Rescuing Your First Enlarger → Setting Up Your Darkroom

[@jamespadgett5761]

When I was in High School we had that model but the one we had was motor control up/down. That was in 1971 when i was a sophomore.

[@GavinLyonsCreates]

Beseler aren't so common in Europe to find. We have more Dursts and Kaiser than anything else. I have a Meopta Magnifax 4 - solid and just works feeling to it. Used by many professionals in the day - Barry Thornton, Roger Hicks & Frances Schultz

[@Distphoto]

I was wondering if there was an equivalent make/model in Europe (and other countries) that were used in schools, etc... Thanks Gavin!

[@GavinLyonsCreates]

Maybe the closest equivalent might be one of the smaller DeVere's from the UK or the larger Dursts. In Italy and Germany most schools would had something like Durst M670 / M805. While the Kaiser V-System or Leitz enlargers would definitely be found too. The Meopta were mostly popular in Eastern Europe but were respected in the west too. Durst were made in South Tirol which was once part of Austria before WWI and then became part of Italy. So it's normal that folks from there speak both languages and would be comfort in both Germany and Italy. @@Distphoto

[@russjump6194]

I always enjoy watching your videos I always pick up a Shortcut from you. I was given a Besler 23 C II that somebody had stored outside for 10 years, I had to glue the Bellows back together they turned out good with no light leaks and they look good, had to use Evaporust on many of the parts. the really positive thing is the condensers are in super good shape. I had to make a new base board for it I used 1 1/8 flooring plywood. it took quite a bit of work to get it realigned I have not made any prints with it yet :)

[@Distphoto]

Thanks for sharing… many of these have been used and abused, but are usually still up to the task!

[@Lebenspiel]

If you're really on budget, try these old Czechoslovakian Meopta enlargers. They have pretty simple construction, so you learn how to use them even without manual, and they're cheap. The Meopta enlarging lenses are not so good, so I recommend to look after some used Rodenstocks, etc. They use the same screw-thread, so switch them won't be a problem.

[@Distphoto]

Have never used them as they are less common in the states but great to know! agree that the lens should be more of an investment and will probably have a more direct result on how your prints look! Thanks!

[@MolliGelf]

The Meoptas seem to have been more readily available in Australia as well, strangely enough. My first enlarger was the Meopta 1a, 35mm only, from the early 50s, and it is sitting in my darkroom used just the other night, to make contact proof prints. It would take all of ten minutes to work out the necessary parameters for proper proofing using my LPL or Omega 4x5 Enlarger, but I still use the Meopta for all of my contact printing because I KNOW it and what my contact sheets 'mean' at f8 18sec. with a grade 2 filter. Unfortunately, the lens is a quirky 23.5mm or something, so upgrading happened rather quickly for enlarging and, of course, the new requirements when I moved up in format. That being said, I was happy merely contact printing my 4x5 negatives for quite some time before acquiring the Omega, and could manage with a bare light bulb if need be. Where there's a will, there's a way! 😊

[@CD-kc5op]

You convinced me and I found a Beseler 23c II on craigslist! Used your video to help get it all cleaned up and aligned! Setting up the darkroom now! Thanks, super helpful video.

[@Distphoto]

Nice work! Have fun in the dark!

[@sbills]

Awesome video especially the part about aligning the 23CII. I bought a Beseler 23CII back in 2020 and it came with a filter holder attached below the lens so I can use smaller Ilford filters in that. I then decided I wanted to print 4x5 and bought an Besler 45MXT. My MXT came with a cold light which is nice but I would love to find a VC head for it without having to mortgage my soul 🤣

[@Distphoto]

Thanks Steve! I always wanted a cold light but never have…. I do have a filter holder for under the lens… have to put it back on 🤔

[@MikeyMopar]

@@Distphoto I also picked up a mint 45MXT including everything needed to have a completely functioning darkroom from the get go. The filter set that came with it was like @sbills mentioned and not the above bellows style. Is there any big benefit to one over the other? I've read mixed theories.

