Beseler 45A Color Enlarger

bigdog · Dec 9, 2021

Hello,

I have an opportunity to "invest" in a complete enlarger set-up although not at any "come pick it up for free my wife wants it out of the house" price.

Does anyone have experience with the Minolta Color head on this enlarger?

Are the bulbs proprietary or difficult to source?

Is the color head of any use if I only plan to make B&W prints?

I will be dabbling in contact printing up to 8x10 maximum and not sure I even need an enlarger.

I have basement set up with suitable running water/sink/11x14 print washer. I am building a UV exposure box to try some Platinum printing.

My current workflow is 35mm, 6x6, 6x9,4x5 (and recently 8x10) with dedicated 35mm and flatbed scanner for digital prints up to 13x19 to include color printing.

Is it worth the cost, time, effort and learning curve to start enlarging at this stage in the game?

Also, any favorite paper/developer combinations for contact printing?

I just purchased some
Ilford Multigrade FB Warmtone Paper and
Ilford PQ Universal Paper Developer to test to see if I can get some decent contact prints from enlarging paper.

Thanks in advance for any advice from long term wet printing experts!

mshchem · Dec 9, 2021

The 45A lamps are available old stock on Ebay. I've never had the patience to figure out how to use my Xtra 45A head. These were very popular and make great prints. If you like computers should be an easy thing to learn.

Kino · Dec 9, 2021

Just be aware, unlike most dichroic color lamp houses, the 45A is an additive color lamp house. This means you "add" levels of Red, Green and Blue, not subtract the complimentary colors of Cyan. Yellow and Magenta.

Some people like this (as I do, as motion picture film is color corrected in this fashion) and others dislike it because almost every single other still photo head uses subtractive color and most tutorials are centered around subtractive color printing.

I have the manual in a rather weird form of a .zip file I can send you if you PM me. I also have the tutorials by "Color Bat" who used to be the go-to source for replacement parts and service; sadly now gone, but they are invaluable for sucessfully running and keeping a 45A in service.

You should check it out and read up on it before you commit to the purchase. It is not everyone's "cup of tea"...

mshchem · Dec 9, 2021

These heads make "ring a round" prints super easy for determining color balance. And yes they work great for VC black and white printing. Minolta really understood color.

bigdog · Dec 10, 2021

Kino said:
Just be aware, unlike most dichroic color lamp houses, the 45A is an additive color lamp house. This means you "add" levels of Red, Green and Blue, not subtract the complimentary colors of Cyan. Yellow and Magenta.

Some people like this (as I do, as motion picture film is color corrected in this fashion) and others dislike it because almost every single other still photo head uses subtractive color and most tutorials are centered around subtractive color printing.

I have the manual in a rather weird form of a .zip file I can send you if you PM me. I also have the tutorials by "Color Bat" who used to be the go-to source for replacement parts and service; sadly now gone, but they are invaluable for sucessfully running and keeping a 45A in service.

You should check it out and read up on it before you commit to the purchase. It is not everyone's "cup of tea"...

Thanks for the offer but I really have no plans to go down the rabbit hole of color wet printing. I am content with my digital work flow for color work. I think I should try to master black and white wet printing as a goal.
The appeal of the kit is it includes 3 Schneider lenses along with the film holders for the formats I shoot. If the head is easy to dial in for black and white and I can easily replace the lamps then it may be worth spending the money.

btaylor · Dec 10, 2021

Why bother? The lamps are flash tubes and can’t be replaced with any sort of “regular” bulbs. Changing the head on your enlarger literally takes seconds. Get an old incandescent lamp house and go to town. Then sell the fancy Minolta system.

