Leitz Focomat IIc -- How much is a fair price in 2010?

<p>I'm interested in possibly buying a Focomat IIc and a several have made there way to the internet in my area as of late; a grey one with the Focotar-2 lenses and a couple of black ones with the older Focotar and Elmar lenses. All of them are working, complete and have the carriers, masks and so forth. They don't seem to sell on that auction site for more than a few hundred dollars ( although some are listed for auction way over that but they don't seem to sell ). The prices I've seen on discussion posts are several years old so I wanted to see if anyone could offer some insight into what would be an appropriate price to pay for these. Thanks for taking the time to read this.</p>

<p>I bought my Focomat IIc two years ago for GBP350. It was complete with several masks - sadly it had the 100 V-Elmar rather than the Focotar, but hey that's fine at that price.</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

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<p>I think they are holding their value. I'd estimate $1200 to $1500 for gray, with 100 Focotar-2 (not V-Elmar) as the longer lens.<br>

Remember that they are very complicated to ship (heavy and large, need disassembly to ship safely), and I think the "reputation" of the seller has a lot to do regarding being able to successfully sell one. <br>

...Vick</p>

<p>I agree with Vick regarding holding their value. The only one on the auction site (at 399$) is, by the images, a very beat up one and hardly of interest to anyone interested in what the instrument can do. The completed listings show only a lens stage and older lenses (100 mm V-Elmar and 60mm focotar) with missing parts as being sold, and that was for about $400. The 100mm Focotar-2 is in my mind still worth between 600 and 900 dollars for the lens alone, but maybe you can find a fully functional and excellent shape Focomat -IIc with the older lenses for $1000, maybe a bit less (it was worth at least twice that 10 years ago), but the older lenses (V-Elmar and Focotar) are really good only up to about 6 or 7X (120 film) to 10X magnification. After that (and out of the autofocussing range) you will probably need the Focotar-2 for higher magnifications than 6 or 7 X. A Focomat II-c with the Focotar-2 is probably a very good deal at $1500 and you would be very lucky to get that at $1000, even in today's depressed film and enlarging equipment market. I don't think it is very important whether the unit is the newer grey colour or the traditional black.</p>

<p>It is a pity that the Focomat is not easily adapted to other enlarger lenses (although one German company, the originator of the Focomat design, does the (expensive) conversion to Schneider lenses,or at least they were doing that a few years ago) as Leitz was not as good at making top quality enlarger lenses as camera lenses (I believe the Focotar -2 was made outside the Leitz factory by Schneider). But the enlarger itself is a beautifully constructed and rigid machine. A Focomat with a computerised Heiland Splitgrade head is a great machine.</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your guidance. Looks to that as long as it has the Focotars 2's, it would work for me as 11x14 is pretty much my standard print size and I crop a lot. Interestingly, one of the people I've queried about an enlarger they have for sale mentioned that the older, small metal barrel Componon's fit in the IIc's housing (although you'd need at 32mm to 39mm thread adapter if such a thing is made) so that might work as well.</p>

<p>The Leitz enlargers are the best in their class (small and medium format up to 6x9). The Leitz enlargers are perfect align at any magnification. The Focotar 2 was made by Leitz at the end of production: for Leitz Focomat 1C - the focotar 2 50mm/4,5, and for the Leitz Focomat IIC - the focotar 2 100mm/5,6. These lenses are the best in their range if you do not take in consideration the rarest and most expensive zeiss s-orthoplanars or the apo el nikkors. All others focotars and v-elmars where made by Schneider. From my experience the focotar 2 50mm is far better than the apo componom hm 60mm.</p>