Picked up a new used enlarger tonight, 3rd or even 4th hand by now. The enlarger is a Durst CLS 450 4x5 color head on a Laborator CE 1000 column. The thing is built like a tank and looks very heavy duty and reliable. In the package I also got 2 lens, 2 negative carriers, a timer and an extra bulb. Also included were various other general darkroom stuff, nice safe light, Patterson tank and focusing loop, small trays, small easel, 4 small collapsable bottles, some chemicals, 4 or 5 print tongs, various clips, small thermometer, funnels and 2 nice handled measuring graduates, all for $190.
I plan on using this enlarger as a backup to my Saunders, my second Saunders backup enlarger is currently down (in need of a power supply). Counting this Durst 4x5 enlarger I now have 5 enlargers in my darkroom and 2 in my garage, which is a bit nuts but these things are going cheap now and I like to have backups for everything. When my power supply went down a while back on the Saunders I was able to change out the power supply from my second Saunders enlarger and keep printing. Now if my Saunders goes down I can switch out and start printing with the Durst. My Saunders is also getting old and having slippage focusing problems when I make big prints, I have to check the focus and refocus for almost every new sheet of paper. In the future this Durst might become my main enlarger thou I would not have the Saunders compensating b/w multigrade head on it which I love.
Another very distant possibility for this machine is to take it to Thailand (it has a 220 power source). In the future I might try and buy a condo in Bangkok or somewhere else in Thai and set up a small workable darkroom, this enlarger might fit the bill as I can take it apart and ship it in sections, maybe over several trips in my check in luggage (it should be tough enough for the journey). I usually try to plan my photo things in advance so this might be one of those buy now use later deals, that plan also works for some of the other things I got this time round, the safe light, trays etc. I can easily set up a 2nd and maybe even a 3rd darkroom with all the spare parts I have accumulated through the years. : )
Some just noticed advantages and disadvantages to this machine, it uses a 250w bulb so it should be brighter and will hopefully lower my burning times (my Saunders uses a 200w bulb). There is no fine focus on the Durst which makes it a bit awkward to focus but once it is in focus everything seems really secure and locked down. This is a good deal (not a great deal) that includes a very tough high end enlarger, hopefully I can use it for many years to come.
Here are are some photos of the newest tool, I just managed to squeeze it in:
I plan on using this enlarger as a backup to my Saunders, my second Saunders backup enlarger is currently down (in need of a power supply). Counting this Durst 4x5 enlarger I now have 5 enlargers in my darkroom and 2 in my garage, which is a bit nuts but these things are going cheap now and I like to have backups for everything. When my power supply went down a while back on the Saunders I was able to change out the power supply from my second Saunders enlarger and keep printing. Now if my Saunders goes down I can switch out and start printing with the Durst. My Saunders is also getting old and having slippage focusing problems when I make big prints, I have to check the focus and refocus for almost every new sheet of paper. In the future this Durst might become my main enlarger thou I would not have the Saunders compensating b/w multigrade head on it which I love.
Another very distant possibility for this machine is to take it to Thailand (it has a 220 power source). In the future I might try and buy a condo in Bangkok or somewhere else in Thai and set up a small workable darkroom, this enlarger might fit the bill as I can take it apart and ship it in sections, maybe over several trips in my check in luggage (it should be tough enough for the journey). I usually try to plan my photo things in advance so this might be one of those buy now use later deals, that plan also works for some of the other things I got this time round, the safe light, trays etc. I can easily set up a 2nd and maybe even a 3rd darkroom with all the spare parts I have accumulated through the years. : )
Some just noticed advantages and disadvantages to this machine, it uses a 250w bulb so it should be brighter and will hopefully lower my burning times (my Saunders uses a 200w bulb). There is no fine focus on the Durst which makes it a bit awkward to focus but once it is in focus everything seems really secure and locked down. This is a good deal (not a great deal) that includes a very tough high end enlarger, hopefully I can use it for many years to come.
Here are are some photos of the newest tool, I just managed to squeeze it in:
My 5 darkroom enlargers now include:
1)Saunders LPL 4x5
2)Saunders LPL 4x5 (backup thats currently down, wall mounted for very large prints)
3)Durst - Laborator 1000 - CLS 450 4x5
4)Omega Pro-Lab 4x5 (condenser enlarger for doing very contrasty prints)
5)Durst Laborator 184, 5x7 - 8x10 enlarger
I only bought one of these enlargers new the rest were all discount used jobbies, the 8x10 was the best deal of them all, just paid a couple of hundred for the lens the enlarger was basically free.