Jay Schrotenboer · Dec 10, 2021

I wish the flash tubes were easy to source for this head as I have one. I have only been able to find a few offers for used ones, and that is not very helpful as you need matched tubes for the red and green for it to work correctly. I keep meaning to search more but I have trouble finding the time. The rest of the kit sounds great though, so maybe worth finding another head to go with it.

bigdog · Dec 10, 2021

Jay Schrotenboer said:
I wish the flash tubes were easy to source for this head as I have one. I have only been able to find a few offers for used ones, and that is not very helpful as you need matched tubes for the red and green for it to work correctly. I keep meaning to search more but I have trouble finding the time. The rest of the kit sounds great though, so maybe worth finding another head to go with it.

Do you know what head could readily be swapped with this head?
Does a 4x5 enlarger have a different head than a 23c or is it more a function of the chassis allowing for moving the lamp higher from the baseboard?
Are the lens mounts universal on the various heads?
I think the seller may not want to part out the set up because of the lamp issue and it is more marketable as a complete kit?

mshchem · Dec 10, 2021

bigdog said:
Do you know what head could readily be swapped with this head?
Does a 4x5 enlarger have a different head than a 23c or is it more a function of the chassis allowing for moving the lamp higher from the baseboard?
Are the lens mounts universal on the various heads?
I think the seller may not want to part out the set up because of the lamp issue and it is more marketable as a complete kit?

Just for reference, I paid $125 for a nice Beseler 45 MXT enlarger, Beseler adjustable stand, a Minolta head, Schneider 150 and 50mm lenses, a couple carriers, lens turret. I drove 300 miles to get it. Took my wife made a bit of a holiday out of it.
I would recommend a, as has been mentioned, the original condenser head that takes a PH 211 or 212 regular light bulb. You can do anything with the original head.
You really don't need a 4x5 unless you are planning to do optical prints from 4x5 negatives.
I have 3 of these Beseler 45mxt enlargers I love them, I've sold my original one that I bought in 1973, it's still going. The only thing that the 23c and 4x5 share are lens boards. If this person thinks that the 45A head is worth something he's mistaken (again my opinion). The 45A original price was around $4000, so I can understand why the seller thinks it's worth more.

bigdog · Dec 10, 2021

mshchem said:
Just for reference, I paid $125 for a nice Beseler 45 MXT enlarger, Beseler adjustable stand, a Minolta head, Schneider 150 and 50mm lenses, a couple carriers, lens turret. I drove 300 miles to get it. Took my wife made a bit of a holiday out of it.
I would recommend a, as has been mentioned, the original condenser head that takes a PH 211 or 212 regular light bulb. You can do anything with the original head.
You really don't need a 4x5 unless you are planning to do optical prints from 4x5 negatives.
I have 3 of these Beseler 45mxt enlargers I love them, I've sold my original one that I bought in 1973, it's still going. The only thing that the 23c and 4x5 share are lens boards. If this person thinks that the 45A head is worth something he's mistaken (again my opinion). The 45A original price was around $4000, so I can understand why the seller thinks it's worth more.

He wanted $1,000 cash and I really don't care it is a Minolta color print head. I see it more of a liability if I can't replace the lamp going forward. The appeal was the unit is very clean with 3 Schneider lenses and film holders.
I have many 4x5 negatives so having the option of enlarging them would be nice, although now I scan them on an Epson V800 and make prints on an Epson 600 printer.
I have a few nice condition older Century contact printing frames sized up to 8x10. I have the wet sink/trays and print washer for up to 11x14. I am in the process of building a UV light box for Platinum contact prints.
I purchased a Beseler Repeat timer and a $20 5 inch diameter "lizard reflector heat lamp" and a 75 watt enlarger bulb. I was considering buying the 6x6 inch Ilford contrast filters and taping them to the lizard lamp to experiment with contrast control.

I also shoot 6x17 I scan on the flatbed.

