Tag Archives: enlarger

in the dark of the night

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. One of the thrills (and skills) of film is to watch  a print miraculously appear in the developer tray in a darkroom lit by a dim rubyish light. Every darkroom has its enlarger and/or contact printer ready to crank … Continue reading →

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flattop revisited

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. A few days ago I did a post on a February, 1950 ad for Kodak’s enlarger – the Hobbyist. Two months after that ad, Kodak did another one on the Hobbyist, this time explaining the way the Hobbyist ensured … Continue reading →

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flattop

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Robert

Toronto.  Post WW2, Kodak made goods to be all things photographic ensuring any new comer to the hobby would automatically think ‘Kodak’ when outfitting his/her camera, darkroom, studio, etc. Enlargers were no exception. In the early 1950 ad shown, Kodak … Continue reading →

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PHSC News newsletter for March 2022

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. The Camera Obscura shown here is from the right top of page 1 in this month’s PHSC News newsletter. The ‘Giant Camera’ once in San Francisco, California, was coloured like a huge Ektachrome box. What do you know? It’s … Continue reading →

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all sizes great and small

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. From the beginning of analogue (a sensitive coating and emulsion) most cameras were the size of their negative (or in some cases the positive) as prints (if needed) were contact printed. Glass Plate and film sizes varied to match the … Continue reading →

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Oh Sun-Ray Days

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. When minicams became the norm, enlargers were no longer an option but became a necessity to make prints from the tiny minicam negatives. Amateurs reluctant to buy high end enlargers (Durst, Omega, Beseler, Leitz, etc.)  costing much more than … Continue reading →

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copy cats

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. I wonder who came up with the “small negative, big print” idea? I always thought it was Leitz as part of the minicam revolution and demonstrating that a negative can be tiny and still be enlarged for a great … Continue reading →

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a photographer’s magnifier

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Anyone wanting to see a magnified view of a small object would likely use a simple magnifying glass – just like Sherlock Holmes in the many Conan Doyle stories. Predating photography, a projector (magic lantern) projected an enlarged view … Continue reading →

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hooray for the old B and J

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. If you believe this old advertisement from August 1943’s Popular Photography magazine, familiar scenes and family snaps were doubly welcomed by America’s fighting men when taken with a 4×5 B&J press camera or were enlarged with a B&J Solar … Continue reading →

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roll on

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. George Dunbar threw a challenge the other day. He asked if anyone knew about or heard about the ROLLAPRINT system as advertised on page 4 in the May 26, 1961 issue of LIFE. It is full page so it … Continue reading →

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