I am looking for users views on the Lpl 4X5 enlarger. It seems like a very sturdy well built enlarger but without using one it is hard to say just how good or functional it is. I have the opportunity to purchase a good used one to replace my 4X5 Beseler with which I have never been entirely happy.

-- Melvin Bramley (bramley@nanaimo.ark.com), July 10, 2001

Answers

I have the 4550XLG, with the VCCE light source, and am quite satisfied with it. My complaints with the LPL are:

VCCE isn't "CE" beyond grade 3.5.

Fan adds to the darkroom noise.

Alignment requires shims.

The masking attachment leaks a lot of light.

What are your complaints with the Beseler?

-- Chris Ellinger (chris@ellingerphoto.com), July 11, 2001.

The Beseler leaks light from the negative stage,it loses alignment all to often & if you think your LPL has a noisy fan the beseler blower sounds like a vacuum cleaner.I think that a negative stage/lens stage upgrade is available but I am not sure if it will cure all my problems. As I said in my email maybe using a negatrans will help as I would not have to open & close the negative stage so often. Maybe some one else has answers?? or should I purchase a Durst for 35mm & 6X6??

-- Melvin Bramley (bramley@nanaimo.ark.com), July 11, 2001.

I've got a Beseler 45 MX and have worked on an LPL (colorhead) in the past. My humble opinion is that, compared to the Beseler, the LPL just stinks. The fan was mounted on the enlarger head, what means that the vibrations will not allow you to do a sharp large print and the ergonomica didn't please me at all. I've got problems with my Beseler too, (light leakage) but they are easy to fix... In your place I would stick to my enlarger and find a better way to spend my money.

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), July 12, 2001.

I've owned Beseler, Zone VI, and finally Saunders/LPL.

1. I bought the Beseler used, and it always tripped my ground-fault interrupter, so I sold it, and never really used it. I won't have any darkroom equipment that isn't on a GFI circuit.

2. The Zone VI wasn't friendly to smaller formats, (5x7 worth of light on a 35mm frame is using only 4% of the available light) and I couldn't focus & compose with it. Blue & green are fine for paper, but hard for my eyes to see. I sold it. I would only consider one again if I were only going to do 4x5 & larger.

3. I finally got an LPL 4500-II and am extremely satisified with it. I'm only sorry I didn't start there.

No problems with sharpness. Bruce Barnbuam & John Sexton use them and I think they know what a good print is. They wouldn't use them if they didn't work well for them.

I like the ergonomics, but that's totally a personal matter.

-- Charlie Strack (charlie_strack@sti.com), July 12, 2001.

I am strictly an advanced amateur. All of my previous experience was with the Beseler 67 and 23. Take my comments accordingly . . .

The Saunders/LPL Super Dichroic 4500 II is as close to a perfect piece of equipment as I can imagine. Whatever limitations are in my photography (35mm, 6x7, and recently 4x5, both color and b&w), none of them come from this enlarger. My only concern before purchasing it a couple of years ago was the possibility of vibration from the fan, but this has turned out to be not a problem at all. My minor quibble is the relatively long exposure times - generally around a minute for most of my negatives.

-- Tom Raymondson (rayson@pacific.net), July 16, 2001.

It's smooth and silky. The fan is really not bad. Forget about vibration fron the fan ,this machine is rock solid. It does leak light, but that hasn't caused me any problems. You can make a baffle to block the light leaks. You'll love the 4500.

-- Wil Hinds (ytb@aol.com), July 17, 2001.

I can second all the discussion on the 4500-II. I picked a used one up a few weeks ago for a steal on eBay (with color analyzer, three lenses, and an easel), and I've ben *very* happy with it. Fan is a bit loud, but you get used to it after a while.

My one nit is that when trying to focus enlargements, I have a hard time stretching up to reach the fine-focus knob. The fellow I purchased it from had attached a long stick to the knob so he could reach it...

I'm sure this is a problem on most enlargers however....

-- Ken Miller (andawyr@my-deja.com), July 30, 2001.