Retro fit a color head?

[non sequiteur]

I have an old omega D2, with cams for all my lenses, and all the negative holder (well, all I need at least), and a set of kodak polycontrast filters. A dream for b&w work. But I somehow would like to start with color work again. Would it be possible to retro fit a chromega head from the newer omega units on my old D2? Anybody tried something like this?

Thanks.

 

[Ian C]

I don’t know what enlarger you actually have. The D2 and the DII that preceded it are manually focused. The D3 Automega and D4 Auto-Chromega enlargers use a cam specific to each particular lens to operate the focusing mechanism. It might be that you have a D2 head on a D3 or D4 chassis. The head designation does not lable the chassis model. That is usually found on the back of the column.

You can get more information about these on the KHB Photographix site. It lists which dichroic-filtered heads fit. Don’t waste your efforts and money on the older Chromega heads using dyed acetate filters. They’re no longer made and will have faded uselessly by now. A older Chromega head is shown mounted on the D4 on the following page. On the KHB site clicking on the photo of the enlarger model chosen will take you to the page for that model.

http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/Enlargers.htm

There are comments on the KHB page for the Chomega heads that speaks of the impracticality of converting an acetate-filtered head to dichroic filters. You can read it in the folling link:

http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/Chromega/Chromega.htm

 

[non sequiteur]

I don’t know what enlarger you actually have. The D2 and the DII that preceded it are manually focused. The D3 Automega and D4 Auto-Chromega enlargers use a cam specific to each particular lens to operate the focusing mechanism. It might be that you have a D2 head on a D3 or D4 chassis. The head designation does not lable the chassis model. That is usually found on the back of the column.

You can get more information about these on the KHB Photographix site. It lists which dichroic-filtered heads fit. Don’t waste your efforts and money on the older Chromega heads using dyed acetate filters. They’re no longer made and will have faded uselessly by now. A older Chromega head is shown mounted on the D4 on the following page. On the KHB site clicking on the photo of the enlarger model chosen will take you to the page for that model.

http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/Enlargers.htm

There are comments on the KHB page for the Chomega heads that speaks of the impracticality of converting an acetate-filtered head to dichroic filters. You can read it in the folling link:

http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/Chromega/Chromega.htm

Hmmm. In my head I was sure that I had a D2, but it does have cams for autofocus, so might be a D3 then. I bought it 20 years ago so I might remember it wrong... But it has the wooden baseboard

 

[Paul Howell]

I think the D3 shares the same color head as the D5. When I was still printing color I used filter packs. Here is a link the manual for the D3.

http://www.jollinger.com/photo/cam-coll/manuals/enlargers/omega/OmegaD3andD5.pdf

 

[ic-racer]

Can you post some pictures of your enlarger. That way it could be better determined if a Chromega II head will fit and if additional hardware will be required.

 

[non sequiteur]

Can you post some pictures of your enlarger. That way it could be better determined if a Chromega II head will fit and if additional hardware will be required.

Will do. But tomorrow. It's at the darkroom at work..

Beselers sells a led dichroic head, their former model was adaptable to omega. Maybe the led one will work too?

 

[Paul Howell]

Can you post some pictures of your enlarger. That way it could be better determined if a Chromega II head will fit and if additional hardware will be required.

I'snt the II head the same as the as the super? The super will fit a D3.

 

[MattKing]

One of my favorite poems:
"If it is an Omega D, then check KHB"
In this case, with the added refrain:
"In this case, try the page on the D3"
http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/Enlargers/D3.htm

 

[ic-racer]

I'snt the II head the same as the as the super? The super will fit a D3.

When in doubt, check KHB... this is what they write:

The Super Chromega D Dichroic was the first of Omega's third generation color lamphouses, and thus the first to use the new dichroic filters. It's testament to the quality of the original engineering that the same unit was in production, virtually unchanged, for over 40 years.
The only revision to this head occurred in 1974 when an on/off switch for the panel lamp was added, and the dial calibrations were changed from 0-150 to 0-168 to more closely match the filter values of acetate color printing filters. These small changes resulted in the unit being renamed the Super Chromega D Dichroic II.

 

[non sequiteur]

Hello. It was a d3!

IMG-20240905-161820-765 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-20240905-161820-765 hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

Dont laugh at my homemade bellows, I was in a rush.

 

[ic-racer]

The hardware on the D3 and the Super Chromega Dichroic are SAE. You will need to get longer rods for the lift arms. In the USA, just about any hardware store will have the rods which can be cut with a hacksaw.
The grub screws to remove the arms need an SAE wrench. In place of the long spacers, I used locking collars.

Chromega D head replacing Condenser Head

Looks like Omega made some longer adapter arms to allow the Super Chromega II head to retrofit the D condenser enlargers. It also looks like I can just get two new longer rods from McMaster Carr. There appear to be set-screws holding the levers to the rods. I'm thinking I'm going to take the...

www.photrio.com

 

[DREW WILEY]

It should be relatively easy to fit any 4X5 Chromega colorhead on an older D chassis. If buying a used unit, you have to make sure everything is in good order, including the power supply and fan. And check the condition of the dichroic filters themselves. Dichroic filters don't fade; but over the long haul they do get dirty, or worse, some of the coating can spall off and make the filters ineffective.

