Thinking of getting an enlarger? Dave gives us a tour of his collection, with a brief explanation of the differences and the pros and cons of each one.
Great overview! Trying to use a Durst M670 w/color enlarging assembly, your video has me 95% there, awaiting my replacement condenser lamp. Thanks for posting!
Wow... what a great video! My enlarger is on its way here. So your videos will be my right hand while getting started! Thank you for all the effort you have put into these videos! They are very helpful! )))
Many years ago I bought a Durst F60 (60x60) portable enlarger. It breaks down to fit in tote--head, column and baseboard. It came with condensers for 2 1/4" x2 1/4" and 35 mm. I think that the 35 mm carrier was an insert for the 2 1/4 carrier. Still have it with a Cibachrome filter kit and a 50mm and 75mm EL Nikkor enlarging lenses. Didn't and still don't have a darkroom but a dark bathroom worked. Getting harder to find materials for B&W photography and printing. Nothing like the variety of graded DW papers that used to be available.
Ilford have largely switched to variable contrast papers because Multigrade performance is at least as good as graded was. I wouldn't use graded papers again as you lose part of the creative process and it's more difficult to make a good print. The problem with graded papers is that your negatives have to match the contrast of the paper. This is tricky to do unless you have identical lighting and subject for every negative on a roll. With sheet film you can change the development process to match the paper contrast but not with roll film. With MG paper there's no such problem, just change the colour of the light with filters and it changes the contrast on the same sheet of paper. Much quicker and easier to make good prints with MG than graded.
Thank you for the advice. I just decided to get back into photography after a 10 year hiatus. Picked up some equipment off Craigslist for next to nothing, and among it was an Ilford 500 system. After some research, I am getting very excited to see what it's capabilities are. Could you please do an in depth review on the process and what your personal thoughts are on the Ilford head?
I still use my made in Wales 1950 Gnome rangefinder alpha 11 condenser enlarger with a 100mm 5.6 Schneider Componon S for 6x6 and 6x7 with 100mm condensers using a double glass negative carrier with sliding masks for cropping. I also have a glassless 35mm carrier to be used with my 50mm Schneider Componon S 2.8 lens which has the illuminated aperture window. I mostly use fb Foma paper and develop my negs to match normal paper Something I would like to add is that if you use Ilford multigrade paper without any filters it behaves as a normal grade of paper. I have no timers, I count seconds ac accurately. I also have a
Really informative Dave, thanks. I'm setting up my darkroom later this year and wish to print 35mm & 6x6 B&W. which is the better Durst 670 enlarger in terms of exposure control and quality prints (assuming the same lens), B&W or colour?
Both Durst 670's give good prints. Condenser head enlargers like the BW really need to be kept scrupulously clean to avoid a ton of dust, hairs and other debris showing on your prints, so the Color is better from this point of view. BW heads are slightly sharper than diffuser heads but I only ever use diffuser head enlargers. I doubt you will see the difference unless you are making big prints of 20 inches plus. Sharpness is also limited by the printing paper that you use.
Great video review of these enlargers! I really appreciate it and it is especially useful for folks like me trying to troubleshoot broken old enlargers and how they should work properly. Please note: there is a bit of a "hum" sound in the audio and would be great if you could find a way to remove that.
+bwvids thanks for your comments. I didn't notice the hum when I edited the video. Unfortunately, I'm a photographer with almost no video editing skills so the hum will have to stay. Sorry. Dave
Hello Dave, I am kind of wondering if you could help me with a problem. I would like to share an image for reference but I don't know where. I am no satisfied with my recent negative film developments. All in all the images don't look crisp and are lacking detail, also they look more grainy and information gets lost mostly in the highlights. I develop with Kodak D76 (normally with very satisfying results), the film I always use is Ilford HP5 shot at film speed. Whille developing I am sticking to the times of digitaltruth and I am rotating the tank cautiously every minute. My guess is that maybe the Developer (D76) wasn't as good or that the fixer (Kodak Rapid Fix) works too aggressive but I might be wrong. Film is always fresh and stored in a fridge. Appreciating your insights. Thanks you!
Yes, I had intended to do more of that but I'm usually in too much of a rush! I have a new lecture to print (Ilford kindly gave me the paper and chemicals) so I will try and video me making some of the prints. Dave
Hello Dave, Hope you are well. I just have one question, I would appreciate your reply. Do you know if there is any difference in performance as sharpness...etc. between the Schneider Kreuznach Componon and the Schneider Kreuznach Durst Componon lenses? Let's say the year of the construction, the focal length and the wider apperature are the same. (Actually the oly different is the Durst name added on the front on one of the lens.) Do I think well, the diferent shown up only on the thread diameter? Thank you: Tamas
I would like to ask you when you use Ilford multigrade head when you're focusing the light is white light or green light because my Milford head is green light when I focus? Is there any wrong?
