I am in Shanghai, China. I am a new guy in B&W. I want to buy a enlarger which costs less than $1,200.

1> In China, there are only 3 choices for imported englarger --- LPL, Fujitomo, and Drust. Drust is very expensive. The LPLC7700 (Dichronic) and Fujitomo V70 all cost about $1000 (including exposure measurement. Between these two (LPL and Fujimoto), which one is better ?

2> Since I will focus on B&W. I don't know whether I can choose LPLC6600 (Double Condenser), which cost about $500 only. I heard that for B&W the Condenser is better than Dichroic. Is it true?

3> I asked LPL sales guy in China whether LPL6600 can gurrantee the quality of B&W picture. He told me, if I was very critical on the quality of B&W, he recommend LPL 690 (Triple Condenser). Is triple condenser so important ?

4> I want high quality but low price. I found it is very difficult to resolve. Than I have been pushed to look around the 2nd-handed-equipment market. One guy in Shanghai offered me about 8 years old Omega Enlarger(It is Dichroic) ,which originally costed about $5000. Now he can sell it to me at $500. Is it good deal?

5> I have a very good enlarger lens which is made in Germany, but it costed $400 only. I heard that atually beteen the lens and the enlarger, lens is more important. So, I question myself, is it worth to spend so much on the enlarger? It came to a very basic quention --- if I will foucs on B&W, normally 12 inch print and 135 film, between a $500 enlarger and $5,000 englarger, what's the difference on quality? Somebody told me, that $4,500 is reserved for 20 inch print and 120 film. Is it correct?

-- G.Shi (gshi@citiz.net), May 24, 2002

Answers

Ni How

If you are using only 35mm film, you can use a condenser enlarger or diffusion with little difference most of the time. A condener enlarger will give slightly sharper results but will show dust and scratches more. Dichroic is OK and is good for multigrade paper.

I will be in Shanghai on May 30th for a few weeks. I have a Durst dichroic 35mm enlarger that I do not use much and would sell for about 200 US, without lens. It is very small and can be packed in a medium sized carry-on case. You can make 11 x 14 in prints with it.

The cost of the enlarger does not determine the size print you can make, as most can be turned sideways to project on the wall for bigger prints, or turned 180 degrees and projected off the edge of a table onto the floor. The cost determines the stability of the unit, the variety of negative sizes you can use, as well as the quality of the machining and light enclosure. I have seen enlargers at Long Guan Photo on Nanjing Dong Lu and they are very expensive. The Seagull enlargers look OK. Let me know if you want me to get in touch with you next week. If you really want it, I can possibly bring the Durst enlarger up for you. I can take a digital photo of it and sent it to you.

What do you know about Shen Hao cameras and do you know where I can buy them and new Seagull twin lens reflex cameras?

Cheers & chey chin

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), May 24, 2002.

The most important thing is stability. LPL and Fujimoto are both reputable firms (Durst is indeed rather expensive, also in Europe). I should pick the most stable one that is easy in use and where you get the best support. I believe these are both suitable for 120 film (6x6)? It is not true that a condenser enlarger is better than a dichroic enlarger. Both have their good/bad points. I have used both. At the moment I use a dichroic enlarger and I'm happy with it since one of the strong points of a dichroic enlarger is the fact that dust and scratches aren't such a problem compared to a condensor enlarger. You will have to develop your negatives to suit your enlarger type: a dichroic enlarger requieres negatives that are more contrasty compared to negatives for a condensor enlarger. If your negatives are tuned to your enlarger you won't see any difference between condensor and dichoic. You don't need a triple condensor unless you want very big enlargments from medium format negatives (6x7 or 6x9). believe me, a enlarger taking 6x6 negatives is very good for 135 format. The lens is indeed very important if not the most important. If you focus on 12 inch print and 135 film a sturdy 6x6 condensor or dichroic enlarger with a good lens is the way to go. I do 135 and 120 film (only B&W) on my enlarger (Dunco, new $1000, 80 mm schneider lens) and the (technical) quality is outstanding. By the way, $4,500 is reserved for 4x5 inch negatives, not 120 film... I'll be in Shangai in July or August for one week. I'll have to give a course. I hope to find some time for fotography. Any suggestions on what shouldn't be missed?

Kind regards, Dirk De la Marche

-- Dirk De la Marche (dirk.de_la_marche@alcatel.be), May 24, 2002.