Omega D2 enlarger

[Heroique]

Just FYI you don't really need a 50mm lens for 35mm - the 80mm will do just fine for 35mm as well as 6x6 (according to Fred Picker you should actually use the lens for the next higher format.)

An 80mm on the D2/D2v (for 35mm work) is my preference too. Especially if a print is on the small side, say less than 8x10. Due to the enlarger’s design, an 80mm can provide more head room in such situations, and make printing a little more easy and comfortable.

[rdenney]

The Omega carriers are aluminum, but anything that is rigid will do. Using good stiff cardboard or foam core you could easily make your own carriers. Fact is, you can fabricate a decent lamp box from foam core, too.

I'd be leery of foam-core in high-heat applications, though. My D3 lamp housing gets hot! Maybe for an LED-based cold-light head or some such.

Rick "who has at least one negative holder for the D3 that was made for some other enlarger" Denney

[neil poulsen]

As far as learning more about the D2 and compatible parts, be sure visit Harry Taylor’s forum at Classic-enlargers.com.

The forum is full of useful info, and you will always learn more than you think.

Pay close attention to Harry’s responses – for he is the Omega Man. If you feel adventurous, post some questions of your own, and you’ll get tips that are free, knowledgeable, and friendly. Good luck, the Omega D2 is a great enlarger.

Send him questions. I sent him an inquiry about a D6 that I have and received a very thorough response.

[John Rhilinger]

Thank you all! John Jarosz, I will message you tomorrow (midnight here). To Cyrus and Heroique, the tip on an 80mm lens is helpful since I'm scouting several of those on e-bay right now.

Which leads to my next naive question: I see a lens board on e-bay ($12) for the D2. It specifies a 30mm hole. Is there anything special about that diameter or is that the standard housing dia on enlarger lenses?

[John Rhilinger]

Oh boy . . . just answered my own question. I now see 5 lens boards for the D2 on e-bay, all with different openings.

Most lenses on e-bay don't list this dimension. Do I just buy one then look for the right board? Or buy a random round plate and cut a hole?

Since I see several 80mm listings, what specific ones do you use and what are their diameters?

[cyrus]

80mm f/5.6 EL-Nikkor, uses boards w/ 39mm holes -- pretty standard. You'll probably find a lens on a lensboard already if you wait instead of buying them separatey.

Have you downloaded the manual for the enlarger yet? Aligning it is going to be ooooooohhhh so fun! Yes, quite.

[John Rhilinger]

You have all been a great help. I have secured a 4x5 neg carrier, and a thank you to John Jarosz who is sending me a 6x7. Have a 50mm lens for it but keep getting outbid on the 80's Oh well, in due time. I owe a huge thanks to Don Bryant as well who has provided me with an abundance of other darkroom equipment. Without your help, Don, this would still be a pipe dream.

I am a teacher with school starting up, so I fell from the forum during my pre-planning week. But I am grateful to have linked with so many helpful people with the expertise I lack. I look forward to posting my own work soon.

[rdenney]

You have all been a great help. I have secured a 4x5 neg carrier, and a thank you to John Jarosz who is sending me a 6x7. Have a 50mm lens for it but keep getting outbid on the 80's Oh well, in due time

You'll also need something in the 135-180 range for the 4x5. Neither the 80 nor the 50 will have sufficient coverage to see all of the 4x5 negative. I have a 139mm Bausch and Lomb Tessar that I used for 4x5, and as I recall it needed a 4-1/2" lens cone or something in that vicinity on my D3. It was a pretty good enlarging lens for a condenser enlarger (it wasn't that contrasty), but the last time I looked at it there was some separation happening.

KEH has several enlarging lenses in that range, including a $33 Komura 135mm and a $19 Vivitar 75mm that will be good enough to learn on, especially for black and white. They have good lenses like EL-Nikkors and the like as well for reasonable sums.

I made a cone for my 80mm enlarging lens, using a 3" PVC pipe fitting and a 4x4 lens board screwed to the end of it and made light tight with black tape. I picked out the fitting using the "this might work" criterion. It did.

If you have a permanent darkroom and can mount the enlarger base to a shallow shelf, then you can make an easel stand of adjustible height. I could drop the easel table down to just above the floor, which made it easier to use a 135 for medium-format as well as 4x5. I also braced the top of the enlarger column to the wall using a piece of light alumuminum angle, and that made an enormous difference in rigidity.

Rick "keeping his D3 in case the darkroom bug bites again someday" Denney

[John Rhilinger]

Yeah, I'm on hunt for the larger lens (150mm most likely) as well as tracking a couple of cones on e-bay. If I don't get one of those, I'll try the pvc idea. Thanks.

Funny, since I'm also trying to set up a permanent installation, I'm envisioning a lower-set easel table for the ease you mention. Thanks also for the angle-brace idea, also useful for a permanent set-up.

[Bill Burk]

Just aligned my D2 tonight. Plate of glass on the negative stage, loosened the 4 screws and tweaked until the tape measure scraped the glass on four corners.

The lens stage was a little harder to align. But a fish tank came in handy.