cheap designs

filmmaster · 01-09-2022, 02:31 PM

ive been tinkering with the 23cii of mine, i know its an early one, a transitional. Still have the little slide and drawer for the filter to go immediately above the lens board. Its not "normal" to standardized ones.

But god, that adjustemtn screw design to control the vertical orientation, stupid bolt pushing on an angled surface is NOT a good design at all.

35mmfilmfan · 01-09-2022, 02:54 PM

Thank you for this most interesting information - I have added it to my file of darkroom data.

**Bob 256** · 01-09-2022, 03:42 PM

One reason I steered clear of Beseler way back when I got my enlarger. A lot of enlargers were poorly built in those days but worked anyway. Durst, which was made in Italy, seemed to have some good products but you paid extra for them as was the case with really "professional" enlargers and photo equipment. If you look back at some of the cameras, projectors, and electronic equipment from the early days, you find corners being cut to make that equipment affordable. Nonetheless, millions of photos have been taken and printed on such equipment with very good results.

stevebrot · 01-09-2022, 03:55 PM - **1 Like**

If one has quality/design concerns with a Beseler 23C II, it is likely that their unit is incomplete or not quite appropriate to task (e.g. using the condenser head for color work) or the manual got lost somewhere.

Steve

(...owns a 6x7 LPL with dichroic head, but learned my craft on an extended dual rail Beseler 6x7 condenser unit dating to the mid-1960s...)

**ChrisPlatt** · 01-09-2022, 04:35 PM - **1 Like**

In my college anthropology department darkroom we had a half dozen Beseler 23CII-XL enlargers.
They all seemed very sturdy to this regular user and were quite reliable. I wish I had room for one.
The Negatrans negative carrier is a really slick item; it alone is worth the price of admission.

Chris

filmmaster · 01-09-2022, 09:31 PM

they mroe then do the job... and the older ones are a value that cant be beat in this world. I spent 200 hundred for a complete 23cii blue grey model, and although the newer version the 23ciii has an improved, somehow lamp holder, its a far better deal.

leveling would be far better if the only truely flat surfaces werent the two machined surface that the negative carrier is placed in.

01-09-2022, 02:31 PM	#1
filmmaster Banned Join Date: Nov 2021 Posts: 141	cheap designs ive been tinkering with the 23cii of mine, i know its an early one, a transitional. Still have the little slide and drawer for the filter to go immediately above the lens board. Its not "normal" to standardized ones. But god, that adjustemtn screw design to control the vertical orientation, stupid bolt pushing on an angled surface is NOT a good design at all.

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01-09-2022, 02:54 PM	#2
35mmfilmfan Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 4,329	Thank you for this most interesting information - I have added it to my file of darkroom data.

01-09-2022, 03:42 PM	#3
Bob 256 Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,375	One reason I steered clear of Beseler way back when I got my enlarger. A lot of enlargers were poorly built in those days but worked anyway. Durst, which was made in Italy, seemed to have some good products but you paid extra for them as was the case with really "professional" enlargers and photo equipment. If you look back at some of the cameras, projectors, and electronic equipment from the early days, you find corners being cut to make that equipment affordable. Nonetheless, millions of photos have been taken and printed on such equipment with very good results.

01-09-2022, 03:55 PM - 1 Like	#4
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	If one has quality/design concerns with a Beseler 23C II, it is likely that their unit is incomplete or not quite appropriate to task (e.g. using the condenser head for color work) or the manual got lost somewhere. Steve (...owns a 6x7 LPL with dichroic head, but learned my craft on an extended dual rail Beseler 6x7 condenser unit dating to the mid-1960s...)

01-09-2022, 04:35 PM - 1 Like	#5
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,694	In my college anthropology department darkroom we had a half dozen Beseler 23CII-XL enlargers. They all seemed very sturdy to this regular user and were quite reliable. I wish I had room for one. The Negatrans negative carrier is a really slick item; it alone is worth the price of admission. Chris

01-09-2022, 09:31 PM	#6
filmmaster Banned Join Date: Nov 2021 Posts: 141 Original Poster	they mroe then do the job... and the older ones are a value that cant be beat in this world. I spent 200 hundred for a complete 23cii blue grey model, and although the newer version the 23ciii has an improved, somehow lamp holder, its a far better deal. leveling would be far better if the only truely flat surfaces werent the two machined surface that the negative carrier is placed in.