Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]<<Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 21:26:53 -0600 From: Mike Johnston <michaeljohnston@ameritech.net> Subject: [Leica] SaltHill enlarger Message-ID: <B62CD29D.640%michaeljohnston@ameritech.net> References: > Mike, out of curiosity, what do you think about the SaltHill enlarger? The > idea > sounded cool (fiber optics, no heat, no vibrations). Is it still made? > > Thanks. No, it's not. SaltHill's been out of business for several years. It was a great idea but a sad story from start to finish. I know the whole story from the inside (Joe Saltzer, President of SaltHill, was the one who put me together with the _PHOTO Techniques_ job and he remains a friend--in fact I spoke to him a few days ago). You're right, it was a great idea. Joe made two mistakes--dealing on a handshake, and designing from good engineering sense rather than accomodating the known prejudices of the market. Where the idea really would have made sense was in an 8x10 enlarger. Sadly, the control unit designed for the 4x5 could not be readily adopted for 8x10, and the volume of the 8x10 enlarger market simply doesn't support the needed investment. The few SaltHill enlargers that made it to market will be collector pieces in the future, once everybody's doing digital and darkroom equipment finally becomes collectible. <g> - - --Mike>> Well that explains something for me. I purchased a Vortex tray and a 20" "power squeege from Joe when I called back to order the alignment tool. After I ordered I asked him when the 8x10 head would be out for his enlarger so I could buy it (yes at the time I actually thought I would shoot 8x10 all the time<g>) and he almost had a temper tantrum on the phone. The experience was such a negative, that even when I got my alignment tool I struggled on my own and with the folks on GEnie at the time (if anyone remembers that service) to get it to work rather than call back. Perhaps he was just stressed because the company was going under. I think at least part of the story with Salthill was that Joe was not quite a "people person" and handled the support as well as the design. He certainly made some of the best, and most expensive, dark room gear you could find. BTW, I have been offered 2x what I paid for the power squeege and turned it down...so I guess it is collectible after all. <g> My two copecks, Rich