Focomat 1c vintage

[naciobrown]

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The head on my Focomat is gray and the shape a bit taller than wide. Any idea as to vintage based on this? TIA, njb

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[M.Hilo]

I guess you want to know when the grey Focomats Ic were produced?

Roughly from 1972 to 1978. Called the Focomat Ic Color. That refers to the filter tray the oval head can take. The earlier round headed Focomats Ic did not have the filter tray..

If it has the Focotar 50mm it was sold with (we are never sure about that) it's serial number can give an idea. You find it on a black ring at the rear of the lens. Use a loupe if you do not see it. https://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Enlargers_and_Film_Processing#Leitz_Enlarger_Lenses

If your Focotar has the lens information on the side of the lens, it is either Focotar 50mm or Focotar-2 50mm. The Focotar-2 was the last Focotar Leitz made and would indicate 1974-1979.

If your Focotar 50mm has it's lens info on the front of the lens, it was made before the grey Focomats and will not give an indication about the age of the enlarger

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by M.Hilo

[naciobrown]

Thanks for the reply. At the base of the post is a label saying "Focomat a 1c." The head is gray, as I said, but there is no filter drawer. Do you still think 1972-1978 is correct even without the filter drawer?

[M.Hilo]

2 hours ago, naciobrown said:

Thanks for the reply. At the base of the post is a label saying "Focomat a 1c." The head is gray, as I said, but there is no filter drawer. Do you still think 1972-1978 is correct even without the filter drawer?

The filter drawer was optional. Those who printed b & w did not need one. In that case the horizontal slot on the left side of the lower half of the lamphouse was covered by a metal plate. You can just pull it out.

If none of that goes for your enlarger, take some pictures of it and show them here . . .

This I write a little later: I just remembered there did exist a light grey round headed 1c without the filter drawer. They came with the red Leitz dot on the front of the lower half of the lamphead. I imagine these were made at the very beginning when Leitz changed to grey enlargers. Early seventies. I don't think many were made.

The grey of the last Ic is darker than that of the early grey I c enlargers.

 

Edited August 17, 2021 by M.Hilo

[naciobrown]

Mine has a red dot with "Leitz Wetzlar" written in it near the top edge of the lower part of the lamp housing just above the white handle. Thanks for your help with this. I read in the Leitz V35 book that Leitz was always tweaking the products and that many versions of the Focomat were made.

njb