it seems that either a used Durst CLS 1840 or Omega F can be had for about the same price on that big auction site. is there a clear advantage to one over the other? in particular, is one less expensive/more convenient to maintain?
it seems that either a used Durst CLS 1840 or Omega F can be had for about the same price on that big auction site. is there a clear advantage to one over the other? in particular, is one less expensive/more convenient to maintain?
don't think there's a direct answer to your question. If an enlarger is working well then there really isn't anything much that ever needs maintaining apart maybe from some lube here and there on a durst.
Durst used to claim that they would continue to supply parts for 10 years after a model went out of production but that was before the advent of digital photography and the success of inkjet printers. I have been told that you can still get a 10x8 durst enlarger made to order if you are willing to pay for it.
so to answer your question, it depends on whether parts are still in production and for how long or whether you have to buy second hand if you can find the bits you want. And price will depend on the highest bidder which nobody can tell you now.
Durst manufactures very high quality equipjment, and offers more accessories for an 8x10 system. Look on ebay and see the variety of Durst equipment compared to Omega.
The CLS1840 color head is a fine manual head with little to go wrong, and the 1000w bulbs are easily obtained. Just check that the dicro reflector is not damaged. The head will fit on either the L1840 motorized chassis, or the L184 manual chassis. I would look for the fully manual Durst 184, because of it’s manual operation. There is one on ebay now.
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