The focus light is white (to my eyes!), the filter grade colours are various shades of yellow or pink. I don't think I've ever seen green light from an Ilford MG500 head. Check both lamps.
Hi Dave. Looking to purchase a 4X5 large format capable enlarger. Can you recommend one at the lower end of the budget that is readily available second hand and still has a good amount of spares/accessories available in the UK. Many thanks Julian
I think you are mainly looking at Durst and DeVere 4x5 enlargers in the UK. There's lots of DeVere spares around because the company is still trading as Odyssey Sales near Brighton. Try looking for a Durst 138 enlarger. They were a very popular pro enlarger and well made.
Hi Dave, not sure if you've done a video on this yet but can you do something on fixing distortion when printing such as converging lines? For example on my enlarger the head can tilt but I can also tilt the bellows
I want to invest in a good enlarger and the De Vere look like a sound make, what would you recommend? The 205 or 504? And what head? The Ilford head with the programmed timer looks a bit less time consuming, I have only found one with the Ilford head costing £1,300. I shoot 35mm and 6x7 120 film. Many thanks Dave.
DeVere are very good enlargers and the company is still going down in Brighton. The 203 and 504 will both do the job for you. The 203 goes up to 6 x 9cm negs, the 504 up to 5 x 4 inches. They both have very similar chassis, just a slight difference on the column. Both have table-top focussing. The Ilford MG500 head is the Rolls Royce of enlarger heads. If you can get either enlarger with one of those that's the easiest option to print with. DeVere also make a Multigrade head, called a Varicontrast head. Not quite as good as the Ilford one (no memories for split grade printing exposures and fewer bells and whistles) but still excellent. It has grades on a simple dial from 0 to 5 in 1/2 grade steps. I would expect the 203 to be quite a bit cheaper than the 504 and a Varicontrast head to be cheaper than an Ilford MG500. Hope that helps! Dave
This is the only one I can find Dave. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Used-De-Vere-504-Enlarger-With-Ilford-Multigrade-Head-and-Control-Unit-/253084773199?hash=item3aed072b4f:g:eQ0AAOSwk6pZiZFT
This is the only one I can find Dave. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Used-De-Vere-504-Enlarger-With-Ilford-Multigrade-Head-and-Control-Unit-/253084773199?hash=item3aed072b4f:g:eQ0AAOSwk6pZiZFT
+Alan Reid that looks in amazingly good condition. The CPM keypad is the best one, it has 9 memories. Really useful for split grade printing. It's all there, DeVere 504 enlarger chassis, MG500 head, CPM keypad, transformer. All you need extra to this is a lens. Shame you'll have to go without a holiday this year to pay for it! Dave
Sorry for delay in responding. Hope you're sorted. That's not a lot of information to go on. If you want a longer exposure time close the lens down to f16 or more. Make sure the white light lever is in position so that you can use the colour filters to set grade. Hope that helps. Dave
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I'm a bit behind making videos. It's always difficult finding time in the run up to Christmas with print orders, and January and February is playtime for skiing and climbing mountains. March I started printing a new lecture (82 FB prints), which I finished in July. Now I've started thinking about videos! I have a new microphone to try and get round the intermittent background noise problem on some existing videos. Watch this space!
Interesting subject totally ruined by the monotone narration. An injection of enthusiasm is urgently required - especially for the promotion of your courses.
No wonder I can't find a good enlarger. You have them all!
Great overview! Trying to use a Durst M670 w/color enlarging assembly, your video has me 95% there, awaiting my replacement condenser lamp. Thanks for posting!
Wow... what a great video! My enlarger is on its way here. So your videos will be my right hand while getting started! Thank you for all the effort you have put into these videos! They are very helpful! )))
Thanks for the video Dave. I found your series on developing and printing to be invaluable when I started out last year!
That’s great. I learnt a lot. Thanks, Dave!
Very useful video and I learned a lot. Thanks for posting this!
Great to see you in a new video Dave. Very interesting as usual.
Thanks Andrew.
Many years ago I bought a Durst F60 (60x60) portable enlarger. It breaks down to fit in tote--head, column and baseboard. It came with condensers for 2 1/4" x2 1/4" and 35 mm. I think that the 35 mm carrier was an insert for the 2 1/4 carrier. Still have it with a Cibachrome filter kit and a 50mm and 75mm EL Nikkor enlarging lenses. Didn't and still don't have a darkroom but a dark bathroom worked. Getting harder to find materials for B&W photography and printing. Nothing like the variety of graded DW papers that used to be available.
