Enlarger: LPL C6700 Questions.

[ChrisC]

Hey guys.

On a local trade site I stumbled across a guy selling a LPL C6700 enlarger, and thought it would be a good place to start with for my first enlarger. It comes with a whole swag of accessories (absolutly everything I'd need to set up a darkroom), except it doesnt have a 6x6 negative carrier, my main format!

I've done quite a bit of research about it, and I found that it looks like LPL was branded as Omega in the USA, correct? Once there I had a look on the B&H site, and I came across this:
Omega 6x6 Negative carrier for 6700 series enlarger

Unless I'm horribly wrong (it's happened before!) would I be quite correct in saying that this negative carrier would fit this enlarger like a glove? I wouldn't have any troubles using this enlarger with B&W either would I, with itbeing colour and all?

Thanks once again for my abundance of questions! Any one who can verify what I've found so far will be a huge help!



Best regards,
Chris.

 

[brimc76]

Chris, I used a Saunders C670XL for years and thought it was a great enlarger. The negative carrier in the link you posted looks identical to the ones I used. With a colour head you can dial in your filtration for variable grade B&W papers. Also, if you pick up Les McLean's book on "Creative Black and White Photography" it will explain how to use your enlarger for split grade printing.

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

I beleive Omega took over distribution of Saunders Enlargers in the US. they used to be handled by a company in Rochester who's name I forgot (they distributed other photo supplies).

 

[ChrisC]

This is all becoming a little clearer now. So Saunders is the original name LPL enlargers came into the US with? So an Omega 6700 negative carrier should work with an LPL C6700 enlarger? Just incase you want a little bit of reference on the LPL enlarger to see if it looks similar to the Saunders/Omega variant:

Second enlarger down

Thanks for the help so far. I really don't want to be buying an enlarger that I won't be able to use for months on end while I find the right negative carrier for it. And the auction ends in 24 hours!

 

[Sean]

better yet, do as i did, and get the glass carrier if you can swing it, AN top piece and glass base. I got mine of BH and it's for my LPL C7700 and it's very ncie..

 

[Lee Shively]

I'm trying to decide on a new medium format enlarger and have been considering the LPL 670 series. From what I've read, the enlarger is actually made by LPL in Japan and is found in the USA as both Saunders/LPL and Omega/LPL brands--I don't know which is the current distributor. It's kind of confusing since B&H sells the Omega/LPL versions and Calumet sells the Saunders/LPL versions but both seem to be identical and use the same negative carriers.