4"x5" Enlarger

Introduced: 1941
Discontinued: 1954

World War II ensured the popularity of the D-II, as it became the enlarger of choice for the U.S. military. While many companies had to adapt to produce other products in support of the war effort, Simmon Bros. were able to concentrate on their core business - enlargers. Thousands of servicemen were trained in darkroom work using the D-II. When returned to civilian life, it was natural for them to purchase the same enlarger.

However, the D-II has also caused some confusion, since, for the latter part of its production run, it was referred to by Omega as the D-2, the same name they applied to its updated replacement.  (For the sake of clarity, we always refer to the earlier enlarger as the "D-II.")  It's easy to distinguish from the later model by its "lift and lock" elevation system, tall base casting with the chassis rails extending only to the top of the casting, the cast column cross braces, and the counter balance spring assemblies mounted on the back of the carriage.

Since it predates both the variable condenser lamphouse and dichroic colorheads, the DII was never sold with either. Early D-II enlargers had steel chassis rails, making them much heavier than later production with aluminum rails.

Used Advice: Despite it's age, the D-II is still pretty much fully serviceable, however, the improvements introduced in the D-2 make it a far better choice.  Prospective buyers of D-IIs should note whether the enlarger comes with condenser sets and lens mounts required for the film formats they intend to print.