Beseler 23cII 1960s vs 1980s

[68degrees]

Are there any Beseler experts in the house? Can anyone here compare the quality of the Blue version with beige rails from the mid 1960s vs the Black version from 1985. Also, can anyone decipher the tag to determine the date? Thanks

 

[back alley]

http://www.oresteen.com/bess23c.htm

ever try google?

 

[68degrees]

http://www.oresteen.com/bess23c.htm

ever try google?

ya i love google, 😀 it always leads me back to RFF. Thats how I found RFF. Ive seen that enlarger site many times. It doesnt talk about date codes or quality comparisons. Besides I prefer to add content and traffic to this site and I enjoy the brilliant insight and wealth of experience from the members here who have it. Thanks anyway though. Cheers

 

[ZorkiKat]

I have the 1960's "Blue" 23CII. It's a finely made machine, and worked well when it did. The nylon elevation gears are now broken, and needs replacing.

The enlarger even has the 1972 DGA dichro colour head. The fitting looks clumsy, but works elegantly.

I don't really know how the 80s "Black" 23CII were made, but I can say that the Blues were really made of tough stuff.

 

[Morry Katz]

I've been using my 23C XL for the past 25 years without any problems. It's built like a tank. Does what it's supposed to do without fuss. Not pretty but effective.