Omega universal 4x5 enlarger question

[stradibarrius]

I have an Omega Universal lamphouse 4x5 enlarger missing the variable adjustable condenser lens. It is the type where you just move it from one slot to another based on the film format. The variable condenser lens was missing when I got the enlarger. it came with a 135mm lens and the variable lens should be in the last position for a 135mm or remove the variable lens and use a 150mm lens. It seems to work fine with the 135mm and no V/C lens???
Does anybody have a enlarger like this and use a 135mm lens with no V/C lens?

Does a 150mm lens require some special lens plate or will a flat plate work?

[ic-racer]

Making a small print with the 135mm lens will probably work fine with the condenser set for a 150mm lens. The condensers focus to a specific point below the negative. A 135mm lens making a small print will be racked out to about the same place as a 150mm lens making a big print.

The 150mm lens requires special cone on the D2 and D3 & D4 (and some others?). Which do you have?

[stradibarrius]

I'm pretty sure it is a D3 with a universal lamphouse.

[ic-racer]

I'm pretty sure it is a D3 with a universal lamphouse.

You will need a different lens cone and focus track to use the 150mm lens. This is the autofocus enlarger right? If not maybe it is a D2?

Either way you should be able to get the condenser somewhere. Maybe someone has a spare condenser head sitting in a box. These are very very common heads (in the USA).

[Heroique]

Does a 150mm lens require some special lens plate or will a flat plate work?

The 135mm lens takes a 2.75” cone.

The 150mm lens takes a 4.5” cone.

Your D-3 uses the same lamphouse assembly as the D-II, D-2, D-5, D-6 – but not the D-4.

So be sure not to cannibalize the D-4!

[stradibarrius]

It is not the auto focus model and it uses the oval twist lock lens plates.

[Heroique]

It is not the auto focus model...

Your enlarger might not be a D-3, because the D-3 is the auto-focus model.

All models that have variable condensers use the same moveable lens and lens plate except the D-6, which has a different lens plate (but the same lens, of course).

[Jim Noel]

I have just retired form teaching at a community college where we had 40 Omega enlargers,half with color heads.
The B&W ones were most commonly fitted with 135mm lenses, sometimes 150mm. In both cases we normally removed the third condenser which helped illuminate the corners more evenly.

[stradibarrius]

How large a print couls you make with the 135 and no third condenser?