Durst RS 35 Mini Enlarger???

therustytracks · Apr 6, 2008

Like a lot of people in this section of the forum I'm in the market for a decently priced Enlarger to dabble in the darkroom outside of school. I know a lot of people are happy with their beseler 23c's and omega b600's but i'm not ready to drop $200 just yet. I've found a Durst RS 35 Mini enlarger for $45 that looks as though it would suit my needs for the next 6 months to a year. I'm only interested in b/w photography at this moment. The largest print I will need is an 8x10. Is this a good enlarger? It comes with a Prinz f/3.5 50mm lens, which is exactly what I need for 35mm film. It does not come with a negative carrier though. Will this be hard to find? and Light bulbs?

Early · Apr 7, 2008

Shop around a little. For $45, you should be able to come up with better equipment, especially in the lens dept. Try to get a 50mm 2.8 Nikon, Schneider, or Rodenstock. As for an enlarger, I'd recommend the Omega D2 or equiv. It's a very common unit, and anything you'll ever need for it is readily available. What I like about it beside it being sturdy and easy to set up is that you're able to see any dust on the neg as your putting it in.

therustytracks · Apr 7, 2008

yea i did shop around a little bit more and made off with a omega b22 for $70 w/ shipping and with an omegaron 50mm f/ 4.0 lens. I'll probably invest in some new lenses. I need a 75 or 80mm for my holga negatives.

Hertz van Rental · Apr 8, 2008

Early said:
Try to get a 50mm 2.8 Nikon, Schneider, or Rodenstock.

Schneider and Rodenstock (now under new management as Linos) have always produced two or three qualities of ELs. Schneider Comparon and Rodenstock Rogonar (if I remember correctly - they all sound alike*) are the cheap lenses. Image quality is, to be blunt, not very good, certainly not compared to their 'professional' series (that is, the expensive ones).
Whatever you have as an enlarger, it is only as good as the lens so it is worth getting the best lens you can afford. A high quality EL lens will produce better prints from a cheap enlarger than a cheap lens on a good enlarger.
A good EL will produce a brighter, sharper image with more 'punch' (contrast).
I discovered this when I was at College and had access to a wide range of ELs, so I went without a lot of luxuries like food in order to save enough money to buy my own EL Nikkors (50mm, 80mm, 150mm). It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

*If I've got the names muddled (which I often do) then I am sure someone will come along and correct me :lol:

Overkill-F1 · Apr 8, 2008

I agree with using a quality lens as the first choice.
Another way to better the quality of the enlarging lens is to use a longer lens. I use a 80 mm when enlarging 35mm film instead of a 50mm. The edges of most cheap lens are the weakest link, so using a larger lens will help. Of course you lose enlarging power.
...Terry