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Thread: 10x enlargement to 40x50

  1. #1

    10x enlargement to 40x50

    Got my darkroom up and running, somewhat. I can tray process my negs, at least. But I need to enlarge these little dudes to poster size, somewhere around 40x50 if not bigger...

    beyond buying this paper, what enlarger do I need? 4x5 negs to a 40x50 print. Maybe with some cropping. So, preferably, and with room to spare, something that could enlarge a 4x5 to an 80x100? I'm not kidding around here, though I acknowledge my ignorance might make me sound stupid. I figure aroung 1500 dollars would do the trick but what brand what model, etc?

    This is B&W.

  2. #2
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    Any reason you wouldn't go digital for this large of a print? Drum scan the negs and go to town.

    I'm no expert but anything past 11x14 I'm definitely doing the hybrid digital thing.
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  3. #3

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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    David,
    The enlarger is not what will cost you, it is the glass.

    A 40x50 is just getting into the peak range for a 150 Rodagon-G (10-40x with 20x being optimal).

    A 120 WA is 4-15x with 6x being optimal.
    The Apo Rodagon N is as above but requires normal enlarger height while the WA requires only about 70 percent of the height the N requires.
    (A normal Rodagon 135 or 150 is 2-10x with 6 being optimal).

    I fell upon a Durst 1200 with a color head, I almost did not keep it having a 138 already. It is a great enlarger and would make anyone happy I have no doubt.
    A Durst 138 is a beauty too, and even if you only use up to 4x5, it is a total pleasure to print with. Neither are that dear these days. I bet the glass will set you back more than the enlarger.

    The Durst 184 would be a great bet for prints that large. Rock solid. Tall and made like a finely machined tank! :-)

    And don't forget a vacuum easel. You can make your own, for horizontal or vertical projection, but with paper that big, you will need a vacuum easel.
    Last edited by Allen in Montreal; 28-Aug-2011 at 21:27. Reason: forgot to add the 184

  4. #4

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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    Analog printing that large will require top notch equipment that is tuned very well. Your processing skills will be tested also. Just the act of handling paper larger than 20x24 without introducing kinks, halfmoons or other maladies is a skill. If you must -- have plenty of space, a Durst 138 enlarger and an enlarger lens optimized for 10x or larger enlargement ratio such as a Rodagon -G . 40x50 is BIG and 80x100 is well ...

  5. #5
    Daniel Stone's Avatar
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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    The proper enlarging lens for this task(Rodagon-G preferably) will set you back most of your proposed budget, if not all of it

    Unless you have your heart set on making prints this big, or if you have someone footing the bill for this project, you're gonna need to spend more than $1500 just to get the proper equipment to do this well.

    Now, a Rodagon-G isn't "necessary", any enlarging lens will work(as long as its able to cover the full negative), but not all lenses are designed to print big, and will deliver sub-par results. Yes, even for B/W.

    There are labs that can drum scan your negatives, and provide you with the file needed to go to your proposed sizes. And probably a good # of scans will cost your UNDER $1500. But you better have lots of time waiting for files to open/render in Photoshop, or a fast computer to chug through 2+ Gb files. Make a sandwich and grab a cold one, cause those files will be big

    best of luck

    Dan

  6. #6

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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    Before you even get to the enlarger you need to find an assistant to work with you in moving the paper from chemical tray (or vat) to tray, then into and out of the washing system. It's difficult, maybe impossible, for one person to handle wet paper that size by themselves without wrinkling it. And of course you need trays or vats big enough to hold the necessary chemicals, vats in which to mix the chemicals, a working surface big enough to hold the vats, etc. etc. But I'm sure somebody here has done something like this in a darkroom and can tell you exactly what you need.

    Clyde Butcher has a darkroom in which he makes prints this size and larger. If you go here http://clydebutcher.com/technical-info.cfm you can see some of the specs for his equipment and some photographs of his darkroom that might give you some ideas. I looked around the darkroom a few years ago when I was in his studio. The darkroom was just a couple hundred square feet smaller than the house I lived in at the time.
    Brian Ellis
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  7. #7

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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    Don't let them scare you. It's possible, just difficult. I have successfully made 30x40 prints tray processed without an assistant but anything bigger and you'd need a helper. Wet printing that big is an art all in itself. Patience is key. You can literally work all day and end up with nothing. It is fun though.

    I wouldn't worry to much about a lens. There's a whole laundry list of things you have to worry about before sharpness. I would start by cutting out a piece of cardboard 40x50 and just l moving it around in your space. You'll know pretty quick if it's something you want to do.

    Good luck!

  8. #8

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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    You need an enlarger which will tilt so it can project horizontally. A Beseler comes to mind.

  9. #9

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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    With a 150mm lens your will need a bit more than 77 inches from the negative to the paper to make a 12X enlargement (10X plus a bit more for cropping). That is a pretty difficult requirement satisfy in a moderate sized vertical enlarger. The 120mm lens can give you 12X with about 62 inches from negative to paper. Even 62 inches is 10 inches more than the maximum height of an Omega D5-XL (which is pretty tall as bench top enlargers go) projecting onto its baseboard. You would need to turn the column around and project on the floor, take the column off of the baseboard and project onto a dropped platform or project horizontally (which has always seemed fraught with risk to me.)

    I found that Durst gives the maximum magnification for a Durst L138S with a 150mm lens as 8.5X.

    Good Luck - Alan

  10. #10
    Greg Greg Blank's Avatar
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    Re: 10x enlargement to 40x50

    Not advocating one enlarger versus another, it depends on lots of factors. For instance you can wall mount the D series Omegas, Omega I believe can still provide a wall mount which is like a small shelf that the column can be positioned up a wall further. Provided you can go up, any size print can be made. I have seen people cut holes in floors under a closet (drastic yes- but it works.) When I bought my house about six years ago, the criteria was high enough ceilings in the basement to build the darkroom, among other stipulations.


    Quote Originally Posted by aduncanson View Post
    With a 150mm lens your will need a bit more than 77 inches from the negative to the paper to make a 12X enlargement (10X plus a bit more for cropping). That is a pretty difficult requirement satisfy in a moderate sized vertical enlarger. The 120mm lens can give you 12X with about 62 inches from negative to paper. Even 62 inches is 10 inches more than the maximum height of an Omega D5-XL (which is pretty tall as bench top enlargers go) projecting onto its baseboard. You would need to turn the column around and project on the floor, take the column off of the baseboard and project onto a dropped platform or project horizontally (which has always seemed fraught with risk to me.)

    I found that Durst gives the maximum magnification for a Durst L138S with a 150mm lens as 8.5X.

    Good Luck - Alan
    "Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will
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