Simple enlarger recommendations for 35mm only.

[chioque]

If you're still looking for a 35mm only enlarger, there's one now on eBay Germany here Kaiser VC 35 Enlarger. It even has BIN or make the seller an offer. From the listing, it seems the seller is in Munich, not sure how far that is from you in Bremen.

Mansur

[jnanian]

any enlarger will work for 35mm but
like the others have suggested, look for something
for the next size up ... while you think 35mm is all you will
be using, who knows, you might pick up a used 120 camera
and a multi-format enlarger will save you the trouble of
having to look for another one, and selling this one ...

look on ebay, or eve ... local newspaper / photo labs
and schools, you might get one for just the gas of the drive

good luck !
john

[Ronald Moravec]

35 mm only machines tend to be wobbly and filmsy with few exceptions. Leica machines being one.

Buy a medium format with a setup for 35 mm printing, condensers or diffusion housing , neg carrier, and 50 mm lens. You will be happier.

[Richard Jepsen]

The best enlarger for 35mm is Leitz. The Valoy II is the simpliest of the (3) small format Leitz enlargers. If 95% of your enlargements are on 8x10 and the enlarger needs to be moved, the Valoy II is the one to have. Eugene Smith used on on location.

The beauty of the Valoy is you get the same head configuration as the 1c in a smaller footprint.

[Ronald Moravec]

Valoys require the short neck bulbs which are near impossible to find, have no anti newton disk, and no good way to place VC filter inside. If you try to go over 8x10, the photo hits the column foot.

The long neck bulbs cause uneven light and there is no up/down bulb adjustment like a IC has to counter it.

My Valloy 2 is heavily modified to overcome all the stated defects. For Sale in USA.

[Rick A]

Too bad the OP is on another continent, I have a nice sturdy Vivitar that fits his criteria, and will also do 6x6. My daughter had been using it but has set it aside for a larger machine.

[JerryWo]

I'm not sure I buy into the notion that cheap enlarger lenses work fine when they're stopped down. They certainly work BETTER when they're stopped down, but they likely do not compare well with high quality lenses.

In my past I've had two enlarger lenses that compared miserably to quality lenses. A long time ago I had an inexpensive Spiratione lens and more recently I had a Meopta Belar - both were visibly quite poor compared to more expensive lenses. I'm currently using a little Durst F30, exactly the sort of enlarger you described as wanting - and the lens (superb!) is a Componon-S.

Meopta makes a great enlarger (I have an old Axomat) and I'm told their higher quality lenses are quite good. If you get one, make sure it has a Leica thread lens board. Some of the older ones have a 23mm lens board.

I also agree with the one poster who suggested going with an enlarger that goes up to 6 x 6 (I also have a Durst M600), but the small footprint of my Durst F30 is a blessing in my make-shift darkroom, aka "the hall bathroom".

Jerry W
Warrenton, VA

[Leigh B]

I would suggest getting a medium-format enlarger even if you have no intention of using that film size.

MF enlargers are much more solidly built, and rigidity of the machine will yield higher print quality due to less vibration.

- Leigh

[darkprints]

Valoys require the short neck bulbs which are near impossible to find, have no anti newton disk, and no good way to place VC filter inside. If you try to go over 8x10, the photo hits the column foot.

The long neck bulbs cause uneven light and there is no up/down bulb adjustment like a IC has to counter it.

My Valloy 2 is heavily modified to overcome all the stated defects. For Sale in USA.

How did you modify your ValoyII?

[phelger]

I just posted on another thread the above for sale
peter