Ilford have largely switched to variable contrast papers because Multigrade performance is at least as good as graded was. I wouldn't use graded papers again as you lose part of the creative process and it's more difficult to make a good print. The problem with graded papers is that your negatives have to match the contrast of the paper. This is tricky to do unless you have identical lighting and subject for every negative on a roll. With sheet film you can change the development process to match the paper contrast but not with roll film. With MG paper there's no such problem, just change the colour of the light with filters and it changes the contrast on the same sheet of paper. Much quicker and easier to make good prints with MG than graded.
Hi dave! we are awiting for you! cheers from Italy!
I'm working on videos right now but need to sort out some tech stuff so that I can do them to the standard I want.
Thank you for the advice. I just decided to get back into photography after a 10 year hiatus. Picked up some equipment off Craigslist for next to nothing, and among it was an Ilford 500 system. After some research, I am getting very excited to see what it's capabilities are. Could you please do an in depth review on the process and what your personal thoughts are on the Ilford head?
Pleased to hear you're resuming working in the darkroom. Yes I really should do some new videos. I'll build up to it!
@@DarkroomDave Hi Dave, it's been two years now, how's the build up going. (Please)
I was waiting for a new video. Thanks!!!! Always very interesting
Very informative Dave,I'm setting up my darkroom this year,thanks great video.
Good luck with setting up the darkroom. If you need any help with your printing once that's done, I'm your man!
I still use my made in Wales 1950 Gnome rangefinder alpha 11 condenser enlarger with a 100mm 5.6 Schneider Componon S for 6x6 and 6x7 with 100mm condensers using a double glass negative carrier with sliding masks for cropping.
I also have a glassless 35mm carrier to be used with my 50mm Schneider Componon S 2.8 lens which has the illuminated aperture window.
I mostly use fb Foma paper and develop my negs to match normal paper
Something I would like to add is that if you use Ilford multigrade paper without any filters it behaves as a normal grade of paper.
I have no timers, I count seconds ac accurately.
I also have a
This was so informative
Thank you for your videos. How are you?
Thanks Dave!
Really informative Dave, thanks. I'm setting up my darkroom later this year and wish to print 35mm & 6x6 B&W. which is the better Durst 670 enlarger in terms of exposure control and quality prints (assuming the same lens), B&W or colour?
Both Durst 670's give good prints. Condenser head enlargers like the BW really need to be kept scrupulously clean to avoid a ton of dust, hairs and other debris showing on your prints, so the Color is better from this point of view. BW heads are slightly sharper than diffuser heads but I only ever use diffuser head enlargers. I doubt you will see the difference unless you are making big prints of 20 inches plus. Sharpness is also limited by the printing paper that you use.
Great video review of these enlargers! I really appreciate it and it is especially useful for folks like me trying to troubleshoot broken old enlargers and how they should work properly. Please note: there is a bit of a "hum" sound in the audio and would be great if you could find a way to remove that.
+bwvids thanks for your comments. I didn't notice the hum when I edited the video. Unfortunately, I'm a photographer with almost no video editing skills so the hum will have to stay. Sorry. Dave
Hello Dave, I am kind of wondering if you could help me with a problem. I would like to share an image for reference but I don't know where. I am no satisfied with my recent negative film developments. All in all the images don't look crisp and are lacking detail, also they look more grainy and information gets lost mostly in the highlights. I develop with Kodak D76 (normally with very satisfying results), the film I always use is Ilford HP5 shot at film speed. Whille developing I am sticking to the times of digitaltruth and I am rotating the tank cautiously every minute. My guess is that maybe the Developer (D76) wasn't as good or that the fixer (Kodak Rapid Fix) works too aggressive but I might be wrong. Film is always fresh and stored in a fridge. Appreciating your insights. Thanks you!
thanks for the tour, would love to see some more printing examples if you're up to it.
Yes, I had intended to do more of that but I'm usually in too much of a rush! I have a new lecture to print (Ilford kindly gave me the paper and chemicals) so I will try and video me making some of the prints. Dave
Hello Dave,
Hope you are well.
I just have one question, I would appreciate your reply.
Do you know if there is any difference in performance as sharpness...etc. between the Schneider Kreuznach Componon and the Schneider Kreuznach Durst Componon lenses? Let's say the year of the construction, the focal length and the wider apperature are the same. (Actually the oly different is the Durst name added on the front on one of the lens.)
Do I think well, the diferent shown up only on the thread diameter?
Thank you:
Tamas
Hi Tamas, sorry I have no idea. Dave
@@DarkroomDave Hi Dave, Thank you anyway!
