erikhaugsby
killer of threads
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Chad- enlarger lenses are going very cheap these days- go for a good one- it really does make a lot of difference. I really like the Nikkor 50/2.8 a whole lot. These are all over ebay. I much prefer the older nikon lenses in metal barrels for the shorter lengths (50, 80 & 105). The Omegar is only a fair lens in comparison the the Nikkors. You'll see the difference in an 810. The Schneider should be great- I've not used this one, but had the 135 version for a long time & liked it very much.
One thing to check as you're printing with a 23c is that the condenser is set at the correct height for the format- that is done with the upper large knob- be sure the pointer on the right side is lined up with the format you're printing. Much better, more even illumination of the neg. Some of the older ones get a bit loose here, and can creep downward on their own. A rebuild kit is available for this enlarger, all the gears and bushings can get replaced quite easily, making the thing feel like new in many ways. If you have troubles with the raising & lowering or focus adjustments the rebuild kit is the fix. B&H sells them.
Various heads are available for this enlarger also- color heads & VC. As long as you are careful with the sheet filters I would avoid the current VC head. Beselers quality control seems to have really gone downhill in the last few years. We have 2 of the newer style VC heads at work and they are not nearly as robust as the old Beseler stuff. I've had to get them apart to repair several times in the past 2 years.
Enjoy! Nothing like working in your own darkroom after years in a gang one- everything where you want it, where you left it, and never full when you want it!
One thing to check as you're printing with a 23c is that the condenser is set at the correct height for the format- that is done with the upper large knob- be sure the pointer on the right side is lined up with the format you're printing. Much better, more even illumination of the neg. Some of the older ones get a bit loose here, and can creep downward on their own. A rebuild kit is available for this enlarger, all the gears and bushings can get replaced quite easily, making the thing feel like new in many ways. If you have troubles with the raising & lowering or focus adjustments the rebuild kit is the fix. B&H sells them.
Various heads are available for this enlarger also- color heads & VC. As long as you are careful with the sheet filters I would avoid the current VC head. Beselers quality control seems to have really gone downhill in the last few years. We have 2 of the newer style VC heads at work and they are not nearly as robust as the old Beseler stuff. I've had to get them apart to repair several times in the past 2 years.
Enjoy! Nothing like working in your own darkroom after years in a gang one- everything where you want it, where you left it, and never full when you want it!
ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
A nice accessory for your 23C is the Negatrans, a clever device
that allows you to select any frame on a 35mm negative strip
without removing the carrier or touching the negatives.
Chris
that allows you to select any frame on a 35mm negative strip
without removing the carrier or touching the negatives.
Chris
Bill K.
Established
Chad
Established
Thanks everyone. I'll start looking for an El Nikkor.
What does the little bit of red on the frame tapemeasure indicate?
~Chad
What does the little bit of red on the frame tapemeasure indicate?
~Chad
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sepiareverb
genius and moron
Not positive, but I think that's where the head assembly must be set to do the wall projection. A feature I've never used on any enlarger I've ever run.
stefan_dinu
Established
How about Durst M800? Is it ok for a starter? The price 350E (whole kit with lens and condensers) in Europe (no shiping extra) is ok? With the collour head I can print BW?