Omega concept 6 enlarger

[BetterSense]

I currently have a Beseler Printmaker 35 enlarger that works. However, it can't do medium format without being modded (I don't shoot much medium format B&W but that might change some day). I only paid $30 for it, so I could probably sell it and break even at worst. I know a local guy who is looking at selling his Omega concept 6 enlarger with some other stuff for $100. I searched the forum and didn't come up with a whole lot on this enlarger. It doesn't have a timer in the base like some pictures I've seen, but what looks like a paper safe, which is fine by me. The other stuff included is significant, if somewhat redundant to what I already have, but I was wondering if anyone knew a little bit more about this enlarger.

 

[Chan Tran]

Craigslist Austin, TX there is a guy who is selling 3 enlargers for $75. Two of them are Beseler 23CII with color head and in good condition. The other I don't know what kind but was disasembled. And the $75 is for all three of them.

 

[BetterSense]

That's good news for people who live near Austin, I suppose.

 

[Oren Grad]

The column and head are very similar to the current C700 model. I had a C700 as my first enlarger, about 20 years ago. It was very simple and adequately stable, but the condensers in mine were misaligned to the point where it could sometimes affect the prints. Eventually I got rid of it and replaced it with a Beseler 23CII-XL.

If you get a good sample it's a perfectly usable enlarger. But unless I was very strapped for cash, I'd hold out for a more robust and versatile machine like one of the 23C variants.

 

[BetterSense]

Ok I bought it anyway, because it was basically free, the way I figure it.

It turns out that the the "miscellaneous darkroom equipment" that it came with contained a complete darkroom, with 120 and 35mm tanks, reels, fotoflo, tongs, trays, thermometers, graduated cylinder, a fancy electronic enlarger timer, 150 sheets of Ilford paper, a complete under-the-lens set of Ilford multigrade filters, a changing bag, and some books. I figure the paper was worth nearly $100.

So now I have two enlargers, a Beseler Printmaker 35 and this Omega, which I don't even know if it all works yet. I don't really want two enlargers, and my friend has been looking for one, so I might give one of them to him. I'm not sure which one to keep though.

 

[John Koehrer]

That's good news for people who live near Austin, I suppose.

If some people would put their location in their profile it would help. Geographically speaking of course.

 

[BetterSense]

Oh, I didn't know my location was blank. I edited it.

I wonder, are the lenses interchangeable between this Printmaker 35 and the Omega? In case they are, which one is considered better? I could swap the worse lets out to the Beseler before I give it away.