Meopta Magnifax

[thanhtruong]

Hey there!

Do any of you own or have opinions about Meopta enlargers please? I am a student photographer looking to set up my first darkroom and would like to find a balance between quality and price. 8) I don't want to break the bank yet I would prefer to spend enough to buy quality. Would a Meopta be a good choice?

Cheers
Tara

 

[compur]

If you live in the USA, a better choice would be Beseler or Omega. They are plentiful and parts/acessories are fairly easy to find.

 

[webestang64]

I agree with compur, those 2 enlargers would be my first go to if starting out. I suggest Nikkor (Nikon) enlarging lens, I've been using Nikkor enlarging lenses for decades and they are very sharp.
Use a 50mm lens for 35mm negs and a 80mm lens for 120 negs (645,6x6).

You might also want to consider finding older darkroom books. I found these for $2 each at a local thrift shop.

 

[JBPhotog]

My very first enlarger was a Meopta, don’t recall the model but it was pretty basic. I did however slap a Rodenstock Apo-Rodagon-N 50mm f/2.8 on if and created some very nice prints on Ilford Gallery paper 39 years ago that still look fantastic today. Either way you go, the lens does the heavy lifting.