Most "reasonably" sized 4x5" enlarger

[holmburgers]

Oddly enough, my "new" car is an Oldsmobile (my grandma's to be exact.... go ahead... laugh it up!).

[djacobox372]

The most reasonable sized 4x5 enlarger is a 4x5 camera with a graflarger attached to it's graflok back.

[holmburgers]

Now that's intriguing... Unfortunately I don't have a graflok back, but I admit I have thought about what it would take to make my camera into an enlarger. Hmm, has anyone here done this?

[Sirius Glass]

Now that's intriguing... Unfortunately I don't have a graflok back, but I admit I have thought about what it would take to make my camera into an enlarger. Hmm, has anyone here done this?

See page 4.

http://graflex.org/GHQ/GHQ-15-1.pdf

Enjoy

Steve

[apkujeong]

I recently made a gadget to use a 9x12 plate camera as an enlarger. I mount the camera on a tripod (horizontal enlarger) and put the negative in an adapted film pack holder, which fits into a light tight box which has a group of small white fluorescent tubes mounted in the back. I had imagined that the diffuser would be a problem, but a sheet of clear plastic scratched with sandpaper is working fine, it's positioned a bit in front of the tubes.

At this stage, I expect some people will want to point out many obvious flaws and reasons why it can't be sufficient for exacting work...but it's ok for me! I even use the taking lens (uncoated 15cm Tessar), which seems fine, at least for B&W. It's made me realise that even with the worst enlarger, I remain the weak link in the chain - I have a couple of Durst Laborator 1000's at home in the UK, but the prints I made on those were no more pleasing. A dedicated enlarger will be easier to use, though.

For a more informative idea about how to go about a DIY version, look for an old copy of "The Print" by Ansel Adams, my copy has some plans and notes.

I went down this route because I don't have much space (my "darkroom" is a toilet), and I'm living in South Korea - enlargers seem scarce here. I'd mail you some photos, but I don't have a digital camera - and the contraption I made looks so ugly! The most expensive part was the fluorescent tubes, though I did recently splash out and get myself some multigrade filters and an enlarger timer, after having convinced myself it was worthwhile. Nobody knows how ugly and crazy looking the enlarger is when they see the prints...

[holmburgers]

Nobody knows how ugly and crazy looking the enlarger is when they see the prints...

Now that's the truth!

[goldenimage]

I also have an omega d2 w/ cold light head, its great, i bought it off the auction site, it came with several lenses and all the different size carriers, it was an estate sale (big mistake) they shipped it in pieces, they had no idea how to take it apart, all the bolts and nuts were missing, some of the lenses were missing then they found them and shipped them, it wasnt a great experience but in the end it all worked out and my enlarger works flawlessly

[Nicholas Lindan]

You will need either: The variable condenser head, this is called a D2V but lots of D2s have been converted; or, the 35mm condenser set and the 4x5 condenser set - the size of the condenser lens says it all; a dichroic lamp housing - these are just about all 'color heads' when it comes to Omegas; A cold lite head Aristo head, however these are not ideal for variable contrast paper or for 35mm enlarging and Aristo is no longer in business.

[djacobox372]

Now that's intriguing... Unfortunately I don't have a graflok back, but I admit I have thought about what it would take to make my camera into an enlarger. Hmm, has anyone here done this?

That's how I enlarge. I use a large copy stand like this one, along with my speed graphic and graflarger back:



The only downside I encounter is that it's not nearly as stable as a purpose built enlarger so I have to be very careful not to shake or vibrate the setup during exposure.

I've also enlarged with the camera on a tripod, but I find the copy stand makes it a bit easier, as I can lay the paper down instead of having to pin it up vertically.