Beseler CB7 whats the fuss?

Melvin J Bramley · Jul 17, 2023

I hear glowing reviews of the Beseler CB7; why the interest?
Is it better than a Beseler 45 MXT ?

No interest in buying one, just curious.

Tim Stapp · Jul 29, 2023

I have one. It is a beast. Very solid and well braced. Motorized all over, including focus, gross and fine.

Every possible alignment is adjustable.

I chose to utilized the Ilford under lens filters because the filter drawer is larger than normal. I'd have had to buy the 12 inch and cut them down.

I'm not sure what they are going for now, but I pain $20 for mine years ago.

I have to add: they also use the same lensboards as the 23C Beseler enlargers. So I can swap lenses between my two 23Cs and my CB7.

mshchem · Jul 29, 2023

Monsters. Beseler made a 5x7 that was huge had a vignette inter stage. The 5x7 was aimed at the wedding photographer

xkaes · Jul 29, 2023

Besides what has been mentioned, the CB7 has a much wider condenser than the 45 series providing more even illumination. Above condenser filters have to be SEVEN x SEVEN inches!!! I cut mine down from 12" filters -- hard to find).

I have a CB-7 and a 45 MXII. The CB-7 cannot do horizontal exposures (easily). It has a narrower chassis, a taller frame, a longer baseboard. The newer 45 enlargers have more head options, but the CB-7 is still a winner. Beseler even made a Point Light Source for it.

P.S. Not all CB-7 have auto-focusing. Mine doesn't. I paid $200 for mine, but it came with two Schneider lenses. I sold the lenses, so I got the enlarger for free. Lenses board and negative carriers are interchangeable with all 45-series enlargers & CB-7.

I use my CB-7 for B&W, and my 45 MXII for color -- 4x5 to Minox.

Tim Stapp · Jul 30, 2023

xkaes said:
Besides what has been mentioned, the CB7 has a much wider condenser than the 45 series providing more even illumination. Above condenser filters have to be SEVEN x SEVEN inches!!! I cut mine down from 12" filters -- hard to find).

I have a CB-7 and a 45 MXII. The CB-7 cannot do horizontal exposures (easily). It has a narrower chassis, a taller frame, a longer baseboard. The newer 45 enlargers have more head options, but the CB-7 is still a winner. Beseler even made a Point Light Source for it.

P.S. Not all CB-7 have auto-focusing. Mine doesn't. I paid $200 for mine, but it came with two Schneider lenses. I sold the lenses, so I got the enlarger for free. Lenses board and negative carriers are interchangeable with all 45-series enlargers & CB-7.

I use my CB-7 for B&W, and my 45 MXII for color -- 4x5 to Minox.

I've never owned a 45 series enlarger, so I did not know that. I don't print much past 11x14, so the height has never been an issue for me.

I think that you mis understood. Mine is not auto focusing, it is powered focusing. The powered fine focusing is great, with a knob attached to the gearing to manually get the focus spot on.

xkaes · Jul 31, 2023

Thanks for the clarification. I meant "power-focusing", of course. Since I don't have it on my CB-7, I really didn't know what term Beseler used for it. My CB-7 has all the "slots" for it on the baseboard -- all empty -- but it works fine without it. Beseler sold the power-focusing parts as an add-on kit for those who wanted to add it on later. Since the CB-7 was very expensive when it was introduced, offering "power-focusing" as an option made sense.

The frame on the CB-7 is about six inches taller than the standard 45 frame -- fortunately not a big deal for me.

Tim Stapp · Jul 31, 2023

Mine came from a pro lab originally. When everyone went digital, they had a fire sale.

xkaes · Jul 31, 2023

ENJOY YOUR "BEAST"!!!

I have the manual if you need one.

Tim Stapp · Jul 31, 2023

Paper or electronic? I'd like either.

Loose Gravel · Aug 5, 2023

Fabulous machines. I have two. I replaced both my 45mxt with these. Modified the heads on both. One is LED and the other 8x10 LED.

As my vision got fuzzy and I had to use the grain focuser more, I couldn't reach the focus knob and see the grain at the same time. Shoulders aren't as flexible as before either. Plus it has swing and tilt at the lens with a fine pitch knob control for vertical corrections.

I've had them several years now. With the deals I got, they ended up free except the drive to fetch them. Both were complete, but I didn't need the condensers nor the Time-O-Lite timers, so those have been sold off. When I bought them, both sellers said they had salvaged them from being tossed. One was from UCLA and the other from Fresno State.

If you can find one, buy it.

Beseler CB7 whats the fuss?

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