Re: [Leica] Re: Leica Enlargers

[ceworkman@ktis.net (C. E. Workman Jr.)]

Since quite a few of the LUGers do their own darkroom work and might have a
Leitz enlarger, I thought you might enjoy a bit of trivia that I just
learned.

  We're familiar with the auto focus enlargers, such as the Focomat IA, and
1C as well as the outstanding and expensive V35 model now being made by
Leica, but did anyone ever hear of a Focomat 1B?  No one seems to refer to
that one.  Jim Lager doesn't get into enlargers much in his books, but he is
probably one of the few that probably know about this one.  There was one
that was pictured on that un-named auction page a week or so ago, but the
guy claimed it was made in the 60's.  Not so.  These were evidentially
assembled by E.Leitz, New York during WW II.  This information was furnished
to me by the Leica repair dept. in N.J.  And, they're marked E.Leitz, N.Y.

Where the usual Focomat I A and I C were painted black (medium gray later),
these were a light gray and had the tilting head that the I C had.  I use
one and have found it to be a very reliable auto focus enlarger.  So, if
there are any users of this enlarger, I'd like to correspond with them.

I hope I didn't break any rules by discussing this on the LUG.

Chuck