Color head for Beseler 45 MCRX

mfratt · Jan 10, 2011

I'm looking to do some RA-4 printing in my darkroom, and need to get a color head for my enlarger (beseler 45mcrx). I know that Beseler made a dichro colorhead to match this enlarger, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. I'm not interested in the $1700 computerized head, but are there any other options which are (relatively) readily available and will fit my enlarger?

Paul VanAudenhove · Jan 10, 2011

There have been several heads available for the beseler 45. The good old 45s which is just bulb and filter. The Universal 45 has 3 bulbs and requires a controller to go with it. You can get either a VC or a color controller.
The dichro 45 "color computer head" which very much the same as the 45s but the filter values are measured by the sensors in the mixing chamber and displayed in digital form with LED.
There was also the Minolta/Beseler 45A, which used repeating strobes with 4 flash bulbs.
The 45S seems to be the one to get - fewer things to go wrong. It may even be the only one available now. They should be too hard to find.

CAPTKEVIN · Jan 11, 2011

mfratt said:
I'm looking to do some RA-4 printing in my darkroom, and need to get a color head for my enlarger (beseler 45mcrx). I know that Beseler made a dichro colorhead to match this enlarger, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. I'm not interested in the $1700 computerized head, but are there any other options which are (relatively) readily available and will fit my enlarger?

I have This head if your interested
Kevin
Kcarey7025@aol.com

mfratt · Jan 11, 2011

^ Email sent. Thanks.

EdSawyer · Jan 11, 2011

Minolta/beseler 45A is the best beseler color head, IMNSHO.

glbeas · Jan 12, 2011

EdSawyer said:
Minolta/beseler 45A is the best beseler color head, IMNSHO.

I have one as well as a Dichro head like in the picture and by far I'd rather use the Dichro. The 45A is quite interesting technically and a brilliant concept but the unit seems way underpowered compared to what I can do with a Dichro.

EdSawyer · Jan 16, 2011

underpowered? how so?

glbeas · Jan 17, 2011

I had a difficult time getting enough exposure to the paper to render the blacks, I mean the illumination level was probably equivalent to a 40 watt bulb. The Dichro has a couple of halogen bulbs, very bright but I don't remember offhand the wattage. My print times went from minutes to 20 to 40 seconds.

EdSawyer · Jan 20, 2011

hi Gary -

I hear what you mean. Indeed the output is not huge, from the flashes. I haven't had issues yet but have only been doing 8x10-ish size prints. What sizes were you doing that were giving really long exposures, and at what aperture?

thanks
-Ed

glbeas · Jan 20, 2011

I was printing B&W using the blue and green for the variable contrast. Mostly doing 8x10 from 120 negs, some 4x5 at 8x10

Color head for Beseler 45 MCRX

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