Frustrated by negative popping, I'd like to get a glass 4x5" negative carrier for an Omega D2 enlarger with Chromega head. Where can I buy one?

-- Sean Donnelly (donnelly@c-com.net), March 18, 1998

Answers

The Omega D series enlargers all take the same neg carriers. The current carriers for D5s will work just fine. If you contact Omega you can get one through them. Otherwise you are into looking at camera shows and Shutterbug dealers. Rob

-- Rob Rielly (arflic@aol.com), March 19, 1998.

If you don't want to pay the $100.00 plus for a new Omega glass carrier, and are handy with a glass cutter, you can make one without much trouble. The main thing you are going to need is Anti-Newton glass. Regular window glass will create rings and swirls when pressed against your negative. This glass can be very expensive, however, if you can find an old overhead projector with clean glass (try you local school district), or can buy a piece of replacement overhead projector glass, then you have your Anti-Newton glass. You need the top piece of glass, not the fresnel screen nearest to the bulb. Cut the glass into 2 6x6 inch pieces, then mask the 4x5 area with metal tape (from your home center) spray paint the tape black (mask off the negative area)be carefull not to scratch the surface of the glass (this goes for the Omega carrier too). I store my glass carriers in Ilford anti-static cloth. Remember!!!When you use glass carriers, you have 4 more surfaces for dust to gather on! If you already have a problem with dust, then you might want to try a Zone Six 4x5 stretch carrier which pulls the negative taught using spring action. Zone Six carriers can be adapted for Omega without much trouble. If you have questions, drop me a line.

-- Britt Leckman (bleckman@gmu.edu), March 20, 1998.

I have a Omega D5 with a Ilford 500h enlarger head. The bulbs generate a lot of heat and a glass carrier is a necesity. I bought a Saunders LPL 4x5 carrier. It is designed to fit the Omega. It is very good quality and works quite well. I cut masks out of opaque paper for all the formats that I use.

-- Paul Minkus (dkurtz@mc.net), December 25, 1999.