Omega D5XL enlarger

[Leung Kam Hon]

I am thinking of buying an Omega D5XL enlarger for my 4x5 film. Those who use it do you find it has enough coverage for 4x5 negative? Should I get a 5x7 enlarger for 4x5 work?

Thanks.

[Tim Curry]

I use the Omega D5-XL for 4x5 printing and find it to have plenty of coverage for larger prints. If you can find one with the dichroic head, it will work very well for variable contrast paper. No need to change filters, just dial in the paper you need. These are good machines and are being sold now by labs going digital. Bulbs and parts are still readily available and film holders are out there for various formats. The 4x5 mixing chamber will work well for 35mm, medium format and 4x5.

Unless you are using 5x7 film, I see no reason to buy a bigger machine. I'm very happy with the D5-XL and am glad I got mine.

[Louis Jensen]

I have used a D5XL for printing black and white 4x5 negtives for >30 years. They are an excellent enlarger. In fact, I own two of them, but only have dark room space for one.

[Oren Grad]

But will the D5 with Omega negative carrier allow the user to print the *entire* negative?

The LPL 4x5 enlargers, otherwise admirable machines, will not, at least not with either the LPL glassless or glass carrier, both of which crop a bit. If you use a larger, home-brew carrier, or borrow a 5x7 glass carrier from a larger machine like the Omega E, it becomes apparent that the LPL light source is engineered to be just barely adequate for 4x5, cropped a bit - it is possible to *just* fit the entire negative, but with some falloff at the edges.

My understanding is that the only current 4x5 enlarger that can truly print the whole negative is the Durst L1200, used with the Femoneg AM carrier. But I've not tested them all myself, so this may be incorrect. If someone knows of any configuration of any other current 4x5 enlarger that can do a 4x5 negative full frame with border - and has actually verified it in use - I'd be very interested to hear about it.

[Wayne]

But will the D5 with Omega negative carrier allow the user to print the *entire* negative?

--

What exactly are you asking? The edges of the negative are covered by the carrier, so in that respect the answer is no. But you should be able to make your own glass carrier easily that will print the edges, if thats what you want.

[Brad Crosier]

I've got a D-5 with the Dichroic head, quite happy with the setup. I'd recommend it to anyone. I'm certainly no AA, so I haven't empirically tested it, but the coverage seems quite adequate to me . . .

[Oren Grad]

Wayne -

Sorry if I wasn't clear. If you use a larger carrier with the Omega D5, is the light source large enough to properly cover 4x5 full frame with border? It really isn't with the LPL, and so I've learned not to take it for granted.

Of course, if you don't need or want to print with the border, then it's not a problem.

[Mark Sampson]

No, you can't print the entire frame, black borders and all, with an Omega. The standard carrier crops about 1/8" on each side. I filed out a carrier to include the entire image area, not including the rebates, and the light source just barely covers. This is true for condensers and color heads both- and the standard cold-light heads available fit within the condenser housing, so they can do no better. I don't see it as a problem, as I don't want to print the black edges or the "rough edges" from a Polaroid T-55 neg. Other than that minor point, the Omega D-5 is a fine machine, a rugged workhorse that is probaly the industry standard.

[Oren Grad]

Mark -

So it's just like the LPL in that respect. Thanks for that very useful information.

I agree, if you don't need to cover the borders, the Omega is well worth consideration.

[Tom Kremenski]

I have one that I would like to unload. Are you interested?