Hi Dave great videos. Question; is the De Vere 504 with the ilford 500 multigrade head a condenser or diffuser enlarger?
+I Tols it's a diffuser head enlarger with 2 X 300W lamps, one filtered yellow and the other filtered magenta.
Darkroom Dave thank you
I would like to ask you when you use Ilford multigrade head when you're focusing the light is white light or green light because my Milford head is green light when I focus? Is there any wrong?
The focus light is white (to my eyes!), the filter grade colours are various shades of yellow or pink. I don't think I've ever seen green light from an Ilford MG500 head. Check both lamps.
Hi Dave. Looking to purchase a 4X5 large format capable enlarger. Can you recommend one at the lower end of the budget that is readily available second hand and still has a good amount of spares/accessories available in the UK. Many thanks Julian
I think you are mainly looking at Durst and DeVere 4x5 enlargers in the UK. There's lots of DeVere spares around because the company is still trading as Odyssey Sales near Brighton. Try looking for a Durst 138 enlarger. They were a very popular pro enlarger and well made.
Hi Dave, not sure if you've done a video on this yet but can you do something on fixing distortion when printing such as converging lines? For example on my enlarger the head can tilt but I can also tilt the bellows
I'll add it to the list!
... and you can also raise the paper easel on one side to tilt that too. With all those options you should be able to remove converging verticals.
I want to invest in a good enlarger and the De Vere look like a sound make, what would you recommend? The 205 or 504? And what head? The Ilford head with the programmed timer looks a bit less time consuming, I have only found one with the Ilford head costing £1,300.
I shoot 35mm and 6x7 120 film. Many thanks Dave.
DeVere are very good enlargers and the company is still going down in Brighton. The 203 and 504 will both do the job for you. The 203 goes up to 6 x 9cm negs, the 504 up to 5 x 4 inches. They both have very similar chassis, just a slight difference on the column. Both have table-top focussing. The Ilford MG500 head is the Rolls Royce of enlarger heads. If you can get either enlarger with one of those that's the easiest option to print with. DeVere also make a Multigrade head, called a Varicontrast head. Not quite as good as the Ilford one (no memories for split grade printing exposures and fewer bells and whistles) but still excellent. It has grades on a simple dial from 0 to 5 in 1/2 grade steps. I would expect the 203 to be quite a bit cheaper than the 504 and a Varicontrast head to be cheaper than an Ilford MG500. Hope that helps! Dave
Many thanks Dave, that answered all my questions. All you videos are clear, straight to the point and a pleasure to watch.
This is the only one I can find Dave. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Used-De-Vere-504-Enlarger-With-Ilford-Multigrade-Head-and-Control-Unit-/253084773199?hash=item3aed072b4f:g:eQ0AAOSwk6pZiZFT
This is the only one I can find Dave. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Used-De-Vere-504-Enlarger-With-Ilford-Multigrade-Head-and-Control-Unit-/253084773199?hash=item3aed072b4f:g:eQ0AAOSwk6pZiZFT
+Alan Reid that looks in amazingly good condition. The CPM keypad is the best one, it has 9 memories. Really useful for split grade printing. It's all there, DeVere 504 enlarger chassis, MG500 head, CPM keypad, transformer. All you need extra to this is a lens. Shame you'll have to go without a holiday this year to pay for it! Dave
Just got a durst m370 colour and any exposure time over 3 seconds send the paper totally black
Sorry for delay in responding. Hope you're sorted. That's not a lot of information to go on. If you want a longer exposure time close the lens down to f16 or more. Make sure the white light lever is in position so that you can use the colour filters to set grade. Hope that helps. Dave
Isn't that last enlarger, the 138, a 13x18cm (5x7)? The name suggests it, and it's bigger than the 'other' 5x4.
Probably with the original head it is. However, I have an Ilford MG500 head on it which limits it to 5x4 inches.
How can i buy one
eBay or second hand darkroom in UK. DeVere trade in UK as Odyssey Sales based in Brighton
No darkroom but a showroom !
no more upload videos? whay happen? great channel you have here!°!
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I'm a bit behind making videos. It's always difficult finding time in the run up to Christmas with print orders, and January and February is playtime for skiing and climbing mountains. March I started printing a new lecture (82 FB prints), which I finished in July. Now I've started thinking about videos! I have a new microphone to try and get round the intermittent background noise problem on some existing videos. Watch this space!
Interesting subject totally ruined by the monotone narration. An injection of enthusiasm is urgently required - especially for the promotion of your courses.
what an unpleasant drab monotonous voice you have....
Then don't listen to me, it's the only voice I have!