Gnome Beta II

Hi all, does anyone know anything about Gnome Beta IIs? I'm looking for an old style enlarger that will allow me to enlarge the 6x9 monochrome negs from my old ore-war folders. My lpl6700 will only go to 6x7. I'm only looking to enlarge to 5x7.5 inches prints really, and the tallest column I can fit into my darkroom is 100cm. Its not worth reconfiguring my darkroom to accommodate a taller enlarger like one of the Kaisers, and I don't want to spend too much cash on what will be only the occasional print. I've got a small list of possible 6x9 enlargers and the Gnome Beta II is on there. I've seen a few cheap but only with 35mm carriers. Do you need specific condensers too or anyone got any other suggestions for short, cheap basic 6x9 enlarger? The magnifax's are an obvious one but I think they may be too tall.

Ta!

xtolsniffer said:

Hi all, does anyone know anything about Gnome Beta IIs? I'm looking for an old style enlarger that will allow me to enlarge the 6x9 monochrome negs from my old ore-war folders. My lpl6700 will only go to 6x7. I'm only looking to enlarge to 5x7.5 inches prints really, and the tallest column I can fit into my darkroom is 100cm. Its not worth reconfiguring my darkroom to accommodate a taller enlarger like one of the Kaisers, and I don't want to spend too much cash on what will be only the occasional print. I've got a small list of possible 6x9 enlargers and the Gnome Beta II is on there. I've seen a few cheap but only with 35mm carriers. Do you need specific condensers too or anyone got any other suggestions for short, cheap basic 6x9 enlarger? The magnifax's are an obvious one but I think they may be too tall.

Ta!

Click to expand...

One possibility would be scanning the negatives and then printing them on a photo quality printer. I know, I know....its digital. But in the service of film!

I've actually done that to see what the negs look like enlarged, but it's just no fun!

Beseler 23c series enlargers can do 6x9. They don't require changing condensers (a knob on the head changes the built in condensers for different film sizes from 35mm to 6x9), are well made and cheap.

xtol sniffer's in the UK so it's probably better to stick with something he can get "locally"

Why not build an adjustable table so you can drop the enlarger a bit?

Thanks for the replies. My darkroom is a shed that I have assembled inside my garage. I have hot and cold running water and a sink but the downside is that space is very limited. The bench is an old wardrobe door mounted on top of a couple of two-drawer filing cabinets I got from an office clearance and where I keep all my chemicals, so I can't lower the bench. I have looked at getting more headroom as the best I can manage if 100 cm against the wall, though as the roof slopes, I get more headroom further away from the wall. I could raise the roof but given that I might only make a few 6x9 prints a month, it seems like a lot of effort, and my existing LPL6700 does pretty much everything else I need (though printing 12x16 is a push as the edge of the projected image is very close to the column and I can't use my usual easel as the edge of the easel hits the column). I can see myself going two routes: a cheap old 6x9 enlarger for the occasional image, or, as it's my 50th birthday soon, treating myself to a new Kaiser VCP9005 and raising the roof. I do quite like the idea of using a vintage enlarger for negs from vintage cameras though, it sounds fun!

xtolsniffer said:

Thanks for the replies. ...
... I can see myself going two routes: a cheap old 6x9 enlarger for the occasional image...

Click to expand...

I'm in the UK, Milton Keynes, and could offer you a Gnome Beta II. I've had it for decades, and have hardly used it.

It has an 11cm F/4 Ross Resolux lens* (barely feel-able click stops) and which screws in to the thread (I checked just in case...), a double glass masking frame, twin large condensers, and it's complete with the optional side-column which allows extra height if you need it. The small baseboard is very well scratched by previous owners. It's complete with a bc mount 230V 75W proper enlarger bulb - old style - it's not one of the modern rubbish types, but how much life is left I've no idea. The enlarger chassis is earthed, and the lead to the lamp socket is switched. The enlarger-head height clamp works, I don't know if the bellows now leak, but probably easily fixable.
*The lens is heavy (brass rather than plastics) and looks very clean, with a near circular diaphragm when stopped down.

Any interest?

Certainly would be! A couple of questions though, how tall is it from table-top to the top of the column, and does the neg carrier and condenser cover 6x9? I don't know much about these enlargers, whether there were 35mm and general medium format condensers or whether there were separate 6x6 and 6x9 condensers. Milton Keynes is a two and a bit hour journey for me but this could solve my dilemma

The Agfa Varioscop is a old style professional enlarger.

Concerning the height of the collumn:
this and the maximum height of the enlarger are something different. Depending on the design of the enlarger (head directly mounted or via parallelogram) that difference varies even with similar heads and max. rises.

The Ross Resolux lenses were excellent - I used a few years ago, the only issue with a Gnome Beta II is the bench to ceiling / ceiling height as the lamp housing is quite tall, but that goes for any older vertical condenser enlarger. I used one in the 1960's, you need to adjust the bulb to get best illumination depending on the size of the enlargement - it's not a big deal, having said that the results are excellent.

Ian

xtolsniffer said:

Certainly would be! A couple of questions though, how tall is it from table-top to the top of the column, and does the neg carrier and condenser cover 6x9? ...

Click to expand...

I've taken a few snaps, and I'll measure the heights later. The negative carrier is definitely 6cm x 9cm, and the condensers cover that 6 x 9. I'll check whether the lamp position is adjustable.

I also had a Ross Resolux 11cm lens and I thought that the Click Stops were faulty, but like yours they were very indistinct. I used mine as a close up lens fitted to a set of Pentax bellows and yes it was sharp when stopped down to over F5.6

Malcolm Stewart said:

I've taken a few snaps, and I'll measure the heights later. The negative carrier is definitely 6cm x 9cm, and the condensers cover that 6 x 9. I'll check whether the lamp position is adjustable.

Click to expand...

The baseboard is 30.4cm x 38cm. The standard column is 58cm high.
The top of the lamp house when at the top of the column is 88cm above the baseboard - small allowance for lamp cable. At this height the negative stage to baseboard is 56cm.
The lamp position is fixed in the lamp house.
The top of the lamp house is ~30cm above the negative stage.
If the additional column is put into use, the enlarger head can be up to 36cm higher.

Sounds perfect! PM sent...