is this a good enlarger?

[JeremyLangford]

I just found this enlarger on craigslist. It is an Omega B22. I am in the process of building a darkroom space in my basement so I will obviously need an enlarger.

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/pho/1334698736.html

Is it worth buying?

 

[venchka]

Not really. You can do better. Aim for something that handles at least 6x9 negatives. i owned and liked a Beseler 23-CII. They made CI, CII and CIII.

I got a 4x5 Omega D5 Color and an Omega B66 for free. Keep looking. The little enlarger came with a complete darkroom. "Can you come and get it?" You know I did.

 

[Steve M.]

Depends on what you shoot, and if he has a lens and/or negative carriers w/ it. If you just need to do modest size B&W prints up to 11x14 it will work just fine. It can handle 35mm, 6x4.5 and 6x6 negs. Getting good prints is more about who's doing the enlarging than the enlarger, assuming it's aligned correctly and has a decent lens. The B22 is an excellent way to start, and doesn't take up a lot of room. Your real money will be spent on lenses, neg carriers and filters. I'd say that his price is very good even w/o a lens or carriers.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I have the model with the extra long column and oversized baseboard, the Omega B-22 XL. I bought it new in 1964 and I'm still using it 45 years later. It bought me a house, a dozen or more cars, put a wife and a couple of kids through college and grad school, paid for my boat and paid for my Leicas. Not bad for a $140 investment. If all you do is shoot 35mm and 6x6 you can't find a better machine. Go for it!

 

[venchka]

Forget I was here.

It's still overpriced.

 

[amateriat]

Interesting...I have one just like it, and I'm trying to give it away, literally. I'd keep it, but there's no way I'll ever set it up properly here, and it's taking up more space than I'd like. Too bad we're more than a few states apart!


- Barrett

 

[colyn]

It's a good enlarger if you only want to do 35mm. Price looks to be reasonable as long as it is complete. Many are found with missing filter drawers..

 

[wgerrard]

After starting a thread or two around here basically asking 'Can I put a darkroom in my bathroom?", I've ordered a B-22, so I hope it's a decent enlarger. I don't see myself shooting medium format, much less anything larger. Small and light cameras are good.

If it lasts me as long as Al's has lasted for him, I'll be doing prints when I'm 106. Not a bad thought. The boat would be nice, too.

Question: I'll need to acquire an easel and a timer, among other trinkets. Does the timer need to be matched to the enlarger, or are they generic devices? Also, darkroom clocks seem to be rather expensive. Why?

 

[colyn]

Question: I'll need to acquire an easel and a timer, among other trinkets. Does the timer need to be matched to the enlarger, or are they generic devices? Also, darkroom clocks seem to be rather expensive. Why?

I use a couple of GraLab 300 timers so matching is not required. Any darkroom timer will do.

While new timers are somewhat expensive good ones can be had cheap on eBay..

 

[Al Kaplan]

Timers are sorta generic. The big Gray-Lab has big hands with glow in the dark tips and dial and will time up to an hour, but it is BIG. The smaller Time-O-Lite is better suited for enlarger use. You can plug in the enlarger and the safelight so the safelight goes off when the enlarger is on so it's easier to focus.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Always keep at least two spare bulbs on hand in case you drop one while trying to replace the burned out one. Three A.M of an all night printing session isn't the time to wonder if Walgreens just might carry 211-A bulbs after all.

 

[wgerrard]

I'm a bit confused. There's one timer that serves the same purpose as when developing. I.e., timing how long it's been in the developer, the stop bath, the fixer, etc. Then, there's the timer that controls the duration of the exposure on the enlarger, turning it on and off for you. (I'm assuming mere humans can't be trusted to just wing that.)

Right?

 

[Al Kaplan]

If you want to make several prints it's nice if all the sheets of paper have the same exposure. Usually a two minute development is the most a print needs. The stop or quick water rinse isn't critical and the fixer doesn't need exact timing either.

You only need to time your print exposure and your film development with precision.

 

[crawdiddy]

I've never timed my print development. I thought that's what the safelight was for-- take it out when it's done? Actually, I try to expose so that it develops in about 90 seconds, and it won't develop any more. (Is that the same as developing to exhaustion?)

I'm not as experienced as Al, but I just didn't realize print development should be timed.

Btw, I use a Beseler 23C. May not be the best rig, but I have no complaints, except it will not do 6x9, now that I have acquired a Kodak Medalist. :-(

 

[Al Kaplan]

You want to develop a print more or less to "completion" which at 68f/20c is about 90 seconds. Most papers won't get much darker with development beyond that point.

Right now in Miami, Florida my tap water is 84f and the AC is set at 78f so a one minute development time is enough for prints, but the shorter the development time the more important it is to agitate throughout the development.

 

[Al Kaplan]

crawdiddy, that 23C is a 6x9cm enlarger! Are you sure that you have the right negative carrier?

 

[Trius]

If you need longer print development time, try Amidol. 😀

 

[Ronald M]

Al`s advice about two extra bulbs reminds me what happened to me. I brought a B3 Omega to school and was setting it up on a Sunday evening upon arrival. Pull off the head to check the bulb. It popped. Good thing I had a spare. That popped too. One last chance. Yup that one was bad too.

Come to find out the bulbs were made to burn in a certain position in the enlarger. Did not learn that til decades later, maybe 1985.

And I could not find bulbs anywhere in Lafayette Indiana on a Sunday nite. Town had three camera stores in 1965 none of which were open on Sunday night. All night drug stores do not carry them.

BTW Barrys camera is still ther 45 years later.

 

[shadowfox]

I don't see myself shooting medium format, much less anything larger.

You don't see it coming, it'll just happen naturally 🙂

 

[venchka]

Right on!

Right on!

You don't see it coming, it'll just happen naturally 🙂

There you go. Perhaps I was here afterall.

When I was offered a 4x5 enlarger I didn't own a 4x5 camera. After I got the 4x5 enlarger home I figured I needed a 4x5 camera. Isn't it nice how things work out? 😀

Never turn down a free enlarger. Or a free darkroom.

The 23C is a 6x9 enlarger. Do you have the correct lens? Did you set the condensors correctly? There's a hand wheel that adjusts the condensor. A 105mm lens is good.