Enlarger identification

HandleyPhoto · Jan 17, 2025

Hello, I acquired a 4x5 confessor enlarger for relatively cheap but it has no bulb and needed some cleaning and such. Can anyone identify this enlarger ? I thought it was omega because it came with omega neg carriers but after looking through the omega enlarger guide I found nothing that looks like it. I also tried looking up the type 91B but found nothing and Belfort instruments seems to specialize in meteorological instruments not photographic equipment. Any help would be great, just trying to find more negative carriers and a bulb for the enlarger.

Thank you
-Jacob

xkaes · Jan 17, 2025

A lot of enlargers go through modifications of one sort or another -- for example that light source -- so they don't look anything like what's in a catalog. I'd try to find an enlarger that has a similar column/chassis. That reminds me of Omega -- but I'm no Omega expert.

ic-racer · Jan 17, 2025

Agree with xkaes, looks like an omega chassis with some oddball light source. Omega has a characteristic parallelogram lift mechanism, that is shown on that enlarger too.

Kino · Jan 17, 2025

Yes, this looks like a US Government "contractor's special"; an enlarger modified to be 10X the cost of a perfectly serviceable, off the shelf enlarger.

Note the "AF" prefix in the contract number denoting "Air Force".

https://nationalstocknumber.info/part-number/en-91b_00-200-4351

If you can find a copy of the US Army Technical manual 'TM 11-6740-265-12-1", PRINTER, PROJECTION, PHOTOGRAPHIC EN-91B (NSN 6740-00-935-2938) " you will be all set...

And yes, all US Services use/used it...

Sundowner · Jan 17, 2025

That an odd one... very cool, though. Hooray for government mods!

Paul Howell · Jan 17, 2025

By the 70s it gone from standard base darkrooms, I never saw one, it was not used in the modular air transportable darkrooms the Army and Air Froce used from Vietnam to the Gulf WAr. Whatever it was seems to set for very dense 4X5 negatives, thinking recon,or satellite, maybe for weather when satellites still used film. Does it take a standard bulb?

MattKing · Jan 17, 2025

Check for more information on the back of the chassis. You might find some Omega references there.

Paul Howell · Jan 17, 2025

You might to send an email with photo to KHB photografix they might know what it is and what it was used for. The large vents at the top of the condenser makes me think it used with very hot bulbs. Other thought a point source head, is the bulb look to be very small?

reddesert · Jan 17, 2025

If you post a photo of the negative carriers you did get, someone may be able to identify them or to match them to known Omega negative carriers.

Paul Howell · Jan 17, 2025

It looks to be standard Omega D2 XL coloume, basebaod, and negative stage carrier, what looks to custom is the consenter and lamp. I expect that standard D2 carriers will work. The condenser looks to be taller not sure what the purpose of the box on top of the condenser is, then the lamp stage took to larger with those large vents.

Sundowner · Jan 17, 2025

I did some AI-assisted searching; ChatGPT o1 thinks it's specific to aerial recon enlargement.

Paul Howell · Jan 17, 2025

That had been my first thought as well, 5'' film stock, hot bulb for quick prints on low contrast paper.

Sundowner · Jan 17, 2025

Paul Howell said:
That had been my first thought as well, 5'' film stock, hot bulb for quick prints on low contrast paper.

Well, the vented soup can on top would support that theory; there's basically no structural reason for them to be there, so that kind of leaves airflow as the only likely candidate. The lower row could be intake, and the upper row and top-surface holes would be outflow.

I don't know much about how recon film was handled back in the day, but from what I've been told there were a lot of negatives to handle in a very short time, so that would support your theory as well.

Paul Howell · Jan 17, 2025

The recon folks had there own darkroom and gear. I never worked at base with a dedicated recon unit. As I understand it, the printing was done on an automated setup, the enlarger might have been used to make selected enlargements. I still wonder if it is a modified point source set up, what bulb, if there a rheostat to control light output. Point source enlargers use the lens wide open and control light with a rheostat, and bulb can be raised up and down and side to side to keep the bear bulb filament in the optimum position.

choiliefan · Jan 18, 2025

Might that be a point-source housing? The condenser box looks like a standard D2V without the Omega decal, on the surface, at the least.

Paul Howell · Jan 18, 2025

You might be right, at first glance I thought the box was sealed, may not be, the lower condenser is taller than the condenser on my D3.

HandleyPhoto · Jan 18, 2025

It does take a standard bulb, tested it out with a safelight bulb when I was at the camera store I got it from. Since I wouldn't be using these denser films should I just go with a more standard enlarger light source?

Also I took a look inside the condenser housing and it seems like it has an adjustable condenser height based on what lens you are using.

Thank you all for helping with the identification, crazy to think this was potentially used for military recon. In retrospect it makes a lot of sense as I also picked up as recon lens from the same store (Shout out Hidden Light) and they said it all came from some old photographers storage unit maybe he was an ex-military photographer?

Sundowner · Jan 18, 2025

HandleyPhoto said:
It does take a standard bulb, tested it out with a safelight bulb when I was at the camera store I got it from. Since I wouldn't be using these denser films should I just go with a more standard enlarger light source?

Depends on what bulb was supposed to be in it. As I'm currently learning, bulb placement and size make a difference.

HandleyPhoto said:
Thank you all for helping with the identification, crazy to think this was potentially used for military recon. In retrospect it makes a lot of sense as I also picked up as recon lens from the same store (Shout out Hidden Light) and they said it all came from some old photographers storage unit maybe he was an ex-military photographer?

Or it was part of a government sale; they got rid of that stuff years ago, and at rock-bottom prices. Might have just been part of a lot sale, or who knows what.

Paul Howell · Jan 18, 2025

Does it have a condenser that fits the multi condenser housing? The D2 to 5 variable condenser models had a second conderner that had 3 positions depending on the lens used. The standard D2 took a 75 watt bulb, I have used a 150, I bet this model will take up to a 300 watt bulb without overheating. For negatives of standard density a 75 should do. But, if you don't have the second condenser when printing from a smaller than 4X5 negative you might need to use a 150 bulb you don't have the full benefit of the condenser that matches a 50mm or 105mm lens. The second condenser is not used when printing 135 to 162. (at least with a standard D, with that extra tall condenser. not really sure.) You also need a couple of lens boards, a flat or recessed board for the 50 to 80mm and a lens board for a 90 to 105 and one for 135 to 162.

If your missing the second condenser you might be able to find one online, just need to measure your housing to make it sure it is the same as the standard.

Enlarger identification

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