Buying my first enlarger - Seattle, WA, USA area

So I’m seeing different options from Omega, Beseler, and Durst. I currently shoot 35mm and 6x6; I don’t have a 4x5 camera yet.

Some are parts of big darkroom sell-offs that seem well/tested; others are more like “I don’t know how to test it but it lights up” or “the bulb is out but the motors work so that’s pretty cool”.

I am going to try and make my downstairs bathroom into my darkroom eventually. The darkroom tent is a stopgap that I found new and cheap locally. I develop film in the kitchen right now. That bathroom is shared with the cats so I need to include a plan to get their litter boxes out of there which is going to require some other logistics, including maybe moving the cats into my home office. Or maybe do some plumbing into the home office to make it a darkroom. I have drop ceilings all through the bottom floor so I’ll need to find a way to block light from the upstairs level as well as the normal sources.

Some local options:

The first one isn’t available until March. The “make me an offer” sounds promising?

Some more complete, complex, expensive options

Tom Taylor said:

I have a Beseler 23CiiXL (up to 6x9) complete with condenser head, baseboard, 75mm El Nikkor lens, and several negative holders that I will sell you for just $100 US. You would have to either pick it up from me in the bay area or arrange your own pick-up and shipping. This is my first enlarger but before I could set it up I found a Beseler 45MXT and set that up in an unused corner of the bedroom on a Beseler adjust table with a Beseler Dichro 45S light source. The 23C has been sitting in my closet ever since covered with a large contractors trash bag.

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This sounds amazing but I am going to try options that are a little closer to home first!

aconbere said:

I have a Beseler 4x5 Color head I’m selling (South Seattle) will happily make a deal.

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If I end up with a Beseler I will check back on this!

Also found someone with a complete Ilford Multigrade setup (I think even with a printing machine?) for like 2K which seems excessive for my goals right now.

This is a great option:



Especially if it has a bulb and proper holders.

I agree with @Don_ih , (!)
For ease of discussion, it might help to put each item of interest into its own post

Don_ih said:

This is a great option:

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Especially if it has a bulb and proper holders.

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Absolutely!!!
The Blue painted Beseler stuff is mid 70's. Beseler colorheads offen are plagued with a bad optoisolator (ask me how I know)
Beware of machines that require special timers or power supplies.
The little Omega machine in good repair would be nice.