Can an under the lens filter holder be bought separately?

blockend · Sep 6, 2018

I have a new set of Ilford filters but lack the holder. Can't find any listings for the lens fit holder, is one available, or does anyone make them independently?

Secondly, I've heard mixed opinions regarding colour enlarger heads for black and white multi-contrast paper. Any practical advice regarding numbers and grades? I have two enlargers, one I would ideally like to reserve for medium format with a colour head, the other a condenser enlarger for 35mm that needs the filter holder.

If this should be under enlarging, please relocate. I should add I have lots of experience of graded B&W paper and colour printing, but multi-contrast papers, very little.

ozphoto · Sep 6, 2018

When I used these at college, they had popped out the middle part of the red filters - not sure how they did it, but it worked perfectly!

I use a colour head for my B&W printing and haven't seen any difference between this and the old B&W enlarger I used previously. My prints still print @ Grade 2, exactly like the B&W unit with a Grade 2 filter printed.

I use the attached as a guide.

AgX · Sep 6, 2018

A DIY solution for a holder is possible.

blockend · Sep 6, 2018

ozphoto said:
When I used these at college, they had popped out the middle part of the red filters - not sure how they did it, but it worked perfectly!

I use a colour head for my B&W printing and haven't seen any difference between this and the old B&W enlarger I used previously. My prints still print @ Grade 2, exactly like the B&W unit with a Grade 2 filter printed.

I use the attached as a guide.

View attachment 207578

Thanks for the reply. I'm intending to do a little split grade printing, and slot out filters seem to be slightly quicker than turning dials on the head. I'll experiment tonight.

blockend · Sep 6, 2018

AgX said:
A DIY solution for a holder is possible.

That's true, but the simplest way I can imagine is some bent metal with a hole for the lens and a slot for the filter. With my metal working skills it would not be an elegant solution. Acquiring a holder from Ilford or someone else seems the point of least resistance, but the company may treat the holders like their first born, and refuse to sell them alone.

ozphoto · Sep 6, 2018

If I recall correctly, Ilford sold a below the lens mounting kit. Not sure what enlarger you are using, but we used LPL at college and I know those are readily available as spare parts.

Tony Egan · Sep 6, 2018

Hi - I made my own from a bit of spare plastic lying around. From memory it might have been a face plate for a clothes dryer exhaust outlet. Some 4 ply mat board off cut would also work. I just took off the red filter holder and used the same nut and bolt to hold my home made solution.

blockend · Sep 6, 2018

ozphoto said:
If I recall correctly, Ilford sold a below the lens mounting kit. Not sure what enlarger you are using, but we used LPL at college and I know those are readily available as spare parts.

That's interesting, my colour head enlarger is an LPL 6700.

blockend · Sep 6, 2018

Tony Egan said:
Hi - I made my own from a bit of spare plastic lying around. From memory it might have been a face plate for a clothes dryer exhaust outlet. Some 4 ply mat board off cut would also work. I just took off the red filter holder and used the same nut and bolt to hold my home made solution.
View attachment 207585

Very neat. I hadn't thought of using the red filter bar as a pivot.

Molli · Sep 6, 2018

Would this help:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/112772275402

Apologies if that link is a bit of a run around for you, it's garnered from an Australian ebay mobile app accessing an American sale

By the way, I also use a bolt attached where I assume there once was a red filter on my LPL C700 - I like to throw a diffusion filter into the mix occasionally.

Ian Grant · Sep 6, 2018

PM me your address, I can post one to you, I think I have 3

Ian

AgX · Sep 6, 2018

blockend said:
With my metal working skills it would not be an elegant solution.

Do not forget it is dark in the darkroom, no one will see....

pentaxuser · Sep 6, 2018

Blockend, if you mean you have the 12 new filters in their plastic containers but simply not the filter holder into which you slide the filters then it might be worth a call to Ilford asking if they can sell the holder separately. There have to some users out there who have got a good set of filters but have somehow broken the holder surely? For those customers it seems tough if Ilford's answer were to be: Sorry it has to be the purchase of a new set of filters as well as the holder.

Worth a call, I'd have thought.

pentaxuser

MattKing · Sep 6, 2018

The Ilford filters work fine in a Kodak Polycontrast or Polymax filter holder - the ones that came with the filters, and were designed to be clamped to the lens.
I had a friend slightly modify and attach one of those to a piece of metal designed to be attached to the pivot point on my Omega D6 - for those times when the Ilford Multigrade 400 head I have doesn't give me the high contrast I sometimes want.

blockend · Sep 6, 2018

Thanks for all the replies.

tedr1 · Sep 6, 2018

Ilford publishes a technical document to specifically address color filter settings for multigrade papers, if you don't have it the Ilford website has it.

silveror0 · Sep 6, 2018

blockend said:
... Acquiring a holder from Ilford or someone else seems the point of least resistance, but the company may treat the holders like their first born, and refuse to sell them alone.

That was not my experience with Ilford. Since I have several enlarger lenses and wanted each to have its own holder attached, I sent an email via their Contact Us page, inquiring whether they could/would sell me additional filter holders. They replied very quickly and agreed to send me the extra holders I wanted, free of charge. The holders have three setscrews that attach it to the lens. However, these setscrews have a limit as to the diameter of the lens flange and could not accommodate my largest lens; but I acquired a (larger) Kodak holder from MattKing that resolved that issue. You can start that process by register/login to Ilford's latest website:

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/

pentaxuser · Sep 6, 2018

blockend, I have no idea how I missed Ian Grant's post which solves the issue when I suggested trying Ilford. Ian's kind solution solves it all and ends the thread, I feel, but it looks as if a number of us missed it as we were still giving what can only be termed "second best solutions"

pentaxuser

blockend · Sep 6, 2018

pentaxuser said:
blockend, I have no idea how I missed Ian Grant's post which solves the issue when I suggested trying Ilford. Ian's kind solution solves it all and ends the thread, I feel, but it looks as if a number of us missed it as we were still giving what can only be termed "second best solutions"

pentaxuser

I've taken Ian up on his kind offer.

Can an under the lens filter holder be bought separately?

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