Important if you're in a business where profits depend on producing a large volume of high quality prints. You can correct me if I'm wrong but I assume it's built that way because it allows labs and other high volume printers to print from many different negatives over the course of a day without taking the time to refocus after every new negative. But that doesn't mean the prints it produces are necessarily better than prints produced with other enlarger chasis.įor example, you mention the fact that the Durst carrier slides into place without moving the head. So it's durable, capable of staying aligned and otherwise in top shape with minimum effort despite almost constant use over a long period of time.
It's the beginning of the "Laborator" system, a name that reflects its intended use. The target customer base for the L1200 was labs and commercial printers that used their enlargers 8 hours a day every day. The L1200 is a very durable, finely made machine and the quality of its engineering and construction is reflected in its price.īut if by "quality" you mean capable of making equally fine prints then yes, I think Beselers, Saunders, Omegas, et al are of equal quality. I think the L1200 chasis cost about twice that. If by "quality" you mean engineering and construction, I wouldn't say that and I don't think I implied that. "The Beseler is certainly capable of making fine enlargements, but I can't see implying that it is of similar quality to the Durst L1200." Given the state of the market for darkroom equipment these days you should be able to find almost any combination of timer, head, and chasis for very little money assuming you buy used. For color I used a Beseler 45A head (it will also do black and white but it's a better fit for color) and it was excellent also but they haven't been made for a while and I'd be concerned about availability of the bulbs they use and parts. I used the Aristo VCL 4500 and Metrolux timer with my Beseler MXT and that was a terrific combination for black and white printing. I'd first decide on what light source you want to use and then choose a chasis based on that. I think the light source is more important than the chasis as among the major brands. Between attending about 15 workshops of one kind or another and two years of college photography, I think I've used most of the major brands at one time or another (Beseler, Durst, Omega, Saunders, etc.) They will all work fine when properly set up.
My Beseler MXT was a great enlarger chasis, rock solid, precision focusing, relatively easy to level, motorized drive, etc.
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