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The Super B was a
significant design for the Simmon Bros. as it was the first model with
dual chassis rails and an inclined column - design elements that would be
used on many subsequent Omega models. The larger format Super C was
introduced several months after the Super B.
The Super B,
radically different from previous Omega models, was designed to head off
looming competition posed by the Kodak Precision Enlarger, also introduced
in the fall of 1939. The small company was afraid that with Kodak's
immense resources, the Kodak enlarger would drive them out of business
unless they could provide a superior product. The Super B was the first of
a series of new enlargers that allowed Simmon Bros. to prosper in the
years before the war.
These two
enlargers featured bellows adjustment above and below the negative stage.
Omega touted the feature as 'negative focusing', allowing the user to
focus by moving the negative. What it also did was eliminate the need for
different condenser sets for different formats. And it allowed the
negative stage to tilt, providing distortion control.
Both the Super B
and Super C were sold for a time after World War II.
Used Advice: Early and relatively
rare models. Parts will be difficult to obtain. |
