- Light source and lamp
- Beseler's standard head is the 23C-III condenser lamphouse with two glass condensers and a PH140 75 W opal lamp, which Beseler and KHB still sell. The 23C-III Dichro head dials 0 to 200 of yellow, magenta and cyan, and the VC head uses blue and green filters for grades 0 to 5. Both run Beseler's 85 W 82 V quartz lamp (#6728), still in Beseler's catalog. Ask which head is fitted and for a photo of it lit.
- Carriers and condensers
- It uses the standard 23C carriers, and Beseler still lists them for 35mm, full-frame 35mm, slides, 645, 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9, plus glass versions. With the condenser head you set the condensers for each format on the upper bellows. The Dichro and VC heads use their own 6x9 mixing chamber, and KHB says Beseler's 67-series mixing boxes won't fit them, so check it's inside.
- Column and bellows
- Beseler lists a rack and pinion carriage with a positive lock and a friction drive focus you can work from either side, with lower and upper bellows like earlier 23Cs. The elevation lock is a different design from the 23CII's, so KHB says the II's refurbishing and lock kits don't fit. Ask the seller to raise, lock and focus the head and say whether anything slips.
- Alignment
- Beseler says the III has more precise alignment of the negative and lens stages, and its lens stage tilts to correct distortion. The parts list shows alignment screws and eccentric nuts, and Beseler sells a two-level alignment tool (#8139). Ask whether the tilting lens stage is locked at zero.
- Lens
- Lenses go on 4x4 in Beseler lensboards, threaded 39mm or drilled, the same boards the 23CII and Beseler's 4x5 enlargers use. Beseler sells a 50mm lens kit for 23C enlargers with a lens, lensboard, carrier and jam nut. Check the listing for a lens and board, since many units are sold without one.
- Timer and power
- The condenser head plugs straight into an enlarging timer. The 23C-III Dichro and VC heads have a built-in power supply, so there's no separate transformer box to lose. Budget for a timer if one isn't included.
- Shipping and pickup
- We couldn't find a published weight, but the III-XL has a 16x25½ in baseboard and a long twin-girder column. KHB lists the condenser assembly alone at 1.75 kg. Local pickup is easiest, and if it ships, the lamphouse and condensers should be boxed apart from the column.
Check the listing photos against these lists, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing carrier, condenser or lens board should come off the price.
