Has anyone ever tried to print a 6x6 negative from a Leitz Focomat V35?

I’ve been reading about the enlarger for years but do a lot of MF work. I’m surprised someone hasn’t fashioned a negative carrier or device that would allow the enlarger to print from a larger negative.

Has anyone ever tried to print a 6x6 negative from a Leitz Focomat V35?

I’ve been reading about the enlarger for years but do a lot of MF work. I’m surprised someone hasn’t fashioned a negative carrier or device that would allow the enlarger to print from a larger negative.

I love my V35, it's the best enlarger for 35mm.
But you you will have to stick to 35mm to use it.
Regards JON.

its not just a question of the negative carrier. The mixing box has to be big enough to cover the neg format and then the condenser lenses have to be big enough and tailored to focus to a 6x6 neg and then the bellows extension has to be long enough to extend the length required for an approx 80mm lense focal length. And then the auto focus system would have to be modified to handle focusing the 80mm lense. Basically a complete new head would be required.

You need a Leitz II C, goes up to 6x9. Beautiful craftmanship, amazing enlarger !

You need a Leitz II C, goes up to 6x9. Beautiful craftmanship, amazing enlarger !

Do you know the average price for a good IIc? I'm asking because there's one for sale right now at eBay (http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300189928533) in my home city. Seems to be in good condition, I would be quite interested in a IIc and could ask friends or family back home to get it for me.

Hi Ralf.
I didn't know that München was located in Spain. :-) Anyhow, nowadays a IIc in good condition should be around €500 or so. The auction site can be crazy though.
I really do agree with Guillaume about the IIc, it's the best enlarger that I've ever used. (They cost the same as a new middleclass car when they were new in the -60ies. Imagine a €20000 enlarger ... )

//Björn

Hi Björn,

I moved to Spain some time ago, but Munich in Germany is my hometown. I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to enlargers, so I'm quite surprised to hear that a machine that old is still considered top gear. Will watch that auction closely the next days.

Only 28 posts since June 2004? Whoever you are, a spammer you are not. ;)

Hi Björn,

...so I'm quite surprised to hear that a machine that old is still considered top gear...




Well, unike electronics and digital where difference between 5 years old 3 megapixel and today 12 megapixel camera is huge, with mechanics and optics is different story. If you have enlarger and enlarging lens 50 years old and it made perfect prints then, if mechanics is not broken and optic is clear it will today give perfect prints too.

Hi Björn,
...
Only 28 posts since June 2004? Whoever you are, a spammer you are not. ;)

Most of my activity is over at the Large Format forum, for which I at one point wrote a prototype of the software for the previous incarnation at the time they moved away from photo.net. And no, I don't spend my life at the forums, apart from this time of the year when daytime is 6 hours of deep greyness. :-)

//Björn
... it's 29 now...

Go for it, you never know with baybay... Even 500 euros would be a good deal.
The 2 lens are there, it looks in good condition.
Good luck
Guillaume

Do you know the average price for a good IIc? I'm asking because there's one for sale right now at eBay (http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300189928533) in my home city. Seems to be in good condition, I would be quite interested in a IIc and could ask friends or family back home to get it for me.

The 95mm focotar is an old design which was replaced in the early 70's with the 100mm V-Elmar which was a considerable improvement and subsequently replaced with a the highly rated 100 Focotar II. I have the V-Elmar and my comparison prints show that it is slightly better than my 105 Rodagon. There are 2 other points to note. You are restricted to Leitz enlarging lenses because of the slim lens barrel and I think you will not be able to auto focus the 100mm lens with the 95mm cam. A final thought make sure that the negative carrier glasses are tarnish free as replacement glasses are not cheap.

Other wise a great enlarger!

Emerson

As this thread is hi-jacked already. (Sorry Dovaras, but I recon that you've got an answer to your question.)

Ralf - If this one goes for more than you want to pay, there seem to be quite a few of these Leitz IIc in Germany which are pick-up only. That fact often makes them much cheaper. It's probably only a matter of waiting for a location close to München. As you have relatives/friends who can pick the stuff up you are in luck.
I jumped on a similar deal a couple of years ago, and apart from the IIc I also got
...
...
(a very long list of nice items)
an Ahel 50X60 masking frame
an old f-stop timer
...
as the seller was going to move the next week and he didn't want to keep anything from his darkroom.

//Björn

Quick update: Someone from China bought the Leitz IIc mentioned above for US $2.650,00 (EUR 1.813,08). Weird.

The V35, negative holder part # 17007 is 28 x 28 mm. Not 6x6 cm but still square.