Fujimoto Enlarger

[Dave Summerhays]

I came across a used enlarger, a Fujimoto G-70 with a Nikkor 50mm lens, all
used in a camera shop for $295 Cdn (about $175 US). Is this a good enlarger
for B&W? Is that a reasonable price. I am seriously thinking about setting
up a small darkroom for B&W now that the kids are gone, but I don't want to
spend a furtune to get started.

Any help would be appreciated.

dave

[Mike King]

All right, this has been posted several times on this board so it's time for
an answer. Here is an OPINION, not a testament, since I have never used
this enlarger. The Fujimoto, looks like a fine enlarger, is it like the
Fujimoto VR70 35mm / Medium Format Enlarger that Jobo sells?

Here are some (not all) of the problems you may encounter:

This enlarger (from your description) sounds like it is set up to currently
print 35mm only. If you decide later to move on to medium format can you
get the carriers, lens boards, condensers or mixing boxes you will need to
print other formats? Is there a source for these parts? How long has the
current (if any) importer carried the line? Will he bail out next year and
carry only digital products because of the shrinking analog darkroom market?
Do you see a lot of used machines and parts listed on eBay or other places?
Is it an "orphan" like the Phillips or the Vivitar VI or will it be next
year.? Will the only warehouse in the world still stocking accessories for
this machine burn down? (Happened to Phillips owners in the '80's or early
'90's!) Is it an electronic do-all with built in timer/color head/analyzer
or a more modular machine with some hope of continued use if a critical
electronic component fails and is no longer available in a few years?

The reason that posters here are quicker to recommend Beseler and Omega is
that parts are everywhere for these machines. Both companies have
essentially been making the one model of 4x5 enlarger since the 1930's or
1940's, cosmetically and ergonomically they may have changed and Beseler has
gone through at least three different color schemes but carriers, etc. from
their earliest machines will still fit the newer models and vice versa.
Heck, there are even adapters to use Beseler carriers on Omegas and back.

They are also solidly made and simply constructed, easy to repair. Simple,
mechanical devices. No electronics to fail, no obsolete circuit boards to
fail. No electronics at all, just a light bulb socket and an inline switch
which you can replace from the stock at any hardware store if push comes to
shove. Even Durst parts (and I love Durst) can be hard to find and the only
guys with new parts for older Durst is Cambridge Camera. Durst has had at
least four importers in the last 25 years.

Having said all that if it looks good TO YOU get it. Choice of enlarger can
be as personal as brand of underwear or toothpaste. I paid $100 for the
last D-3 I bought, two lenses, two cones, three tracks, and I can go as
large as 4x5, purchased locally, no shipping, I could part this machine out
and triple my money, and I have a chance to pick up a 4x5 Vivitar (have no
idea what I would do with one they're about as orphaned as you can get) and
two 5x7 Elwoods for another $100 next week--that's $33.33 (US) per machine.

My two cents (US <grin>) and I hope this helps.

--
darkroommike
......................
"Dave Summerhays" <davidsu...@attcanada.ca> wrote in message
news:bQYo8.5351$a04....@tor-nn1.netcom.ca...

[Ben]

That's a great enlarger at a really good price! I have a G70 and It's
nice to be able to use condensor or diffusion by just reversing one
part. Nice solid and good looking too.

IMHO it will be a good enlarger for years to come...

Ben

[JCOhlsen]

>From: "Mike King" mike...@cableone.net

>The Fujimoto, looks like a fine enlarger, is it like the
>Fujimoto VR70 35mm / Medium Format Enlarger that Jobo sells?
>Here are some (not all) of the problems you may encounter:
>This enlarger (from your description) sounds like it is set up to currently
>print 35mm only. If you decide later to move on to medium format can you
>get the carriers, lens boards, condensers or mixing boxes you will need to
>print other formats? Is there a source for these parts? How long has the
>current (if any) importer carried the line?

Ahem, not only does it do 35mm, it also does 6x6, 6x7, 5x4.5 and half frame
35mm. It is imported and supported nicely by Jobo who does nothing but
darkroom. The G70 is exactly like the new VR70 except it is beige.

At $295. Canadian it is a steal considering this cost $1,750. new U.S.

JC.

[Mike King]

Are you the fellow selling this machine and know first hand that it comes
with carriers, lenses and mixing boxes for 35mm, 6x6, 6x7, half frame,
6x4.5? And if you are then your advice would by nature be biased.

I'm aware that it is capable of doing those other formats, what I asked the
poster was if the setups to do those other formats were part of the package
or available used in reasonable quantities, he said the machine in question
came only with a 50mm lens.

I would suspect that any enlarger with the term "70" in it's name would do
6x7.

--
darkroommike
......................
"JCOhlsen" <jcoh...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020329153845...@mb-cf.aol.com...

[John]

On Mon, 1 Apr 2002 20:28:01 -0600, "Mike King"
<mike...@cableone.net> wrote:

>Are you the fellow selling this machine and know first hand that it comes
>with carriers, lenses and mixing boxes for 35mm, 6x6, 6x7, half frame,
>6x4.5? And if you are then your advice would by nature be biased.
>
>I'm aware that it is capable of doing those other formats, what I asked the
>poster was if the setups to do those other formats were part of the package
>or available used in reasonable quantities, he said the machine in question
>came only with a 50mm lens.
>
>I would suspect that any enlarger with the term "70" in it's name would do
>6x7.

The only big deal about the VR70 is it's built-in color
analyzer.

http://www.jobo-usa.com/products/fujivr70.htm

Regards

John S. Douglas, Photographer
http://www.darkroompro.net

[Joe Schimpanzi]

{Snip}The only big deal about the VR70 is it's built-in color analyzer
{Snip}

And it's not really that great of one either. Sure you have as many
channels as you want to buy NegRoms, but if I bought 99 of them (to have as
many channels as my Jobo 7000), I'd be real broke. Rather spend the money
on taking lenses........

"John" <jo...@darkroompro.net> wrote in message
news:7k7iaus9ukn4haj48...@4ax.com...

______________________________________________________________________
Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - Still Only $9.95 - http://www.uncensored-news.com
With NINE Servers In California And Texas - The Worlds Uncensored News Source

[Dave Summerhays]

Thanks everyone

dave

"Dave Summerhays" <davidsu...@attcanada.ca> wrote in message
news:bQYo8.5351$a04....@tor-nn1.netcom.ca...