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enlarger question
Gunnar
Depending on the size of the enlarger but contact classis-enlargers.com .. He sells rebuilt Omega D2s. Rebuilt to better than Omega ever built them. They will last forever. Lenses are biggies. Bob AZ |
#2
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enlarger question
Gunnar Mallon spake thus:
Hi all, we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens? I'll take a crack at this and say the lens is most important. As you suspect, the enlarger is basically just several hunks o'metal that support the lens, negative, lamp, condenser, etc., and hold them in alignment. Nothing rocket-science about it: basically, the elements in the optical path (light, condenser, film and lens) need to be in a straight line with the components aligned perpendicularly to the light path. So what a guy would want is a solidly-constructed unit which can be accurately aligned. Most enlargers that are above the El Cheapo class fulfill these basic requirements. And of course, with the Great Takeover of Digital Photography, enlargers are much cheaper and easier to acquire. -- The only reason corrupt Republicans rule the roost in Washington is because the corrupt Democrats can't muster any viable opposition. |
#3
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enlarger question
I would say both are equally important up to a point. You need a good
strong enlarger with a sturdy base that is light tight especially if you are having alot of different people using and abusing them. An enlarger that shakes will negate the best enlarging lens. Start with this type of enlarger and the best lens you can buy and then focus on what exactly you will be using them for and look for the extras that will help you. Been away from the darkroom for ten years and that felt great. I miss it "Gunnar Mallon" wrote in message ... Hi all, we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens? Many thanks, Gunnar |
#4
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enlarger question
Only thing I would disagree with is a Democracy gets corrupt when the peopel
get lazy and selfish. "David Nebenzahl" wrote in message .com... Gunnar Mallon spake thus: Hi all, we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens? I'll take a crack at this and say the lens is most important. As you suspect, the enlarger is basically just several hunks o'metal that support the lens, negative, lamp, condenser, etc., and hold them in alignment. Nothing rocket-science about it: basically, the elements in the optical path (light, condenser, film and lens) need to be in a straight line with the components aligned perpendicularly to the light path. So what a guy would want is a solidly-constructed unit which can be accurately aligned. Most enlargers that are above the El Cheapo class fulfill these basic requirements. And of course, with the Great Takeover of Digital Photography, enlargers are much cheaper and easier to acquire. -- The only reason corrupt Republicans rule the roost in Washington is because the corrupt Democrats can't muster any viable opposition. |
#5
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enlarger question
In article ,
Gunnar Mallon writes: we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens? I agree with others that, above a certain level of quality, the lens is more important than the rest of the enlarger in terms of producing a quality image. I would, though, like to point out some of the areas where the quality or features of an enlarger are very important: - The enlarger design determines what negative formats you can manage (sub-miniature, 35mm, 6x6, 6x7, etc.). Many enlargers can handle multiple formats, but you may need different negative carriers, condensers, mixing boxes, or other accessories. - Enlarger heads vary in design, and this can affect the images you get. Condenser vs. diffusion, the presence or absence of built-in filters for color or B&W variable contrast papers, etc., can be important considerations. - Most enlargers accept lenses with 39mm threads. A few require other types of lens mounts. Many use "lens boards" for mounting the lens, with multiple lens boards available for different lens types. - The column height determines the maximum size image you can create, given a particular film size and lens. - In part as a consequence of column height and supported negative formats, enlargers vary in size and weight. Measure your available space and check on load limits in your darkroom, particularly if you're tempted by any really large enlargers. - Some enlargers -- particularly high-end models -- have extra features such as heads that can tilt for wall projection and/or Scheimpflug effects, autofocus, coarse and fine focus controls, built-in timers (vs. separate timers), etc. - Popular models from major manufacturers are likely to have parts available for years to come. It may be hard to find parts for obscure models in the not-too-distant future (or already for used enlargers). Pay particular attention to bulbs; some models (especially for used equipment) require bulbs that are no longer available or that are very expensive. - The minimum level of quality is important. An enlarger can be out of alignment, difficult to focus accurately, etc. Even if it works OK today, a poorly built enlarger may suffer more as entropy takes its toll than a better built machine would. This is likely to be particularly important for a communal darkroom such as the one for which you're buying. - The preceding point goes double (or more) for used gear. Used equipment could be banged up, missing parts, badly misaligned, etc. Even if it was the best enlarger available when it was new, it could be junk today -- or it could still be in like-new condition. Overall, I wouldn't recommend buying a cheap enlarger (in the pejorative sense; an inexpensive enlarger could be a great bargain) for a communal darkroom, mainly because it's likely to suffer more from heavy use or abuse than would a better built enlarger. One other point: A well-built enlarger is pretty tough and should be able to handle communal work pretty well. An excellent lens, OTOH, is just as delicate as a poor one. You might consider buying as good an enlarger as you can afford and two or three used lenses (even if you buy a new enlarger). Even excellent used lenses are pretty cheap ($50 or less for most). You can use the best of the lot as the primary lens and relegate the worst to backup duty. You haven't said what your price range is or what sorts of requirements you have for features (supported formats, color or B&W, etc.). Given some of that information, the people here might be able to offer more specific advice, including how much of your budget to devote to the enlarger vs. the lens. -- Rod Smith, http://www.rodsbooks.com Author of books on Linux, FreeBSD, and networking |
#6
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enlarger question
Creeker spake thus [regarding sig]:
Only thing I would disagree with is a Democracy gets corrupt when the peopel get lazy and selfish. No disagreement from this quarter. -- The only reason corrupt Republicans rule the roost in Washington is because the corrupt Democrats can't muster any viable opposition. |
#7
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enlarger question
Gunnar Mallon wrote:
Hi all, we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens? Many thanks, Gunnar I am agreed with the folks that say a minimum of both is required. I think in your environment the wear resistance and design that the many users cannot screw up during use is more important than having the best lens. For most users a 4 element tessar design lens is quite adequate. If you are doing huge enlargements a fancier lens would yield visible differences. gr |
#8
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enlarger question
Hi all,
we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens? Many thanks, Gunnar |
#9
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enlarger question
Creeker wrote:
Only thing I would disagree with is a Democracy gets corrupt when the peopel get lazy and selfish. Could someone point me to a Democratic government ? I don't remember ever seeing one. JD |
#10
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enlarger question
Gunnar Mallon wrote:
Hi all, we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens? The best lens ever made can't make an out-of-focus image sharp. A good chassis with good alignment should be the basis for any enlarging. I'll take a well-aligned Durst with a triplet over a poorly aligned Beseler with an APO lens every day of the week. JD |
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