Topic: Building A Darkroom

[Chris A Fraser]

After nearly five years without a darkroom (I used to work in one) I have decided to build one in my basement. I have most of the bits and pieces, minus the important bit, the enlarger. While working for many years I loved the Saunders LPL 4500, but I am not willing to part with the kind of cash to buy myself one.

So, has anyone have an enlarger that they love!! or for that matter ones they loath.

I have bean given dichroic head for an Omega C760, but nothing else to go with it. Should I start over or piece together an enlarger from that?

By the way I have not seen a darkroom thread in a while, who here is printing traditionally?

Chris

[LT]

Me me me.

And, if you can get them over there, Devere  are, in my mind, the b3st.

[stevesegz]

Me too,

Currently rebuilding due to boiler explosion and subsequent floor damage, now in process of putting sink unit and water works in, at least now got the enlarger in the house, has been a bit of a journey.

I'm with Leon, Devere every time for me, solid reliable easy to use and lots of spares around if required.

In terms of a favourite depends why, I have an old 705 with a cold light head as well as a condenser head that I just can't part with but no longer use. Apparently a fleet street relic.

[jojonas~]

I do some trad printing too

for 35mm I like the leitz focomat and for 6x6 I like a durst M601 it has some interesting tilt functions (that I haven't used)

I think we had a devere in my last darkroom but that wasn't one that I used while there.

[Francois]

Enlargers are a bit like cars. Some are Omega people and others are Besseler people.

Personally, I have three budget enlargers. Nothing fancy but they do the job.

I have a 35mm Durst C35 with a color head. Very nice for a low cost model. Illumination is flawless and very even throughout the image. The bi-color filters are very handy for doing B&W as there are only magenta and yellow filters in the head (cyan uses the filter drawer). Drawbacks are that they're all plastic, the focus handle rotates backwards when compared to the column adjustment and everything is friction grip. But the lens is a very nice Rodenstock that has a device to illuminate the aperture number when the enlarger is on. It's very handy. If you don't get this enlarger, definitely get this lens!

I also have a small LPL 66 for square format. They are very well designed. Condenser head, everything is very smooth. It's my favourite by far. Also, it was cheap.

Last is a Japanese Pixur for 4x5. It weighs a ton. Has huge condensers. It's full of light leaks. The only thing I like about is the swing-arm height adjustment and the fact that it accepts a 4x5 holder. Also, I got it for free so that's a big plus.

But if I had to do it again, I'd probably go look at Besseler or Omega simply for the availability of parts. But knowing myself, I'd probably end up with a Durst Laborator. Big, well made, Italian design.

And the pipe dream: the Salthill Fiber Optic.... nice.

[irv_b]

I too have a darkroom that I built in the loft, with two budget enlargers a Meopta Optima 6 for b&w and a paterson 35 mm colour model won for 15 quid by my wife in an auction house, which will do until I  get more proficient in the process.
 Due to not having a neg scanner yet, I have to print and then use the family's multipurpose scanner for any shot that I want to post but I enjoy the time in darkroom almost as much as taking the shot.

[Andrej K]

Some may be the best but almost any enlarger will do. Don't spend your time looking for parts to the head you have - I'm sure you can find a complete enlarger easier and cheaper..
Round these parts Durst enlargers are regarded as top-class... I used local meopta stuff for long time, then found cheaply a Philips 2000 or something like that - has it's quirks, since it is colour enlarger works quite well with multigrade printing.. But it's only 6x7.. So I am constantly watching ebay for a nice Durst 138 to appear somewhere near.

[Chris A Fraser]

thanks everyone

I must say, I loved my time in the darkroom and can't wait to get back at it. I really miss color printing, perhaps I will again someday.

I do plan on finding a nice color enlarger. I Love the ease of filter adjustments for contrast. We have a local swap meet coming up (a little over a month away) I will probably pick one up there unless a great deal comes along before hand.

[Francois]

You could probably get an Omega for that color head.

Just watch out for heads with a built-in fan (like some Besseler). They're held on little rubber shock absorbers and can't easily be replaced. Most of the people who have a dead fan end-up taping a clothes dryer hose to it with tape and put a normal fan in a wood box. While it does work, it looks like crap.

[KevinAllan]

I have an Omega Super-Cromega C-700; this has a colour head and take negs up to 6 * 7. I was given the enlarger free  by a camera club member, who had it in the car ready to take to the tip unless another member wanted it. I jumped at the chance as my previous enlarger - a Durst M800 - had just died. The Omega is in perfect order except for a missing red filter, which I purchased from Canada (import charges -  ). alongside 35mm and 6*7 negative holders to go along with the 6*6 holder supplied.

The Durst was also given free, along with a complete set of everything else (eg Beard masking frame, print dryers for RC and FB, film dryer, lenses, loads of paper) - by a relative of a flickr contact, neither of whom I had ever met. Regrettably the Durst soon developed a problem. Despite having a steel column strong enough to support a skyscraper, Durst teamed this up with a PLASTIC cog which works to raise or lower the height.  The plastic broke and, although I held the enlarger up with a G-clamp for a while, I also had problems with the glass negative carrier. The other elements of that generously gifted set are still in use however.

I've also got one of those Russian enlargers that fold into a suitcase, up in the loft - might use it one day out of curiosity ...

Now I just need to make more time to spend in the darkroom.

[LeonY]

I have an LPL BW Enlarger..Its simple.clean and does the job! I have had it for years now, it was my 1st and current enlarger!

[Chris A Fraser]

Well It looks like if you are looking you will find what you need. I am going out to look at a couple of enlargers that our local Museum is getting rid of.

1. Omega Prolab D6
2. Vivitar VI

Both should come with a variety of lenses and neg carriers. It was mentioned that the power supply for the Viitar is corroded, but I will see how bad it is.

Chris

[Dave Elden]

...But if I had to do it again, I'd probably go look at Besseler or Omega simply for the availability of parts...

Agreed, in NA these seem to be the best bet if you might need any parts or accessories.
If you run across a Devere 504 they seem to be kind of the Rolls Royce of enlargers, I like the baseboard level focus & head height wheels.  Built along the lines of a Bridgeport milling machine and would doubtless survive a boiler explosion as suffered by one of the other posters
The Saunders LPL also seem a good design, the darkroom I teach in has one that was used by Arnaud Maggs.  Doesn't seem as tank-like as the Devere so you want to check all is OK mechanically.
I seem to have used a bunch of different enlargers lately, last week finished teaching a course in a facility with 11 enlargers and only two the same...