lf-photo.org.uk

I think I've found and read everything there is online about these enlargers, which is very little. I have NO budget at the moment, but want to start using my MPP VIII with 4x5 film (I've been using the 120 back) and only have an old small/medium format enlarger. B&W only.

There's a Prefect available for very little money (It comes with 4 lenses including a Wray 6") and I wonder if it's worth the risk as I can't inspect it before the sale ends...

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of these 1950''s/60's enlargers?

Thanks

It's a buy once in your lifetime investment, why not wait for a De Vere 504, you won't ever want another enlarger.
(No idea about 50's enlargers, they may be as good as the 504)

Ed's right.

The Prefect will be a condenser enlarger unless it's very cheap £25'ish and you can check the condition of the condensers it's a bit risky, the lenses maybe past it as well. I do have details of the enlarger in a BJP Almanac, and the lenses.

I used an old Johnson's V54 enlarger which is similar to the Prefect in many ways for about 30 years but I adapted mine to take a De Vere cold cathode head which was far better.

Ian

Thanks for the prompt response!
The auction ends in a couple of hours and I can't get to London to inspect it. It's part of a lot including other dark room things:

Schneider Comparon f4.5/75,Schneider Comparon f4/50,Schneider Companon f5.6/80,Wray Lustrar f5.6/6in H.R,21 Developing trays of various sizes ,Various tongs,Squeegee tongs,3 thermometers,Circulation print washing tray,Print drying rack,4 negative developing tanks with sundry cassettes and fittings,Electric heated canvas print dryer,Smith’s timer,Darkroom light,Funnels – various sizes,Grain finder,Measuring cylinders (3),Darkroom apron (black – used once),35mm contact sheet printer -

and if I can get the whole lot for the sort of sum you mentioned Ian, it's probably worth the risk.

It's not too far to the dump...

I'd be interested to know what it says in the BJP almanac, though...

Again, thanks for the very useful responses.

Trevor

What about this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250896921998? ... 500wt_1271

Looks perfect (not prefect) - but what sort of reserve do you think it might carry? I don't know what the going price for these is.

Abergavenny is a long way from Berkhamsted and I don't drive, unfortunately. All the enlargers I've seen recently have been some awkward distance away (apart from this old and probably imperfect Prefect...)

But I'll give this some serious thought. It looks brilliant and as Ed Moss said, it would be a once in a lifetime investment.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to look this out.

I bought the lot including the enlarger, so will see this week whether it's workable. For £26, there's a lot of useful tools even if the enlarger has to be scrapped. In which case, I'll wait and save.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Trevor

PS. Is there any way of accessing that information about the enlarger and lenses from the BJP almanac,Ian?

Trevor Davies wrote: PS. Is there any way of accessing that information about the enlarger and lenses from the BJP almanac,Ian?

Well every copy from 1939-1963 plus a few earlier copies are now out of storage in boxes and on a shelf. So it's a case of what year to start looking I think about 1954 seems to ring a bell and it's the copy I've had longest I'll have a look this evening for you.

They are a very useful resource, I've just found a review and advert for the 1941 Norcometer Rangefinder I bought for a pound in the Spring, surprisingly accurate and well built but with no name on it.

Ian

For you kind souls who offered me advice and help:

Well...
I collected the Prefect enlarger today, and I'm now putting it all together. Some of the process is obvious, some not, and it is quite...
big.

However the bulb (an ordinary 150w screw mount photographic) still works, and it seems to have a full complement of negative holders, and a very large condenser element, which I presume is what I need for 4x5. I'm currently trying to piece together the stand, and when I've worked through that puzzle I'll try to mount the column and head and see if it's feasible to keep and experiment with. Cosmetically it certainly won't win any prizes, but I reckon it will at least be a very cheap way to learn the principles.

Thanks again for the help, and for those interested I'll keep posting progress reports.

Best Wishes,
Trevor

So...
Unless I'm missing something, the head/condenser elements/bellows/film holders are fairly easy to assemble by simple deduction (what fits where).

The stand (how complicated can a stand be?) is less so. I think one look at a photo of the machine and there would be an obvious solution. But the previous owner can't remember (it's been in his loft for over a decade) so I suspect it's a 'sleep on it' situation for a few nights. I don't think anything's missing - the problem is there appears to be too much! Two identical horizontal metal frames to support the baseboard, but only bolt holes enough on the legs to mount one.

Tell me to stop if this gets boring...