Want to buy an enlarger...

dazftw

Just looking for opinions from the folks who know alot more than I would. Im really starting to miss doing all this in college.

I'm looking for one for with the following features:

• Making prints from 35mm and 120 film 6 x 6 and up
• Color head
• Comes with a switch/timer
• Nice carriers that can accept the whole neg so I can include borders in prints(something I couldn't do in college)
• One that comes with different lenses
• New if possible but don't mind buying used
• If I cant get all that in one package.. Then something that I can buy parts for pretty easily if needs be.. extra carriers lenses bulbs etc
  

I think the place in cork barker photographic sells them? I could be wrong though I think I read that on here.

Im looking at this on ebay but I hear durst are the best you can get?

Any help would be great.. im looking at you Daire

pete4130

Dude,

I've got a perfectly good and useable Meopta 3(?) 35mm enlarger in my folks house at home. It's got a Nikon f/4 lens and works fine.

It doesn't show the full neg. I do have a cheaper/worse enlarger that I normally use that I filed out the neg carrier to show the full frame. It's one of the enlargers that comes in a Jessops "My first enlarger kit" I got about 12 years ago and I don't know if you can get a 120 carrier for it. I'm out of IReland for the next 2 years so you are more than welcome to grab the Meopta enlarger.

It is only a mono enlarger alone (no timer etc...) though and you'd be more than welcome to have an extended loan of it if you can collect it. Just let me know what you want to do dude.

Pete.

sineadw

There are people giving them away pretty regularly. Try adverts, freecycle, that dublin city council freecycle thing or watch out for camera clubs or colleges doing a clear-out.

I'd kill for one in the house. Space and kids just don't allow. DCC have two very well equiped darkrooms free to members though,and I have college :P ever think of the camera club route?

dazftw

pete4130 wrote: »

Dude,

I've got a perfectly good and useable Meopta 3(?) 35mm enlarger in my folks house at home. It's got a Nikon f/4 lens and works fine.

It doesn't show the full neg. I do have a cheaper/worse enlarger that I normally use that I filed out the neg carrier to show the full frame. It's one of the enlargers that comes in a Jessops "My first enlarger kit" I got about 12 years ago and I don't know if you can get a 120 carrier for it. I'm out of IReland for the next 2 years so you are more than welcome to grab the Meopta enlarger.

It is only a mono enlarger alone (no timer etc...) though and you'd be more than welcome to have an extended loan of it if you can collect it. Just let me know what you want to do dude.

Pete.

Awh man it wasn't in Dublin id deffo go get it. I would literally never have a car up there.. I don't know if it would be worth paying someone for petrol and stuff

Im after getting kept on at work for another bit so I want to get a setup going.

sineadw wrote: »

There are people giving them away pretty regularly. Try adverts, freecycle, that dublin city council freecycle thing or watch out for camera clubs or colleges doing a clear-out.

I'd kill for one in the house. Space and kids just don't allow. DCC have two very well equiped darkrooms free to members though,and I have college :P ever think of the camera club route?

Ive seen a few on adverts alright. I wouldn't want to join a club or anything. Thats what I hated about college having to use different ones everyday :mad:

thefizz

Durst are good but if you can get your hands on a Kaiser, then better still but very expensive. Most makes of enlargers are fine though, its the choice of lens thats most important.

I'm not sure which makes or models will have carriers allowing to print with the edge of the film. Of course you could use the next size carrier up from the neg size you are printing but would need to be glass carriers to keep the neg flat. That introduces more problems though as you have more surfaces to keep clean.

Barker Photographic can probably get you a Meopta Opemus 6 or 7 which are very sturdy medium format enlargers and sometimes he has used enlargers also.

Peter

pete4130

dazftw wrote: »

Awh man it wasn't in Dublin id deffo go get it. I would literally never have a car up there.. I don't know if it would be worth paying someone for petrol and stuff

Im after getting kept on at work for another bit so I want to get a setup going.




Ive seen a few on adverts alright. I wouldn't want to join a club or anything. Thats what I hated about college having to use different ones everyday :mad:

Ali Power might be up that neck of the woods. Ask him and if he is he might be able to grab it for you?

dazftw

pete4130 wrote: »

Ali Power might be up that neck of the woods. Ask him and if he is he might be able to grab it for you?

He probably would but I was thinking today I could drive up maybe but then realised its only a 35mm one? I really want a one thats can do 6 x 6.

I priced one on barkerphotographic.. Nearly 1k for the enlarger, timer and lens.

That ebay one is €350 with a color head, 2 lenses and 3 carriers :rolleyes:

Nikkor lenses as well!

DaireQuinlan

dazftw wrote: »

Any help would be great.. im looking at you Daire

sadly I have next to no experience with enlargers. I have an LPL 35mm enlarger sitting in my press that's been used a handful of times, but for the most part i'm in the same boat as sinead, small apartment & 2 kids do not really allow for much in the way of time or space for impromptu darkroom sessions.
Some day though ... Some day ...

I don't know who even buys them new anymore, there must be thousands of the things sitting around for the taking. I think if I was in a position to get one I'd play the long game, sooner or later I reckon you'd come across one you'd get just for collecting it.

ender ender

Yeah, hang on for a bit, I was checking out the web for the last couple of months and then out of the blue my girlfriend's dad offered me one, he'd been clearing out the spare room and wanted rid. It's a Meopta Axomat; I'd prefer a 6x6 with a colour head but I couldn't turn down a free enlarger! Just keep an eye on Freecylce and the like, maybe a nearby camera club will have some on their website or notice board...

gbee

sineadw wrote: »

I'd kill for one in the house. Space and kids just don't allow. DCC have two very well equiped darkrooms free to members though,and I have college :P ever think of the camera club route?

You're real worry is chemical disposal ~ fines are pretty scary.

dazftw

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

sadly I have next to no experience with enlargers.

DAMMMMIT :rolleyes:

I really wanna pick up that enlarger... urgh.. wont have money til next week... urgh.. auction ends in 20hrs.... ugh

thefizz

I forgot to mention that this company have lots of used enlargers for sale. I have purchased a lot of gear from them and always found them great to deal with.

http://www.secondhanddarkroom.co.uk/