MPrice
7-Mar-2008, 17:56
I am considering upgrading my rather old Omega D2 Chromega with either a Devere or a Saunders, any advice would be appreciated. I print solely black and white, 35mm up to 4x5 but probably more 120 and 4x5 than 35mm. I'm interested in something that is solid and going to last, I'm also wondering about the longevity of electronics in the VCCE system vs. the simplicity of a dichro color head.
The Devere (table-top version) seems like a decent deal (several hundred bucks), is pretty local, in average condition, has the non-computerized Dichroic head, is built like a tank and will probably last forever. Unfortunately its a bit large for my current darkroom but I think I could manage with it for a couple of years until I move up to a bigger space. It'll probably need some cleaning up which is fine with me.
The Saunders takes up less space (wall mount), has the slick head that balances output through different contrast values and is more expensive. It seems like the obvious choice with space being somewhat of a premium but I wonder about the build quality of it as well as what my options will be if the VCCE head decides to stop working down the line.
I realize that ultimately neither is going to make a huge difference in the quality of prints I can make, more in the enjoyment of the process of making them, and it could very well be that I just stick with what I've got. I've looked in the archives and read through the info but haven't seen these two directly compared. If anybody has worked with both, I'd appreciate any insight. Also, any thoughts on what one should expect to pay for either of these would help as well.
Thanks for the info.
The Devere (table-top version) seems like a decent deal (several hundred bucks), is pretty local, in average condition, has the non-computerized Dichroic head, is built like a tank and will probably last forever. Unfortunately its a bit large for my current darkroom but I think I could manage with it for a couple of years until I move up to a bigger space. It'll probably need some cleaning up which is fine with me.
The Saunders takes up less space (wall mount), has the slick head that balances output through different contrast values and is more expensive. It seems like the obvious choice with space being somewhat of a premium but I wonder about the build quality of it as well as what my options will be if the VCCE head decides to stop working down the line.
I realize that ultimately neither is going to make a huge difference in the quality of prints I can make, more in the enjoyment of the process of making them, and it could very well be that I just stick with what I've got. I've looked in the archives and read through the info but haven't seen these two directly compared. If anybody has worked with both, I'd appreciate any insight. Also, any thoughts on what one should expect to pay for either of these would help as well.
Thanks for the info.