An unwanted enlarger

[Ian Watson]

The time has come to clear some space in my garage. Most of my old darkroom gear can go. However, I feel a pang of regret at the thought of disposing of my enlarger. It is a Leitz Focomat Ic. It seems a shame to dispose of such a lovely example of mechanical engineering. Yet what else can I do with it? Who would both want it and be willing to arrange to obtain it? I will keep the lens, of course.

Suggestions or moral support would both be welcome.

[Erik Lund]

Keep the lens and let go - Without the lens it's more or less useless anyway,,,

[Bent Hjarbo]

At least in Denmark it is possible to sell such this even at a reasonable price.
I have sold 2 Durst enlargers recently, off course with an enlarger lens (Rodenstock)

[Lars Hansen]

Could it be adapted to become a copy/repro stand - I guess you have considered that if you need one  

[Dogman]

My attic contains an Omega, a Fujimoto and a Leitz Valoy right now.  I finally found someone a couple of years ago who would take the LPL, Schneider and Rodenstock lenses and the other darkroom gear.  For free, of course.

It's hard to part with the Valoy.  I bought it at a garage sale in pieces--lens, negative carrier, enlarger, copy arm, base...all scattered around the room.  In total, I think I spent $7.50 for all the parts.  Went right home, plugged it in and sparks flew as breakers were thrown in the house.  I had to rewire it, not a hard job.  Bought a piece of anti-Newton ring glass and rigged it up in the negative carrier.  A simple piece of gear but totally reliable and perfect for 35mm negatives.  Got many years service out of it. 

Ain't it a bitch when you finally manage to accrue the material and gear to put together a really nice darkroom and the whole thing becomes useless.  I barely had time to get the LPL (my newest enlarger) aligned perfectly before I went to digital. 

 

[Ian Watson]

Thank you all for the thoughts.

Bent, there is not much of a market here. You did trigger the memory of a place in Toronto that keeps film supplies and has quite the assortment of odds-and-ends. I will call them when they open and see if they will give the enlarger a home.

Otherwise I will bite the bullet, take the lens and dispose of the rest.

Dogman, I quite agree! Now we spend our money on computers and printers instead

[ColinM]

Back in the 80s I'd have bitten your arm off for this Ian.

I did all my best printing with an old condenser enlarger.
When I briefly flirted with 6x7 & colour, I sold this and got a diffuser design.

It took me a while to work out why I couldn't achieve the same bite & contrast as before

Mind you, if your Letiz is diffuser, maybe it wouldn't have helped....

[Ian Watson]

Happy news! Downtown Camera in Toronto will take it off my hands. They have a few enlargers that are not selling but they will take a Leitz.

Colin, the Leitz Focomat is a condenser. Mine cost me $50 fifteen years ago.

[ColinM]

Sounds like an ideal result Ian.

Ironically it seems to often be people in their 20s using film & doing their own printing now.
I guess for some of us who've done it once before the novelty has gone.
I do miss what Selenium toner used to be able to do & the slight peril of using it in a spare bedroom/darkroom!

[Matthew Currie]

I had a big old Omega enlarger, gotten from some junk pile, with only half its condensers, and for a lark I took the top off, and left the one condenser lens in place, and fitted the lens board with a Nikon mount made from an old T adapter.  The result was a surprisingly amusing monster lens.  A rough estimate was that it was about a 200 mm F 2+ singlet capable of macro focusing.  The chromatic aberration was surreal, but it actually became tolerably sharp when stopped down (with construction paper waterhouse stops).  I gave it to one of my kids to mess with, and haven't used it since I started doing digital photos, so I haven't got much to show, but if you are stuck with an old condenser enlarger, and can't get rid of it, there are ways to have some fun anyway.