Fotofifi
Hello everyone,
I’d like to buy a second-hand enlarger or, ideally, a small, fully equipped darkroom.
Preferably for black-and-white and colour.
Mainly 35mm, but perhaps medium format as well.
With a full set of accessories.
As cheap as possible, up to around €250
I’ve spent several weeks trying to research what would suit me, but prices in this segment range from €35 to €350
These are on my shortlist:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/kaiser-vergroesserer-vp6000-fuer-sw-und-vcp-3505-professional-color/1086713786-245-1111
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/komplette-dunkelkammer-fotolabor-sw/1075162081-245-1151
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/sw-vergroesserer-dunkelkammereinrichtung/1092500307-245-2159
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/kleines-fotolabor-fuer-schwarz-weiss-development-abzugeben/1089835403-245-1091
Perhaps you have any other ideas or suggestions
Many thanks
wosis123
I work with a Kaiser VCP 7000 series enlarger fitted with a colour head for black-and-white gradation filtering for 35mm and 6x6.
When it comes to enlargers, you need to check whether they can handle 35mm and medium format at all, how to switch between them, and whether lenses for 35mm (a 50mm) and medium format (an 80mm) are included. As you also want to work in colour, you absolutely must have a colour mixing head (the one with three adjustment wheels for yellow, magenta and cyan), otherwise it won’t work.
[hr]
Where do you live, actually? If you’re in the Rhine-Neckar area, I could invite you to pop round to our photography club/darkroom.
Fotofifi
wosis123 wrote
: I work with a Kaiser VCP 7000 series enlarger with a colour head for black-and-white gradation filtering for 35mm and 6x6.
With enlargers, you need to check whether they can handle 35mm and medium format at all, how to switch between them, and whether lenses for 35mm (a 50mm) and medium format (an 80mm) are included. As you also want to do colour work, you absolutely must have a colour mixing head (the one with three adjustment wheels for yellow, magenta and cyan), otherwise it won’t work.
[hr]
Where do you live, actually? If you’re in the Rhine-Neckar area, I could invite you to pop round to our photography club/darkroom.
Thank you very much for your reply. Unfortunately, I’m from Dortmund, which is a bit far. What do you think of the ads?
Wolf_XL
... I have a Dunco 66-C – the version with a colour mixing head, so it’s suitable for colour and VC papers – to sell... It covers formats from pocket to 35mm up to 6x6. With an enlarger lens for 35mm and a 6x6 glass-covered stage, as well as a 35mm stage without glass, it’s available for €150. I also have other accessories such as an enlarger frame, light meter and the like – PM me if you’re interested. I’ve been the first owner of this unit since the mid-1980s – I’m only selling it because I was given the same model, almost brand new, as a gift two years ago...
Summilux
Hello, first of all, congratulations on your decision to set up your own darkroom.
I’ve been doing this for over thirty years, so I might be able to give you a few tips. First of all, you should think about what you want to do with the darkroom. I wouldn’t get bogged down at the start, so I’d recommend familiarising yourself with black-and-white techniques first. As you might want to expand into colour later on, you should choose an enlarger that allows for upgrading. I’ve had very good experiences with KAISER enlargers. On the one hand, the company is still in business and the supply of spare parts and accessories is guaranteed; on the other hand, you can upgrade from 35mm to medium format (up to a maximum of 6x9 with the appropriate condenser) or from black and white to colour, depending on your needs. Unfortunately, the Vario-contrast head (Multigrade) is no longer in production. If you’re interested in one, you’ll have to look on the second-hand market, but that won’t be easy. The units ending in 05 are recommended: 3505 (for 35mm format), 6005 (up to 6x6), 7005 (up to 6x7) or 9005 (up to 6x9). VP is designed for black and white and has a head with a 75-watt opal lamp. This is perfectly adequate for black and white and isn’t too expensive either. VCP means it is designed for colour and has a colour-mixing head. It is illuminated by a 100-watt halogen lamp, which requires a separate Kaiser power supply unit to operate. If this isn’t included in the offer, it can be a hassle to get hold of a single power supply unit, so you might have to look for a second-hand one. A VCP can also be used for exposure of multigrade paper.
The enlarger lens plays a crucial role in producing good handmade prints. You shouldn’t skimp on this either. Complete sets often include simple three-element lenses. I’d steer clear of those. Good, affordable lenses are available second-hand from Schneider-Kreuznach’s ‘Componon-S’ series or from Rodenstock’s ‘Rodagon’ series. These are all well-corrected six-element lenses with which you can produce large enlargements up to at least 40x50 cm. For 35mm film, use a 50mm lens and for 6x6 a 80mm lens. The larger the prints become, the more important the aperture of the enlarger lens becomes: The larger the aperture (e.g. f/2.8), the easier it is to focus. My recommendation for beginners, therefore, is the Schneider Componon-S f/2.8/50mm for 35mm film. If you also intend to enlarge medium-format negatives, then (in addition) the Schneider Componon-S f/4/80mm. A 50mm lens cannot be used to enlarge full-frame 6x6 negatives; conversely, an 80mm lens can also be used to enlarge 35mm negatives, but this significantly increases the distance from the head to the base board and means not all paper sizes can be accommodated.
As for the other accessories for the darkroom, you’ll need to consider what you want to do and which accessories are essential for that. Obviously, you’ll need (at the very least) a darkroom lamp, developing trays in various sizes, stainless steel paper nippers, large bottles for the chemicals – as the trays can hold quite a lot – and so on.
Well, I hope I’ve been able to give you a few useful tips.
I wish you every success in setting up your lab and the patience required to pursue this wonderful hobby.
Wolf_XL
… well, Dunco is still around, of course – I ordered a fine-adjustment knob for my Dunco from them last year, for example – and as a close-up lens, I’d go for a 50mm Rodagon…
