getting a new enlarger (don't ask, others get it on with their secretaries or get a sports car, I'm going to get an enlarger, go figure). I am thinking about either an Omega LPL 4500-II 4x5" Variable Contrast (VCCE) Black & White enlarger or a Beseler 45V-XL enlarger with a dichroic head.

    I only plan on doing B&W printing, mostly 4x5 negatives but maybe some 8x10 contact prints. I don't plan on doing any color printing as the chemistry looks like a pain. I like the looks of the Beseler, it kind of has a brick s___ house look to it and seems well-regarded by folks here. The question is how much of a pain is doing VC printing with a dichroic head instead of a VCCE head? My understanding is that it can be done with dichroic head but one has to adjust the total exposure after changing the contrast by adjusting the individual colors of the head. The VCCE head lets you adjust the contrast but keeps the total exposure constant. VCCE seems like a nice feature but the Omega looks a little flimsy and people don't seem to rave about them here. Some folks here seem downright hostile about Omegas.

    So the question is whether the more solid Beseler with the dichroic head is a better way to go or the Omega with the VCCE head. I'm only going to do this once and so don't really want to spend the next thirty years wishing I had the other one. Your input is appreciated.
    Dave B.

  2. #2

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    Re: Enlarger Question

    Get a Beseler 45V-XL with a beseler universal 45 head w/b/w controller. Love mine, best money i ever spent.

  3. #3
    Octogenarian
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    Re: Enlarger Question

    Are you actually planning on purchasing a new enlarger?

    If so, you will be the first person on this forum that has purchased a new enlarger in a long time.

    Used darkroom equipment it so readily available that if you searched hard enough you might find someone who will actually pay you to haul away their enlarger.

    I owned/ used the same Omega D-2 for more than 50 years. It is still sitting in my garage. I would still be using it today if my friend hadn't given me his Beseler MX.
    I replaced the broken Zone VI cold light on the Beseler with a condenser lamp house, then replaced that with a dichroic lamp house. Picked up the replacement heads for the Beseler on eBay at very reasonable prices.

    The Beseler is a great enlarger. Rugged and easy to operate. The dichroic lamp house is very convenient to use for VC printing. No need to use VC filters.
    The most critical parts of an enlarger are the negative holders and the lenses

  4. #4
    Gray Matter Images
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    Re: Enlarger Question

    Dave, Most good vc papers, Ilford for example supply info on paper grades vs filtration with a dichroic head so you can change contrast without having to change exposure time. I've been printing for the past 10 years with a dichroic and prefer it. Both of my enlargers that I use have dichroic heads. Omega d-5 and a Beseler 45-xl both quality pieces. I seem to favor the Beseler more.
    I dream in color and see in black and white.
    http://www.graymatterimages.com

  5. #5

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    Re: Enlarger Question

    You really can't go wrong with either one. My home darkroom has a Beseler MXT and an Omega D-5XL. At work I have Beseler MX with an Oriental VC head which I like a lot. I also recently acquired a Beseler 45V-XL with the Beseler 810 cold light head. I have not had a chance to try out the new Beseler but it sure is a massive and sturdy piece of equipment.

  6. #6

    Join Date
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    Re: Enlarger Question

    Guys:
    Thanks for the input. The Beseler it is. Gem, I was (he sheepishly admits) thinking about buying the equipment new. I have not had much luck with electronics that have been sitting in a basement or a garage for a decade before I got it. Maybe I should buy the mechanical parts used and look for the electronics new. Anyway, I now know what I am looking for.
    Thanks,
    Dave B.

  7. #7
    grumpy & miserable Joseph O'Neil's Avatar
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    Re: Enlarger Question

    Do not pass up a good used Omega if you see one. I think Beselers are a bit nicer myself, but that comes from a guy who owns two Omegas and one DeVere, so go figure?


    One good thing about used enlargers is the accessories. If you can get an used enlarger with all the extra holder, cones, etc, etc, you could save yourself a fortune down the road.

    Another issue with any enlarger, new or used, when you first buy one, get yourself two or three spare bulbs for your enlarger. Murphy's Law, the bulb always burns out in the middle of your best print of your life, and usually on a holiday weekend when everything is closed, even mail order.


    good luck
    joe
    eta gosha maaba, aaniish gaa zhiwebiziyin ?

  8. #8
    slumry
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    Re: Enlarger Question

    LPL 4500 XL with a color head from KHB, refurbished. Cheap, good and fast. Before you buy, I would do a lot more reading.

  9. #9
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    Re: Enlarger Question

    I have an LPL 4500II with the dichroic head, which I use for B&W printing.

    It's easy to adjust contrast using the M and Y filters. Exposure does change for the different contrast grades, but that doesn't bother me. With a bit of experience you learn roughly how much the adjustment is with your favorite papers and you make test prints accordingly. And anyway, the "constant exposure" VCCE head doesn't really buy anything IMO - you still have to make new test prints after changing the grade.

    FWIW, the Ilford papers include a package insert that has alternative dichoic filtration settings for fastest printing times and for constant exposure across grades. I don't bother with the latter, but they exist if that's what you want.

    By all means buy a new enlarger if you can afford it. It's not obvious to me how these companies are supposed to be able to stay in business if nobody buys their products.

  10. #10
    Helcio J Tagliolatto's Avatar
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    Re: Enlarger Question

    Quote Originally Posted by Oren Grad View Post
    I have an LPL 4500II with the dichroic head, which I use for B&W printing.

    It's easy to adjust contrast using the M and Y filters. Exposure does change for the different contrast grades, but that doesn't bother me. With a bit of experience you learn roughly how much the adjustment is with your favorite papers and you make test prints accordingly. And anyway, the "constant exposure" VCCE head doesn't really buy anything IMO - you still have to make new test prints after changing the grade.

    FWIW, the Ilford papers include a package insert that has alternative dichoic filtration settings for fastest printing times and for constant exposure across grades. I don't bother with the latter, but they exist if that's what you want.

    By all means buy a new enlarger if you can afford it. It's not obvious to me how these companies are supposed to be able to stay in business if nobody buys their products.
    Oren,

    I agree. You're rigth on about LPL and about buying a new enlarger, even if prices are rising up.
    I bougth two new LPL (4x5 XLX color in 1998 and 670VCCE last year) and both are a pleasure to use and virtually maintenance free.

    If nobody is going to buy new ones rigth now, how will we get them brand new in the future?

    Hélcio

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