Last week after … well awhile … I finally made the first prints with my Leitz Focomat 1C and 2C enlargers. It seems forever since I first got them, but these beauties were just standing by until I first sourced and received all the missing bits, then figured out how to set up their pesky but brilliant autofocus systems, and finally got caught up with all my printing for the year with my admittedly easy to use Devere and Zone VI compensating timer. Now it was finally the moment of truth!

You might recall from an earlier post that I had removed my beloved Devere from my darkroom in order to force me to get on with using the Focomats. My neighbor helped me take it out, consigning it to a storage room elsewhere in the basement … removed but not too far away.

Out of sight, out of mind … right?

So how did that go? Using the Devere is like slipping on an old pair of comfy shoes or your favorite sweater. In no time it was back and put to use.

I agree that using the Devere this long is a lame excuse, but I knew it so well and my comfort level with it made me back off from trying something new while printing so many pictures under some self-imposed deadlines.

Okay, enough! Friday was my target. I decided to make things easy for myself by reprinting one recently made picture with each enlarger. My goal was to make close enough approximations in order to gauge how much I liked the work process compared to  that with the Devere, how the results matched up with the Devere and a Schneider Apo Componon HM lens, and finally a sense of how much I might miss using the Devere.

Here are a couple of key items for comparison/consideration:

Devere – Defusion light source.   Focomats – Light source in large domed housing(s) having a matt semi-silvered interior, directed onto the negative via single (1C) or double (2C) focusing condenser(s).

Devere – Color head allows for tiny incremental changes in contrast.  Focomats – Built in filter draw above the lens allows for use of Ilford or Kodak VC filters available in one half grade increments.

Devere – Manual focus using two large wheels for coarse and fine focusing located under the baseboard.  Focomats – Autofocus.

Devere – Allows the use of the second generation Zone VI compensating exposure timer with dry down function; enabling contrast changes “on the fly” without the need for making additional test prints.  Focomats – Does not allow for the use of the second generation Zone VI compensating exposure timer, but still benefits from the first generation Zone VI mechanical timer with dry down function; using different filters to adjust overall contrast requires new test prints.

Devere – uses Schneider Apo Componon HM lenses.  Focomats – uses the last and best Leitz enlarging lenses for 35mm (IC) and medium format (2C); the 60mm lens on the 2C is not a contender.

Devere – Uses glass negative carriers for best film flatness.  Focomats – Uses glass negative carrier (2C) and an anti-newton ring glass pressure plate to hold down one side of the negative (1C).

So let’s start with the 2C.  The beautiful glass negative holder allows for use of a variety of masks. I used the one for 6×7. Autofocusing was a dream. A test print was made using the grade 2 filter to match what I had done with the Devere print, exposure determined, and a work print made. Easy.

Now for the 1C. Not so easy. The negative I chose was at the end of the filmstrip and trying to get it to line up properly in the negative carrier prior to lowering the anti-newton ring pressure plate turned out to be a major pain in the rear. I’m sure I will get the hang of it for those instances; if I don’t I might have to resort to using a tiny piece of tape to hold the edge in place. Other than that everything went the same as with using the 2C.

Both prints benefited by using the built in dry down feature in the Zone VI timers.  The prints were washed and then placed on screens to dry overnight. The next morning I went downstairs and compared the Focomat prints with those made with the Devere.  The paper used was the same … Fomabrom Variant III … but there were differences. While the Devere prints were made using the color head equivalent to grade 2 (10 units of magenta) they looked a little different. Overall the Focomat prints looked crisper and perhaps a little clearer if that is possible, while not exhibiting any of the harshness of those made with typical condenser enlargers.

So what’s the takeaway of this first go around?  Giving up changing contrast on the fly will be something I’ll miss, as inserting and removing filters from the filter drawer is certainly not as convenient. But the autofocus is the bee’s knees!  The Devere is a tremendous and reliable enlarger, a real workhorse … the Focomats are well … they’re the Leica’s of enlargers!  Not the easiest or the most convenient to use … but … you know the story.

Stay well,

Michael