[@Distphoto]

@@MikeyMopar If I had the choice I would always use filters above the condensers / light path. You do not want filters sandwiched with the negative. But far above it. This way the light is altered but the image quality is not affected at all. Below the lens you are introducing something in the optical path of the focused image. This can potentially degrade the image. I do use ND filters under my lens on my other enlarger all the time and just take care that they are clean and good quality. I have never noticed any degradation. So below the lens filters are fine just take care that they are in good shape and clean. I have used these and never had a problem. They can also be very convenient. I would however still prefer a setup like filter drawer above the condensers. I am confident great prints have been made both ways! It can be most problematic at the negative stage (say a filter stuck on top of the negative) where any defects in the filter would get focused as well. Hope that makes sense.

[@sbills]

Thanks!

[@Distphoto]

Thanks Steve!

[@InFromTheLight]

You can remove the screws for cleaning as you show around 6 min but you don’t need to in daily use. The ring at top of bellows is designed to slip off. Allows easy swap of head to convert between diffusion and condenser types.

[@Distphoto]

Yes, only for cleaning would you need to unscrew the negative stage as I did.

[@InFromTheLight]

Btw. Thanks for the post. Very informative. Good luck fighting off the dust.

[@tonyhirst3628]

One of the best accessories to have when you own a condenser enlarger is a box of 'tack' cloths, great for dust.

[@Distphoto]

Great tip, thanks!

[@andyvan5692]

love the shirt, me too, Hasselblad V all the way.

[@Distphoto]

@@andyvan5692 👍👍👍

[@guillermoperezsantos]

Condenser enlargers makes AWESOME prints.

[@Distphoto]

It had been awhile since I printed with one but after just one print have to say I love it already!

[@MolliGelf]

I have the same Gralab 450 timer - the FIRST thing I do when I'm setting up is to turn off the beeping. Even before I got a permanent, continuous case of tinnitus, that beep ranked right up there as one of the world's most annoying noises! I wouldn't be without that foot switch, though. 😊

[@Distphoto]

The beep has never annoyed me but find it invaluable when printing… Sorry to hear about the tinnitus, that sucks… The foot switch is a pleasure to work with!!!

[@brianschwellinger7851]

Great video, wish I would have seen it before learning this by the long path…. I did purchase a laser and it was easy to use and saved hours that I used taking photos and developing film instead of trying to find the tools to make one. Using the laser I discovered that things fell out of alignment when adjusting the height of the head on my larger. It made a big difference on focusing evenly as the prints became larger. The laser allowed me to quickly check after getting things set up, adjust the easel, and print better images. I picked up a better quality enlarger and made sure it kept alignment at all heights but still check it from time to time. Great videos and wonderful images, thanks!

[@Distphoto]

They are really convienient. started using them for my Scanning (mirrorless Camera ) set up as well 👍🏻. I have more confidence in the red dot than the bubble...

[@philipdahl9001]

I have a laser that I use for aligning newtonion telescopes and it works perfectly for aligning enlarger. I was given an Omega D-2 that seemed almost impossible to line up properly until I saw how to use a laser.

[@Distphoto]

Nice! I had a D2 and loved it but aligning it was a pain. Other than that it is another great option!

[@ironmonkey1512]

you can use laser bore sight for gun they are really cheap

[@technodruid]

I've never had issues finding parts for my LPL 6600

[@Distphoto]

Good to know! My LPL has never been a huge issue but still trying to find a native 6x9 neg carrier... A bit rare I suppose.

[@technodruid]

@@Distphoto do they even make an enlarger big enough? I know there's one or two that can do 6x7.

[@robertkerner4833]

Thank you for this. Super timely as I'm starting to look for an enlarger. Some of the stuff on CL an EB looks super-janky, with dried out, cracked bellows etc. like you said they look like they've been in someone's shed for decades. I suppose it's waiting game to find one in good shape. Your video will be very helpful once I find one. And thank you for emphasizing importance of level/square. A lot of people don't mention this, they say "just balance it on top of your toilet!". I won't have a dedicated space, so I really have to think thru how to make sure it's reproducibly level each time I set up.

