4x5 Enlargers

<p>My current enlarger can't handle any film larger than 6x6. I don't shoot a lot of LF, but I'd like to print rather than scan. Thus, I'm not looking for anything top of the line, just acceptable. My shots aren't likely to be good enough that a spectacular enlarger would be needed anyway. If you could offer any suggestions, along with a likely price for such an enlarger, that would be great. I know used equipment varies in price quite dramatically, so assume a fully functional item, with some average-to-heavy cosmetic wear from use. I don't care if it's pretty, just that it works properly.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>I would suggest the Beseler 45MXT, which handles 4x5.</p>

<p>Excellent enlarger, quite capable of professional work in all respects.</p>

<p>There are lots of them out there used and cheap, as it was a popular model. </p>

<p>I've recently seen a couple of them being given away on various photo fora.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

 

<p>For a 4x5, anywhere from free to a few hundred, depending on condition, head, lenses and neg carriers included. See freestyle and BH Photo for pricing on new ones.</p>

<p>Nobody made real cheap 4x5 enlargers, if you are in the US/Canada, Beseler and Omega are the most common. Durst are nice, but parts/neg carriers tend to be pricy. Scan thru eblay to see some of the asking prices.</p>

<p>Jay, It appears you live in the US, in which case you'll be well off to get a Beseler 45 or Omega D enlarger because the parts are available and affordable. I've owned both, and they are both great enlargers. I got rid of my Beseler 45 MX when I bought a like new Chromega D5XL and all the trimmings for $200. Turns out that people can hardly give them away these days. Check your Craigslist ads on a regular basis.</p>

<p>I bought myself an Omega D5XL condensor enlarger in 1974/75. It's still 100% functional today and is great to use.</p>

<p>As mentioned, lots of parts floating around and at decent prices. Still new parts/stuff too at B&H, etc.</p>

<p>I see a lot come up on eBay but the issue is they cost $40 - $75+ to ship. If you can find locally you'll save some $$ and be able to ensure the unit still looks good and seems to behave properly.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Beseler and Omega are indeed good enlargers. So are several other less common brands. I've used a 4x5 DeJur for the past 25 years and struggled with a 5x7 Elwood before that. A few brands were originally inexpensive and cheaply made: Testrite and Federal for example. Solar may be not much better. These three haven't been made in many years, though, and won't be frequently found. Rather than seek particular brands, check out whatever is available in your area.</p>

<p>Forget about the Beseler 45 MX or MXT. Hard to keep them aligned. Plus focus problems.</p>

<p>I have owned two new Beseler MXT's. Both bought new. One I bought in 1988; the other in 2006. Both got sold. Never held alignment, and very hard to align.</p>

<p>Bang for the buck goes to a Beseler 45 V-XL. Solid, sturdy, easier to align than there MX or MXT, holds alignment, no focus problems, just a much better enlarger chassis. I purchased a new one in 2007, aligned it when I set it up, and it has retained alignment since. MUCH BETTER ENLARGER IN MY OPINION.</p>

<p>You should phone around to a few photo studios or film processing places and ask if they have any old enlargers to get rid of. Maybe you can get one cheap.</p>

<p>Thanks, all, I'll look for all your suggestions and see what I can find.</p>

<p>John, that enlarger really looks great, but $1500 is way out of my price range. At this point in my LF development, I'd be better off having them printed at a shop or just scanning them than putting that much money into an enlarger.</p>

<p>Jay, try and get something basic. That is just B&W with a cold-cathode head. If you get into tungsten or QI lighting the thing's likely to have a cooling fan built in, which opens up an entirely new can of worms. The trouble with cooling fans is that almost none of them work without causing some vibration. Anti-vibration mountings harden, blades get dusty and out of balance.... yada, yada, yada. So if you want an enlarger to use rather than a project, keep it simple.</p>

<p>I'll agree with Rodeo Joe above. If you can get get one with a cold light head then that's the way to go. And if you can't then budget for a cold light in the near future. One problem you haven't had the "pleasure" of dealing with yet is "negative popping" with 4x5. Most enlargers (condenser especially) generate heat that will flex that big neg in the holder and throw your focus out. You'll be wondering why the prints aren't sharp until you figure it out. Been there, trust me.</p>

<p>To avoid negative popping without going to glassed carriers, one can lay a piece of heat absorbing glass (HAG, i.e. stuff that blocks IR from passing thru) on top of the condensor lenses. If you're doing B&W - no issues; a slight color shift for color may happen which requires some filtration to return to nominal.</p>

<p>Glass carriers are finicky as they pick up a lot of dust (you have more surfaces to keep clean than just the film). Others may also argue anti-Newton glass also has its own range of headaches.</p>

<p>What exposure length does one begin to experience negative popping with 4x5 film? </p>

<p>I have a barely used, most excellent 4x5 enlarger for sale, with lots of related accessories. I'm one of those equipment nuts who buys the best and takes obsessively good care of his stuff. Original boxes even available. Email me if you are interested in a Saunders/LPL 4550, VCCE head for variable contrast B&W, and a color head and lots of extras: soareyes@hotmail.com</p>