Questions about enlargers

PhotoCalifornia · Jan 20, 2013

I am building my own darkroom and came across a lot of enlargers. What brands are good, what size if i want to do maxium size prints of 11x14. also if i get a color enlarger can i also do black and white prints with it. what other equiptment will i also need to develop and print photos.
Thank yoou for your help.

dxqcanada · Jan 20, 2013

One thing to consider when buying an enlarger is film format support ... 35mm, 6x? ... 4x5 ?

Yes, a colour head can print B&W.

Chemistry ... Developer, Stop Bath, and Fixer.
Trays, tongs, timer, safelight ... and other stuff.

PhotoCalifornia · Jan 20, 2013

dxqcanada said:
One thing to consider when buying an enlarger is film format support ... 35mm, 6x? ... 4x5 ?

Yes, a colour head can print B&W.

Chemistry ... Developer, Stop Bath, and Fixer.
Trays, tongs, timer, safelight ... and other stuff.

35mm and 120

ann · Jan 21, 2013

Beseler 23c or 45 would be good, as well as Omega's D3 and newer. Saunders 4500 series. All great enlargers built to last a life time.

ceeboy14 · Jan 21, 2013

Depending on which one you get, if I can find it, I have a chart that shows you which colors you can dial into the color head to match the grades on the filters if you are using variable contrast paper. Works great!

ann · Jan 21, 2013

there is also a chart in each pack of paper you use.

You just never use cyan, only yellow or magenta

ceeboy14 · Jan 21, 2013

It's probably where I got the charts...I used them for so long, it just became a way of doing stuff. Good, now I don't have to search. :mrgreen:

Tuffythepug · Jan 21, 2013

I can recommend a Beseler 23 CII since I've owned one for about 30 years and it still works great.
What else will you need ?
Enlarger... lens(es) and lensboard
Negative carrier for 35mm and 6x6 neg's
Easel
A grain focuser is handy for very fine focusing too
Chemicals
large trays for develop, stop, fix, and rinse/hold
tongs (3 or 4)
film developing tanks and reels (if you are developing your own film)
Optional... print washer and print dryer. If you use RC paper you don't need a print washer or dryer

bsinmich · Jan 21, 2013

There are a lot moreof theBeseler 67 enlargers around used. They do have a different light box for the 35mm negs but that only will increase the light for the 35s. You will need a 50mm lens for the 35mm and a 80mm for the 2 1/4. If you are using the 6X9 format of 120 you will need the 23C but if you are into 6X7 or6X6 the 67 will do great. A color head is much eassier to use than using filters on a color print. Join in the fun of making real pictures that you control.

dxqcanada · Jan 21, 2013

ILFORD PHOTO - Getting Started

compur · Jan 21, 2013

Beseler and Omega were the top selling brands in the USA so finding negative carriers, lens boards and other items is relatively easy for these enlargers.

dxqcanada · Jan 21, 2013

Colour heads -filter settings for Ilford paper contrast -> http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2010628932591755.pdf

amolitor · Jan 21, 2013

If you have a choice, get a color head for color work or variable contrast b&w (which is what you will start with, and might never leave -- variable contrast paper b&w is the simplest thing to print), and the biggest enlarger that will fit in your space.

Bigger prints require, generally, a taller machine. If you only want to go 11x14, pretty much anything will do. Bigger gives you more flexibility, though.

The biggest single thing to research on any candidate enlarger though, is whether it has alignment adjustments. In order to pull good prints, the negative, the lens, and the easel MUST ALL BE PARALLEL to a fairly high precision. Cheaper enlargers do not allow you to adjust the alignments of these (you only need to be able to adjust two of the three, of course). Older/used enlargers will generally be out of alignment. If they don't have a system built in to adjust it, you'll have to improvise something (which can be done, but sucks).

The next thing to look for is whether negative carriers are included, and if so, which ones. These can get surprisingly expensive, although you can fabricate your own.

Then get good lenses. You can pick up very decent enlarging lenses on eBay for next to nothing.

Brand of enlarger doesn't really matter. Really outlandish ones might require negative carriers or light bulbs that are impossible to obtain, however, so if you have a candidate that's not Beseler or Omega, do a little web research on it. Actually, always do a little web research on it -- for all I know, Beseler built some weirdos that you can't get parts for too, and you wouldn't want one of those either.

So: Alignments, neg carriers, and bulbs. Everything else, you can work around pretty easily, and a color head sure is nice.

Me, I'd choose the enlarger that came with the timer and the trays and the tongs and the safelight over the one that comes with nothing. If it comes with a bunch of free paper and chemistry be realistic: This is a way of saying that it comes with a bunch of free garbage.

ceeboy14 · Jan 24, 2013

amolitor said:
Me, I'd choose the enlarger that came with the timer and the trays and the tongs and the safelight over the one that comes with nothing. If it comes with a bunch of free paper and chemistry be realistic: This is a way of saying that it comes with a bunch of free garbage.

Curious as to your last statement...to the chemicals, I would probably agree but never to the paper...old paper is an easy fix, even if it's a little fogged.

"The additives you are interested in are bromide and carbonate. Potassium Bromide will clear the whites. (reduce fog). Sodium carbonate will set the blacks. Use either or both. Expect increased exposure times. Mix both to 10% solutions. To a working tray of print developer, mq type (Dektol), say 3 liters total, add a couple of tablespoons of additive. Adjust as you print. Additional bromide used to be common. It was packaged under the title, BB solution. For further help, refer to 'Lootens On Photographic Enlarging and Print Control'. With old paper, the bromide may be enough. A big advantage of working like this is the fact that old paper is aged, and very stable, whereas fresh paper is green and not mature."

amolitor · Jan 24, 2013

My take on it is the same for paper as for anything else.

The last thing a newbie needs is more variables - get new paper, new chemistry, figure out how it works and how to pull a decent print. Then you can start fooling with old paper, mix-your-own developers and so on. You now know enough to know (well, at least to have a better idea) of when it's you and when it's the materials. If you're just buying an enlarger, you probably don't know if you're ever going to be interested in the paper.

Arguably it's not garbage, I guess? You could sell it, or stash it away in case you got the bug to fool with it later, or whatever.