[@Distphoto]

@ironmonkey1512 Posted that he has his enlarger on a cart. I think this would be a great solution. Just have a way to lock the cart in place (cambered wheels, strap?) The enlarger will stay in allignment reasonably long so just be carefull in transport. In this case I do like the laser option for leveling as it does not require leveling the base board and would be much quicker. Though still not fully necessary.

[@b6983832]

What matters, is the lens. For the enlarger, it depends on where you are living. Beselers are popular in the US, but they are all for US voltage only. In Europe, there are lots of Durst enlargers around, and many of the Meoptas are also good. Just change the lens if it is not good enough for your needs. Second-hand Schneider, El-Nikkor or Rodenstock, especially 50 mm focal lenght (most common with 35 mm film) won´t cos a zillion, but improve the image quality greatly, if compared with the cheap lenses many enlargerrs meant for hobbyists came often with. Consider buying one witth a color head. You can use color head instead of grade filters, and lets you also print color, should you be interested in it some day.

[@Distphoto]

@@b6983832 great advice, thanks!

[@petercorbett-f5g]

I recently got back into B&W darkroom printing after 35 years. Ive been watching your videos and much appreciate your skills and darkroom technique's which have helped me. I notice looking at the various videos there is a f-stop enlarger timer device by RH Designs lurking in the shadows. You never seem to use this device in your videos: do you use it, do you use the f stop timing system? I havent seen any videos. ?

[@Distphoto]

I do still have it however do not really use it. I mess with it from time to time but find I am more efficient not using it overall. Main reason being it does not work well with the variable contrast constant exposure head on my Saunders. I think in stops when printing but do not use a strict f stop timer or formula

[@lillianvalentine1975]

Wait, do you have a CCAD/Columbus college of Art and Design easel? I have a negative carrier from CCAD I bought years ago at Columbus Camera Group. CCAD must have sold off quite a bit of darkroom items over the years.

[@Distphoto]

I believe so, got it on Ebay quite a few years ago!!!

[@VincentAgazzi-Morrone-e5z]

Hi. Thank you so much for all the amazing content. I have a question about darkroom printing that maybe you've covered, but I'm not sure. I'm new to the darkroom, and I saw your video on D76 for film developing, but could you go over, or recommend a print developer, stop bath, and fixer? There's so many different kinds. Thanks.

[@Distphoto]

Yeah for sure… I am going to do some videos in the future covering this more too. So Kodak Dektol (D-72) is a bit of a standard as far as print developers go ( I think of it as the D-76 of print developers - One that all others are sort of measured) The downside is it is a powder you have to mix and not as convenient. I personally buy bulk chemicals and mix 5 liters at a time and it is very economical. (You can mix 1 liter at a time as well. For more convenience Ilford MG Developer is great as well. It is a liquid concentrate and very convenient. I have used that a lot in the past as well. I would recommend one of those to start with. Try to keep your time and temp consistent and adjust contrast with variable contrast filters. For stop bath you can also mix your own very cheaply. I typically use Ilford Indicator Stop Bath for convenience. I also use Ilford Rapid Fixer most of the time for paper. I mix it film strength and keep the times 1 min each for 2 bath fixing. I monitor the silver levels of the first bath. The less time in the fix the easier it is to wash out. (Resin coated paper is less of an issue) Those would be my first recommendations for dev - stop - fix for paper.

[@carlofernandez9506]

How is this beseler compared to the Beseler 67XLD

[@Distphoto]

Seem to be similar. The 23c can handle a little bigger neg and has an adjustable height condenser to accommodate and even out the illumination. both are great enlargers.

[@guillermoperezsantos]

That Beseler is like the Ford model T of the enlargers

[@Distphoto]

Indeed. It is built well!

[@randallhoch6695]

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