Choosing a medium format enlarger model

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TheRosssiiii

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Hi everyone,
I'd like to ask for your advice on which enlarger model to buy for the 6x4.5 medium format. I imagine it won't be an easy choice because there are quite a few enlargers, but I know that different models can have different negative holders or condensers.

The fact is, a friend and I printed some 35mm photos, and since I have a medium format camera and medium format enlarger lenses, I'd also like to get some printing equipment, but I'm not sure which models to choose without spending a fortune.

For 35mm, perhaps having glass in the negative holder isn't necessary, even though we use it, and it must be said that there have been few difficulties with printing, with prints always being fairly even in the center and edges.

For medium format, perhaps glass is even more important.

Some very popular models are the Durst M600 and the Meopta Opemus Standard 2.

I found the Durst M600 with this negative holder:


While I found the Meopta Opemus Standard 2 with this negative holder and condenser:



The Meopta negative holder seems very good to me, and it comes in this format. Status:



The finish near the supporting column is a bit damaged.

The thread should be M39 for both, right?
 
Meopta made very good enlargers. I bought the Opimus 6 about 40 years ago and it does an excellent job with negatives up to 6x6. Then a friend gave me a Meopta Magnifax, another excellent enlarger, which takes negatives up to 6x9. These are both condenser enlargers. The Magnifax has two condensers, which are interchangeable, the smaller one being for 35mm negatives.
 
Alan Clark said:
Meopta made very good enlargers. I bought the Opimus 6 about 40 years ago and it does an excellent job with negatives up to 6x6. Then a friend gave me a Meopta Magnifax, another excellent enlarger, which takes negatives up to 6x9. These are both condenser enlargers. The Magnifax has two condensers, which are interchangeable, the smaller one being for 35mm negatives.
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the two model how is it ?

has it two condensers for 35mm and 120 ?

because i have to use with medium format but i want to know if it had to have glas on the negative holder and if it's required any kind of specific adapter to be able to insert 6x4.5 negatives
 
Both the Meopter Opemus 6 and the Meopter magnifax have glass/ glass film holders. Both are adjustable so they can take 35mm negatives and 120 negatives, which can be cropped to any size by the adjusters. No adapters are needed.
 
Alan Clark said:
Both the Meopter Opemus 6 and the Meopter magnifax have glass/ glass film holders. Both are adjustable so they can take 35mm negatives and 120 negatives, which can be cropped to any size by the adjusters. No adapters are needed.
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One of the many reasons I like my Opemus IIa so much. That and the rocket fins - everything works better with rocket fins.
 
I also like the fact that my Meopter enlargers are very solidly built, and that they have well engineered adjusters so you can get the film plane, the lens plane and the paper plane all parallel.
 
Does someone know Kronus 66 SL color ?

i have some more picture about the M600, does miss something ? ahah

Durst M600 - Google Drive

drive.google.com drive.google.com

i have not yet understand if it had glass or not ?

I want it to use with 6x4,5 and will black and white, i don't know if is available film color for medium format.

For color i have a Durst 302 with color head.
 
Back in the day I had a Krokus 66 (made in Poland) it was fine and allowed converging vertical correction as the lens board rotated. It took up to 6x6 and had a glass carrier. It had a filter drawer so you can use multigrade filters.1770883110570.png
 
I found the choice very simple.
Before starting on building my darkroom, I came across an Opemus II in a car boot sale. The seller was only asking £5 for it & threw in a Gnome colour 35mm enlarger too. Both needed the wiring replaced, but much to my surprise both had lenses fitted :)
 
i would like to buy a Krokus 66 SL as in the picture and looks very good but my question is:

  • i don't see any mask for the 6x4.5 ... can i still use with that format ?
  • i don't see any mask for the 135 ... can i still use with that format ?
Same, i find a Meopta Optemus 6a but still don't looks are available masks for the two formats i need, can i still print these formats with excellent results ?

Optemus 6a : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g93bKr4yrEKXeXXTh_ux8TBvHgMNLQ1C?usp=sharing
Krokus 66 SL: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mMBUwjJ5M6vWhiNbi9uaPpYbch1t3qVw?usp=sharing

Any advice ?
can i alredy use as they are with the two formats i want to print ?

Because the 135 mask i find available only with the optemus 2:
 
TheRosssiiii said:
i would like to buy a Krokus 66 SL as in the picture and looks very good but my question is:

  • i don't see any mask for the 6x4.5 ... can i still use with that format ?
  • i don't see any mask for the 135 ... can i still use with that format ?
Same, i find a Meopta Optemus 6a but still don't looks are available masks for the two formats i need, can i still print these formats with excellent results ?

Optemus 6a : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g93bKr4yrEKXeXXTh_ux8TBvHgMNLQ1C?usp=sharing
Krokus 66 SL: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mMBUwjJ5M6vWhiNbi9uaPpYbch1t3qVw?usp=sharing

Any advice ?
can i alredy use as they are with the two formats i want to print ?

Because the 135 mask i find available only with the optemus 2:
Click to expand...

I just used the one carrier, it has sliding masks to match the format of the negative or your crop. There are shallow guides in the carrier for both 35mm and 120 film if I remember rightly. I even printed a 110 neg from mine once on the same carrier.
 
jhotopf said:
I just used the one carrier, it has sliding masks to match the format of the negative or your crop. There are shallow guides in the carrier for both 35mm and 120 film if I remember rightly. I even printed a 110 neg from mine once on the same carrier.
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are you talking about the krokus 66 SL ?

as show here the Krokus has adjustable curtains in the negative holder.


is maybe the same with the meopta 6 ?
 
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