enlarger help...

[placeonthecorner]

hi folks... so ive finished setting up my own darkroom and now i need to get an enlarger.. im a lowely student so money is a bit of a problem... had a look on ebay and theres loads to choose from but im not sure whats good/ bad... il mostly be doing B&W developing... any advice would be ace..thanx!!

 

[Torus34]

There are many enlargers available. Here’s how to narrow down your choice.
The first consideration is the size(s) of your negatives. Some enlargers are
designed solely for 35mm work. Others have interchangeable negative holders so
that 35mm and 120 roll film negatives [4 1/2 x 6 cm, 6 x 6 cm and 6 x 7 cm] can
be enlarged. Still others can handle up to 4”x5” sheet film negatives. You should
select an enlarger which will take your largest negative size. In addition, if you’re
seriously considering going to a larger negative size in the future, now’s the time to
get an enlarger that will handle it. An enlarger is a long-term purchase. They rarely
wear out or break down.

Some enlargers are fitted with a color head. This is a set of internal filters which
allow you to adjust the color of the light. You’ll need a color head if you’re going
to make enlargements from color negative film. You don’t need a color head for
b&w. However, if you are going to use variable contrast [VC] b&w paper, you
do need some means of adjusting the color of the light from the enlarger. A color
head will do this very well, but with a regular head you can use a set of external
color filters intended specifically for b&w VC papers. These go into a holder just
below the enlarger lens. In most cases, an enlarger without a color head coupled
with a set of variable contrast filters will result in lower total cost.

Enlargers have lenses just as cameras do. If you’re going to use the enlarger just
for 35mm, you’ll only need one lens. If you’re going to use both 35mm and 120
film, you will want a separate lens for each size. The standard 35mm lens has a
focal length of 50mm. The standard lenses for 120 roll film negatives are 75 or
80mm. You can use the 80mm lens for enlarging 35mm negatives, but the image
on the easel will be smaller than if you use a 50mm lens. This can limit the size of
the print you can make. A 50mm lens used for negatives larger than 35mm can
result in vignetting of the image.

Enlargers tend to age gracefully. Purchasing a used enlarger can be a good way to
save some money.

 

[placeonthecorner]

thats really helpfull!!...thanx!!!... i will let you know how the search goes..