But if seeking an unused or new colorhead instead, at that kind of expense, it might be wiser to acquire an entirely new enlarger, or at least a whole setup in excellent condition, which doesn't necessarily have to be an Omega.

Auto focus is something which can be ignored. It was pretty darn primitive back then anyway. D series chassis are remarkably simple. For decades, the tensioning system was nothing more than a pair of Acme window sash balancing springs.

 

[MattKing]

Auto focus is something which can be ignored. It was pretty darn primitive back then anyway.

If one uses an enlarger in a production environment it is quite handy - as long as it is coupled with an easy to use fine focus adjustment.
Auto focus definitely speeds cropping and size adjustments.
The ones I used were Durst enlargers in a newspaper group darkroom, and speed was definitely important.

 

[ic-racer]

Of course, the D3 can't focus without the autofocus intact (correct cone, track and lens).

 

[non sequiteur]

Seems there are a few options:

-omega chromega ii
-beseler makes a unit that can be adapted to omega
-heiland electronics makes led head that fits omega
-devere makes a led head that can be fitted to omega.

 

[non sequiteur]

Seems there are a few options:

-omega chromega ii
-beseler makes a unit that can be adapted to omega
-heiland electronics makes led head that fits omega
-devere makes a led head that can be fitted to omega.

Possibly more

 

[eli griggs]

Hello. It was a d3!

IMG-20240905-161820-765 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-20240905-161820-765 hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

Dont laugh at my homemade bellows, I was in a rush.

Looks fine to me.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Oh my gosh, Matt - autofocus on one of those old leaning D chassis? That's like a Rolls Royce hood ornament on VW bug. Remember those? Sure, the Chromega series was used a lot by labs for general work, and they were reliable. But precise? Even the Durst autofocus units which cost a hundred times as much back then were often cussed at. I know where's there's a horizontal one for sale right now. I could rig up something far more precise in my own shop today if I wanted, and at a fraction of those kinds of prices. The available technology is just so much further along today, including precision laser distancing; and leftover industrial stepper motor systems are abundant.

 

[ic-racer]

D3 autofocus mechansim is an elegant mechancal device that works perfectly without electricity. I'm not sure how anyone could criticize it. After using one and going back to manual focus; wow, what a pain trying to frame any image with one hand on the focus and another on the head, going up and down trying to zero in on an intended composition that is in focus...

 

[DREW WILEY]

Well, having used and more solidly rebuilt an Omega chassis, let's just say that I'm now one of those Durst snobs that gravitates more toward real machined components rather than anodized aluminum.

 

[non sequiteur]

Well, having used and more solidly rebuilt an Omega chassis, let's just say that I'm now one of those Durst snobs that gravitates more toward real machined components rather than anodized aluminum.

I find that the autofocus works well for printing batches of smaller prints. And it's not that I'm heavily invested the omega system, it's just what I happen to have. LF enlargers are rare as hens teeth where I live, and I've been keeping an eye on the market for a long time. So while waiting for a durst laborator with a color head to show up I might as well try to make the best I can out the system I have.

 

[non sequiteur]

Oh my gosh, Matt - autofocus on one of those old leaning D chassis? That's like a Rolls Royce hood ornament on VW bug. Remember those? Sure, the Chromega series was used a lot by labs for general work, and they were reliable. But precise? Even the Durst autofocus units which cost a hundred times as much back then were often cussed at. I know where's there's a horizontal one for sale right now. I could rig up something far more precise in my own shop today if I wanted, and at a fraction of those kinds of prices. The available technology is just so much further along today, including precision laser distancing; and leftover industrial stepper motor systems are abundant.

Long tlme ago I took some color darkroom courses at the art school closest to me, they had durst units and a few deveres. I always liked the devere machines best, but the were floor units and the durst machines were bench models so really an unfair match.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Hmmm - I've never even seen a Durst bench model, just tall commercial units as well as horizontal ones. However, I'm aware that they did make quite a variety enlargers over the decades.

 

[non sequiteur]

Hmmm - I've never even seen a Durst bench model, just tall commercial units as well as horizontal ones. However, I'm aware that they did make quite a variety enlargers over the decades.

They exist

 

[DREW WILEY]

That's not a Durst commercial enlarger at all, but something from their separate amateur division. There are a number of L-series 4x5 bench enlargers in use in the US; I was once offered one for free, but didn't have space for yet another enlarger. Here most such anodized aluminum bench enlargers are Omega, Beseler, and Saunders brand instead - all good quality items, but not built anywhere near to the standards of real commercial or industrial enlargers. With one rare exception, the smallest commercial Dursts were 5x7 inch film capacity, on a 138 chassis. L184 10X10 units were also common; but their industrial enlargers were made clear up to 12X16 inch film size (I've never seen one of those either). I use both L138 5X7 and L184 10X10 floor standing models; most of the components are either machined or diecast. It would be prohibitively expensive to still manufacture such things that way today.