A really dumb question about LF enlarging from a CB

Let me define some terms first: "CB" meaning cheap bastard, as in

can't afford an enlarger for 4x5", in terms of cost but mostly in

terms of space. So after spending time making contact prints, I

started wondering if I could modify my 24x36 enlarger to somehow

project an image of a 4x5" negative. That was rapidly answered by a

resounding "no". But...<p>

I started toying with my view camera in the dark room and realized

that I could project and focus the image through the camera by

placing the negative on the ground glass and shining a light through

it. Obviously, the markings on the glass also projected so that

would be one consideration to be worked on. The other is of course

getting a uniform light source, which I haven't thought through

entirely, but should be doable.<p>

Is there any reason (probably obvious) that I'm not seeing that

would prevent me from simply "reversing" the image process of my

view camera to turn it into a make-shift 4x5" enlarger?<p>

This is too stupid a question to have been asked in the forums

before... thanks in advance for your patience with this CB!

The early enlargers were actually called "enlarging cameras". They were often fixed to a hole in an exterior wall, so as to use sunlight in the enlarging process.

 

I see enlarging cameras for sale now and then; the sellers often think they're view cameras.

 

If you could figure out how to make a negative carrier/light source combo to fit the rear of your view camera, you might be in luck.

 

Alternatively, you could gut your old enlarger and make a new negative carrier/light source to fit on the post, utilizing some of the already-existing other hardware. You could possibly use the lower half of the enlarging head you have if you're clever about it. The weight of the resulting gizmo could be a drawback if you don't use very light-weight materials.

 

Oh, I almost forgot: The Speed and Crown Graphics were converted into enlargers by the "Graflarger" back, a self-contained unit which included a negative carrier and an Aristo cold light head, all of which clipped onto a Graflock back. These come up for sale from time to time.

 

Hope this helps.

Yes that helps Michael, thanks! I'm encouraged. Regarding a negative carrier, let me ask another question. If I remove the ground glass, and replace it with plain glass, are Newton rings going to be an issue when enlarging, or would they be negligeable when the image is projected a foot or two (as opposed to scanned from a milimeter away)? That would of course help the negative carrier issue.

The problems with using your camera are the usual problems with any thing you cobble together. Will it be sturdy enough? Will it hold everything right. Will it drive you crazy working around it's limits-)

 

How are you going to hold the camera? Tripod? Then how are you going hold the paper?

 

You need a light source. Which might cost you not much less then a whole 4x5 enlarger.

 

4x5 enlargers can be pretty cheap today. If space is the main issue I'd look for one of the smaller ones. The 4x5 enlarger should also be able to handle your 35mm needs and likely do it better. So you might want to sell the 35mm enlarger.

Thx Robert. I'm sure there are lots of issues I may be underestimating; perpendicularity and stability among them. Actually, my next post was going to be a really newbie one: so vague that I don't even know what to search for in the archives to see if it's been answered before. But as you bring it up, can I ask you this?<p>

What would be a decent 4x5" enlarger you qualify as being one of the "smaller" ones? Ideally, if I could fit it, I'd then be set for all my 35mm, MF and 4x5" B&W needs. But I don't know where to look.<p>

My darkroom is a corridor bathroom, about 3 meters (yards) long and maybe 1.5 meters wide. I'm not looking at making huge prints, but certainly 30x40cm...

How much counter space do you have? How high is the ceiling? Mine is pretty big but would fit in a space that size if you've got the counter space. Most 4x5 enlargers are smaller then mine.

Start haunting e-bay and the local want ads. Omega D-2's are available for $50. They have been made forever and most modern mixing heads are designed to drop-in fit. Alot of schools are closing down their wet darkrooms and deals are to be made.

 

I know you can buy a real 4x5 enlarger for less than hacking together something from Home-Depot.

Nicola, it has indeed been done. Quite successfully. Linhof used to sell a light unit which attached to the back of their Technika camera, which then was mounted onto a copy stand.

 

You will just have to work out the attachment hardware. And be careful not to cook the back of your camera with a hot bulb.

