Best B & W enlarger for weddings

[alan_higgins]

Hi guys i've been advised to run this question through this part of the forum

 

Been out of the darkroom for about 7 years now, but would like to stock up

again. I would like to purchase a pro enlarger, but don't know which one. What

I need is 6 x 6 neg carrier to print to 20 x 16 max. I used to use axomat and

opemus 6 enlargers but gave them away several years ago. Incidently I would

like to print off wedding photographs. So can anyone tell me what the absolute

best on the market is or what they might recommend?

 

Also, can anyone tell me anything about the de vere enlargers please

 

Big thanks

 

Alan

[ronald_moravec1]

They are like cars, houses, and cameras. Each has a purpose.

 

Whatever you get, fasten the top to the wall and it kills vibration if your house is steady. Get one that takes common bulbs and stock up. This is what will kill enlarging in a few years.

 

Do you want a diffusion or condenser? I am partial to condensers.

 

Dursts are good. So are Kaiser. Leica Focomat 11C with focotar lenses, if you can find one, is the best. Consider a 4x5 as they are better made than any med format.

[mike_earussi1]

For a hobby or for "fine art" darkroom is great, but if you're doing this as a business then switch to digital, as it is much faster and more flexible than darkroom work.

[robert_marvin]

FWIW I believe that a few wedding photographers are able to command a substantial premium for B&W wedding work printed in a wet darkroom--not what the mass market wants, but there is still some demand for quality.

[steve_levine]

The old standby, workhorse enlarger's are the Besler 23C and the various MF/LF Omegas.

 

You can pick either up now days for less than a song. Spend a few extra dollars on nice glass, you won't be disappointed. The Apo Schneider or Rodenstocks are superb. Nikon EL's are decent and cheaper, but not as sharp as the better German glass.

[hjoseph7]

Beseler and Omega are the most popular. Personally, I would go with an Omega, simply because I think the engineering is better, plus they can handle different formats allot easier than the Beslers. I have a Beseler 23C with a Dichro head which suits me fine, but I used both.

 

When it comes to the Besler, a 20X16 print or larger can become a little problematic.

 

Then there is Durst, which I'm not too fond of, because of all the plastic and hard to get parts.

 

Fujimoto use to make some fantastic enlargers, but I'm not sure if they are in business right now.

 

Saunders also makes some pretty good enlargers(very plasticky), I think the quality on the Beslers is better.

 

If I was to go for an enlarger right now, I would go for a 4X5. You never know when you are going to need the extra resolving power. With a 4X5, you easily can handle all the other formats.

 

http://www.beselerphoto.com/

 

http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/index.html

[Ed_Ingold]

Besseler enlargers are arguably the stiffest, but the column braces make it difficult to position the paper holder at times, and limit the largest size. The Besseler negative holders always seemed sloppy to me. I too prefer Omega enlargers, particularly the 4x5 condenser heads. The negative holders are well designed and easy to use. The single counterbalanced column has a small footprint, giving you a lot of working surface.

 

The small Durst enlargers are too wobbly for sharp results. The commercial Durst enlargers were solid but very expensive.

[colin_elliott]

See my previous response

[rodeo_joe1]

The lens is more important than the enlarger. And the darkroom setup is important too.

 

Even the most robust enlarger will give shakey results if you sit it on a wobbly bench on the upper floor of a building next to a busy road and the railway tracks! Conversely, if you set your darkroom up in a quiet concrete basement, then it'll take a lot to shake even the most flimsy enlarger.

 

I would personally recommend the Saunders/Jobo/LPL7700 enlarger (either the VC or dichroic colour head version). The design is ergonomic, the build quality and precision is good where it counts, the light source is bright and even, and the column is tall enough to give you a decent sized print on the baseboard. The negative stage goes up to 90cm above the baseboard, which is sufficient for a 9.5 diameter enlargement when using an 80mm lens. This gives you a little over a 20inch print from 6x6 negatives. Most importantly, this enlarger is still currently available, and takes cheap standard 12v/100w halogen bulbs.

 

The problem with using a 5x4 enlarger for smaller formats is (apart from definitely NOT giving you more resolution) that the light source isn't efficiently used, and the range of enlargement obtainable may be limited. Also, many large format enlargers have a fan cooling system which almost invariably gives vibration problems sooner or later.

 

Whichever enlarger you finally decide to buy, I would make sure you know the history of it, or get some sort of guarantee, and make sure it comes with all the parts you might ever need. (Negative masks, lens panels, spare condensers etc.) Otherwise you might need to spend a lot of time refurbishing it, or sourcing spare parts.

[rodeo_joe1]

Alan, just read your request for info on DeVere enlargers. I've used a few of these, all in 5x4 and larger formats, though. They're all real workhorses and solidly built, and DeVere glassless carriers are some of the best designs around too IMHO.

 

However, the VC head for these beasts is quite rare, as is the Dichro colour head. The "Cathomag" coldlight head is a very old design, and doesn't lend itself to VC printing, while the condenser head is huge and clunky to use with filters. Still, if you can find a late model 504 or 302 with Dichromat head and all the relevant bits, then snap it up. I believe the later model DeVeres were rebadged as GE brand (by George Elliott Ltd, former DeVere distributers).