Troll Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 To me, 5x7 seems a nearly ideal size. But what to do with the negatives? I don't have a 5x7 enlarger, and the Epson 3200 only takes 4" wide negatives? Are they only for contact printing? What do current users do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbq Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Microtek has scanners that can scan 8x10 tranparent documents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_de_fehr Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 LF enlargers are getting give-away cheap. It's gotten to the point that it would probably be cheaper to buy a 5x7 enlarger than a scanner that will scan 5x7 negatives. Just depends on which way you prefer to work, and how much space you have, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnanian Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 epson just came out with a scanner with a 6x8 tranparancy adaper that is sort of inexpensive, and it is supposed to be "the bomb" ...jay is right too - enlargers are sold for not too much $$ these days so, you might be able to find an omega e4 and for not too much $$ you'll be set :)( don't have the scanner, but i have the e4 :) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob fowler Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I picked up an Agfa Duoscan T1200 for about $100.00 a while ago. It's not the fanciest scanner, but it handles up to 8X10 and does a good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnanian Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 bill - if you end up finding an enlarger, but need work done on it &C there is a place http://www.khbphotografix.com/ in canada. if i hadn't been able to actually find parts to my e4, they were going to fabricate them for me, custom work for not too much $$. they also have a ton of enlargers for sale - omegas, dursts, devere and others. from what i understand from folks who have worked with them --- they are worth their weight in gold. i know my enlargers work fine right now, but if they break down, or need things made for them, i look forward to contacting these guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I'd say decide what to do with the negatives, first, then decide how to get there, rather than the other way around. I make a lot of prints that are 5x7, (shooting 35mm), but I don't know that I'd gain that much by going to 5x7 negatives. One reason for printing smaller is lower cost, and you'd lose that with the big negative, anyway. You could shoot 6x4.5 and print as 5x7 and still have lot less bulky equipment and lower cost overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_miller1 Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I have the opposite problem, I have three 5X7 enlargers without a 5X7 camera. My 4X5 enlargements with Efke and Pyrocat are more appealing to me then my 8X10 and 12X20 contact prints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ole_tjugen Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I have to admit I do all three... I have a Duoscan T1200 scanner. I have a Durst Laborator 138S enlarger. And I contact print as well. 5x7" enlargers seem to be cheaper now than the (smaller, lighter) 4x5" enlargers. Besides, 5x7" is big enough to be usable as contact prints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward_kimball Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Bob and Ole, On a scan from a 4X5 Tranny will the Agfa Duoscan T1200 give me a file that I can print 11X14? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_calwell Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Where are all these cheap enlargers you guys are referring to? A new Zone VI 5x7 is way out of my price range, and the Saunders 4x5 enlargers are still around $1500 and above. I wish the prices would drop to maybe around $500 to $800. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob fowler Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 "On a scan from a 4X5 Tranny will the Agfa Duoscan T1200 give me a file that I can print 11X14?" Sure. I've had wonderful 24X30 prints from T1200 scans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_stadler Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Ben, I believe that most of the people that are referring to cheap enlargers and not talking about new enlargers, but used equipment. There is much used equipment on ebay that is very inexpensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnanian Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 ben: i bought a e4 2 years ago from a photo-cooperative in the boston area for something like $300. it included an aux bellows attachment ( so i don't have to deal with cones), lens and the omegalite diffusion head. the sale of darkroom equipment helps keep them alive and well. i have since bought a more modern cold light head for it, as well as a condensor set that was modified from an e5. there are lots of places that have 5x7 enlargers for sale. photographic systems in new mexico ( pgsys.com) had an e4 ( or maybe it was an e3 ? ) for sale a while back, and there are also large used camera stores, like ep levines in boston (cameras.com) that have a bunch of lf cameras / darkroom stuff - enlargers &C for sale used for a reasonable price. lots of professional labs and professional photographer's darkrooms are being sold off, i guess it is a matter of being at the right place at the right time. i know the pro-lab here in providence sold off all their enlargers, ones that were capable of printing 8x0 negatives within the last year ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chad_jarvis1 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Contact print. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_simmons Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 5x7 contact prints are really beautiful. The first time I saw some was a show of Lewis Baltz's Orange County industrial park photos. A combination of rock-hard edges and very smooth tones. Seems the only problem with 5x7 these days is a very limited choice of film stocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_kasaian1 Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 Bill, You want a cheap 5x7 enlarger? Look for an Elwood---they show up at auction every so often at give away prices. Like Rodney Dangerfield, "they don't get no respect." They are a lot of fun though! If you get an 8x10 model, you can cut a mat to fit your negatives and it will handle any size format up to 8x10. They are rather large though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_a._smith1 Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 5x7 contact prints can be very beautiful, as can 4x5s, and even 2 1/4s. In my opinion, in black and white photography there is nothing quite so beautiful as a contact print--in any size. Small contatc prints on relatively large mount board draw the viewer in. There is an intinate, jewel-like quality to them that can be exquisite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_byrn Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 Michael I was fortunate enough to make it to Brigham City,Utah for the last hours of the large format exibit.Bear Lake has an incredable azure color but your contact print of the lake with the hay bale foreground is the most stunning monochrome image I have seen so far and I just saw 40 select images specially printed by A.A.. Thank you for being in that show. Walt Byrnes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jco Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 I use my 5x7 and 8x10 cameras strictly for BW contact printing. I have been able to do 4x7 scans of the 5x7 negs with an epson 3200 but whats the point? 4x5 seems to be good enuff for color digital enlargements. 4x5 is a waste for contact printing IMHO. JCO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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