Graflex had an accessory caled a "Graflarger" that used an Arista cold light head that fit into a graflok. You could use the view camera u have now or pick up a beater Speed Graphic w/graphlok and one of these accesorries. There was also a stand that they made that held the whole shebang. Now this wouldn't be any cheaper than a nice Omega DII but getting a DII shipped can get prohibitively expensive.

Sorry, didn't see Micheal's ammendment. Is your present enlarger a diffusion or condensor? If you can deal with the condensor I'd also recommend the DII if you can find one you could pick up somewhere. There are still many parts for these and they're built like a tank.Not small though.

Sounds like a project I would have done at one time. You could cut out the inside of a 4x5 film holder: that will be your negative carrier. Remove the ground glass for projecting the image. Read Ansel Adams' "The Print" book to see what he did. He used an 11x14 camera, I believe, to project 8x10 negatives.

Or you could buy my used Omega D2!

eBay has a 5x7 Elwood enlarger for $5.

 

I think you will find it cheaper to buy and enlarger then to use a view camera.....

 

You can also find very small 4x5 enlargers for $50 (still cheaper then fooling with your camera)

4x5 requires a longer projecion distance than 35mm for similar size prints. Hence the larger size.

 

converting a camera requires a light source and the best might be an Aristo cold light to save weight on condensers and keep heat down, and this will be more money than a D2 Omega.

 

Newton rings are an issue if the base side of the neg touches glass. Any space at all will eliminate them.

 

My d-2 requires 54" table to ceiling. Take off 6" for a cold light head or less than maximum print size.

 

Ansel solved the problem with horizontal projection and a custom enlarger. All the bulbs required required for even light required a fan for cooling.

"4x5 requires a longer projecion distance than 35mm for similar size prints."

 

That's not right is it? The formula is based on magnification and focal lenght. So while a 4x5 enlarger lens might be 3x that of one used for 35mm a 4x5 negative is about 4x the size. That means lower magnification for similar size prints. Which gets you back into the same ballpark.

Thanks everyone that has come to my rescue... or rather, to the rescue of my Sinar! I hadn't thought about the fire hazard of overheating my rear standard with the bulb, for example. Any suggestions for what the world's smallest 4x5 enlarger would be? Seems that Omega D2's are ubiquitous but L A R G E. But I see many mentions of a "small" enlarger. FWIW, my counter space is about 70cm deep or, what, 2 feet? Height isn't a problem unless I need more than 9 feet.

Smallest 4x5 enlarger that comes to mind is the LP/Saunders model - but I'm not any kind of expert on what is out there: certainly the Durst Laborator and De Vere models are bigger and heavier. There are 3 main considerations: footprint, height, and weight.

 

Footprint depends on the baseboard size for a table-top model - some are free standing (read "massive") and others are wall mounting. This is much the same from one enlarger to another - a 35mm enlarger with a 20x24 basebord takes up much the same space as a 4x5 enlarger with the same size baseboard.

 

Height: 4x5 enlargers tend to have longer columns - LPL & Durst models fit easily on my bench with an 8 foot ceiling.

 

Weight: Heavy. Make sure your bench can take the weight. Even the LPL model with baseboard is heavy. My dry bench is a row of kitchen base units which is OK - if yours is more flimsy, be careful - a 4x5 enlarger dropping on top of you is not an experience to be recommended...

 

Good luck. Cheers,

About this D-2. My baseboard is 18x26. So a two inch overhang on your cabinet is no big deal. Or you could just screw it to the table top. The column is 44" from the table top. It fits' in my 7' high basement. I did cut a hole in the ceiling to fit the condenser head, then finished it off, painted black and screwed two turnbuckels from the floorjoists to the column top. No movement there. I now use a VC cold light head and no longer need the hole. Your 9 foot ceiling, no problem.

 

Go for a Omega D-2 or a Beseler 4x5. Any new heads worth having are made to retro-fit.

Jim, thank you for those specific measurements. ANd to all, thanks for the feedback. Since posting, I received Adams' The Print, which answered my original post about using the view camera. Unfortunately, it sent me into accute gear-envy mode after seeing photos of his darkroom setup! This could easily become the most expensive bout of gear envy, as I would have to buy a new house to accommodate it! We'll see...