A Film Embiggener

Well, I finally decided that a home brewed 5×7 enlarger is just too time consuming to make. So, last month I perused E bay and acquired an old Durst G139 enlarger.

This beast came from a photographer in West Virgina that worked for the Charleston Chronicle. Apparently, his dream of a darkroom basement 10 years ago became a family room and time just kept moving. He decided that his work is more digital conducive.

Shipping this monster was another matter – it cost 6 times more than what I paid for it. I figure it was well worth salvaging and I intend to put it to good use once I figure out how to use it.

Now a surprise came when I opened the film carrier and found this Kodak 35mm slide film still in it. Durst stopped making this enlarger in the 70′s so I think this was the last film that was used on this enlarger. His haircut looks like from the 70′s. The colors are still vibrant and I am able to generate a 20 Mega Pixel image from it – a visual testament on film’s enduring qualities.


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