I have one enlarger, an Omega D3. I sought out this model because it can handle negatives as large as 4 by 5 inches. But, when I decided I wanted to print some subminiature 8 by 11 millimeter negatives, I would be pushing its capabilities in the opposite direction.
The manual assured me that the Omega D was capable of printing Minox negatives. I don’t have the recommended 28mm lens, but a 50mm lens should be able to make enlargements up 3.5 x 5 or 4 x 6. What I really needed was a carrier to hold the negatives in place.
After spending some time searching the internet for the official negative mask, I found that I would need to manufacture one myself. My first thought was to 3D print a near copy of my 24 x 35 carrier; just make the opening smaller. I was concerned that the heat put off by my incandescent condenser would warp the carrier. So, instead, I decided to create an insert for the 35mm carrier.
The insert makes the assembly look a bit like an Oreo cookie, and it works very well. I added a small channel to keep the tiny negatives from sliding around the huge carrier. Keeping negatives in place is less of an issue with larger negatives. However, I might create a 35mm insert for the 35mm carrier just to have a channel for the film to easily slide in.
For anyone else who is looking for an 8x11 carrier for their Omega D enlarger, and has a 35mm carrier with alignment posts in the same spot as mine, I have attached the model files. I only have one 35mm negative carrier, and I don’t know the model number of it, so I cannot say if this will work with all variations of this carrier.
There are two versions. One has an 8x11 opening and the other has a 9x12 opening. The later allows for printing the frame borders; negatives form my Minox LX have a unique bump out that I sometimes like to show off.
Christopher