This is what happens when you move up a format from 4x5 to 8x10. I started with in camera exposures with Harmon Direct Positive Paper. I am in the realm of contact printing now and wet printing and it changes your work flow. So when someone mentions the great color capabilities of a Minolta color head, I only see my process getting more off track and pulled in a direction I don't wish to go.

mshchem · Dec 10, 2021

bigdog said:
He wanted $1,000 cash and I really don't care it is a Minolta color print head. I see it more of a liability if I can't replace the lamp going forward. The appeal was the unit is very clean with 3 Schneider lenses and film holders.
I have many 4x5 negatives so having the option of enlarging them would be nice, although now I scan them on an Epson V800 and make prints on an Epson 600 printer.
I have a few nice condition older Century contact printing frames sized up to 8x10. I have the wet sink/trays and print washer for up to 11x14. I am in the process of building a UV light box for Platinum contact prints.
I purchased a Beseler Repeat timer and a $20 5 inch diameter "lizard reflector heat lamp" and a 75 watt enlarger bulb. I was considering buying the 6x6 inch Ilford contrast filters and taping them to the lizard lamp to experiment with contrast control.

I also shoot 6x17 I scan on the flatbed.

This is what happens when you move up a format from 4x5 to 8x10. I started with in camera exposures with Harmon Direct Positive Paper. I am in the realm of contact printing now and wet printing and it changes your work flow. So when someone mentions the great color capabilities of a Minolta color head, I only see my process getting more off track and pulled in a direction I don't wish to go.

I would offer him 400 settle at 500 and let him keep the color head. Make sure he has your phone number and wait.

bigdog · Dec 10, 2021

mshchem said:
I would offer him 400 settle at 500 and let him keep the color head. Make sure he has your phone number and wait.

So if I can source a Beseler 45MXT head I can just pop it in the chassis?

How difficult would it be to find and what would you expect to pay for the 45MXT head?

mshchem · Dec 10, 2021

bigdog said:
So if I can source a Beseler 45MXT head I can just pop it in the chassis?

How difficult would it be to find and what would you expect to pay for the 45MXT head?

The heads can be interchanged in seconds, no tools.

There's usually heads listed on Ebay.

CMoore · Dec 10, 2021

Very Interesting thread.
I have seen these for sale and wondered what they were all about.,
Reminds me i have a "Cold Light" head i need to Sell or Get rid of

AgX · Dec 11, 2021

As there is quite some confusion at this thread:

-) all Minolta colour enlargers (that I could trace) work subtractive

-) only the Minolta head for the Beseler 45A works additive

Paul Howell · Dec 11, 2021

A grand for a enlarger with a color head that is difficult to maintain and you don't want, I would keep looking. Shopgoodwill.com has a 23c with 35mm negative carrier, they will ship, shipping will be expensive but a lot less than a grand.

Beseler Model 23C Series II Darkroom Photo Enlarger w/ 35mm Negatrans - shopgoodwill.com

mbsimg · Jan 22, 2022

I had some old profoto flash units that had impossible-to-find, discontinued flash bulbs. I contacted the folks at https://www.strobelamps.com/ sent them a working flash lamp, they measured and analyzed it, and they custom made me brand new flash bulbs for my strobes. If I ever need any more they have the "recipe" and can make more. It's worth giving them a call. Hope this helps. Let me know if it works out!

koraks · Jan 24, 2022

Paul Howell said:
A grand for a enlarger with a color head that is difficult to maintain and you don't want, I would keep looking. Shopgoodwill.com has a 23c with 35mm negative carrier

Where I live the market for large format enlargers is mostly disjunct from that of smaller formats. I.e. it's not that hard to find a 135/120 enlarger, although they've gone up in price spectacularly over the past 10 years or so. If you're looking for something that does 4x5, especially in color, asking prices of well over €750 are default. They dont pop up often and dont remain for sale long. YMMV depending on local supply/demand, but I'd warn against confusing large and small format niches. Different animals...

Charles O'Connor · Feb 10, 2022

These guys might make the bulbs for a 45A. I did not go through the list, but they did build me a W54 lamp which works great. https://www.light-sources.com/solutions/specialty-fluorescent/products/

Beseler 45A Color Enlarger

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