Durst 1200 question

chuck94022 · Feb 11, 2016

shoot6x7 said:
Make sure the head movement controls work. In one mode the head can be moved up and down with the might of your arms, in the other mode twisting the handle will move the head on gears.

On my 1200, the former works, but the latter does not.

Shoot6x7, if the handle spins but the head doesn't move when the handle is locked, the friction connection between the handle and gear is probably out of adjustment. This is what I fixed with mine. If you take off the cover (four little screws, two on each side), you'll find two tensioning screws. Turn them clockwise a turn or so to see if that fixes your problem. If you look closely at the mechanism while twisting the "mode" part, you'll see how it all works.

chuck94022 · Feb 11, 2016

frobozz said:
Yes, the standard Femoneg and Femomask 45 clip the corners of a full 4x5 negative! How annoying. There is a Femoneg AM and matching masks that go deeper into the corner (i.e. there is less material in the corners of the structure, so the full negative can be printed.) When I'm printing 4x5 full frame I use a Femoneg AM and the matching Femogla and Femogla AN, then mask down the part outside of the film using the built in adjustable blades in the Femoneg AM. I got brand new glass to match the Femoneg AM from Focal Point ( http://www.fpointinc.com/glass.htm ) - they only had the standard glass listed but I gave him the dimensions for the larger glass and he now stocks it as a standard product.

Duncan

Hi Duncan, thanks for confirming my observation. Now I'm on the lookout for a Femoneg AM. If anyone would like to part with one, I'm a willing buyer!

-chuck

ahotflash · Feb 29, 2016

hi chuck94022
are you able to enlarge prints with 4x5 negatives on your Durst 1200 without clipping the corners (larger than contact prints)? I would love to print full frame negatives with borders larger than contact prints on my Beseler 4x5 but am unable to do so!
d david y

ac12 · Feb 29, 2016

Hey Chuck, Glad you found a L-1200. I had been looking for one for a long time, and gave up and settled for a L1000. And like you, I am missing parts. I don't know about your negative carrier on the L-1200, but on the L-1000 an Omega D series carrier could be cut to fit into the Durst carrier. I just need to get a machine shop to cut the Omega carrier to the proper size.
I'm up the peninsula from you in San Mateo.

eunified61 · Feb 29, 2016

Just found one of these for sale locally with a 500h head and a pile of accessories was belonging to a photojournalist.It's pretty cheap so well worth the risk

chuck94022 · Mar 3, 2016

ahotflash said:
hi chuck94022
are you able to enlarge prints with 4x5 negatives on your Durst 1200 without clipping the corners (larger than contact prints)? I would love to print full frame negatives with borders larger than contact prints on my Beseler 4x5 but am unable to do so!
d david y

I've learned that you need a variation of the Femoneg holder of type "AM" or "M". The standard Femoneg holder clips the corners of 4x5. The M does not. I bought one from someone on E*ay who was parting out their 1200. Unfortunately, it came with the other style glass, so I need to buy new glass for it.

frobozz · Mar 4, 2016

chuck94022 said:
I've learned that you need a variation of the Femoneg holder of type "AM" or "M". The standard Femoneg holder clips the corners of 4x5. The M does not. I bought one from someone on E*ay who was parting out their 1200. Unfortunately, it came with the other style glass, so I need to buy new glass for it.

I was wondering if it was you who snagged that one from ebay - good catch! I won the extension sticks for the head, but it wasn't worth it to me to bid high enough for the head and power supply just as spares.

I highly recommend the glass from Focal Point ( http://www.fpointinc.com/glass.htm ) for the AM carrier - I'm using their DT55AN3M and DT55CLRM glasses and they work perfectly to print 4x5 negatives full frame.

Duncan

chuck94022 · Mar 4, 2016

frobozz said:
I was wondering if it was you who snagged that one from ebay - good catch! I won the extension sticks for the head, but it wasn't worth it to me to bid high enough for the head and power supply just as spares.

I highly recommend the glass from Focal Point ( http://www.fpointinc.com/glass.htm ) for the AM carrier - I'm using their DT55AN3M and DT55CLRM glasses and they work perfectly to print 4x5 negatives full frame.

Duncan

Actually it went better than that. I contacted the seller before the full enlarger completed its run, asking if she would sell me the Femoneg separately. She agreed to do so once the enlarger auction was complete. She was sure there wouldn't be a buyer. She then put up the Femoneg with a pre-agreement that I would bid a pre-agreed "best offer". She also decided to part out the rest of the unit. I got one other item off it - the focus extension. I think she'll make more money doing it this way than she would have made selling the whole unit.

For what its worth, the Femoneg I got is a little rough, but it is fully functional.

Regarding the glass, Durst Pro also sells glass for it, with some sort of special coating. Any thoughts on that vs. the Focal Point glass? I'm in contact with both companies. The Durst Pro special glass costs a lot more than uncoated glass, but they promise more light and sharper prints.

-chuck

frobozz · Mar 5, 2016

Yeah it's a shame when a complete enlarger gets parted out like that, but there is a very reduced market for complete enlargers, and definitely a pool of existing enlargers in use that need the parts, so it's just The Circle Of Life I guess! ALL Femonegs are a little rough. I can't imagine what sort of gorillas seem to have used all of them before we came along, but I have yet to get one that I didn't need to do some work to.

I hadn't noticed Durst Pro had come out with that coated glass. Interesting! Their prices are insane, but on the other hand they're the only ones still actively supporting the product, so that's worth something for sure.

Duncan

kfed1984 · Jul 14, 2024

I just bought a Durst 1200 (CLS501) with 4x5 and 6x9 light boxes and a femoneg carrier (non-AM) with 35mm mask, for $1000. Everything is working fine. Does anyone know the exact lightbulb spec for this? I know its a 250W 24 V, but what is the bulb size/code? How long does the bulb last usually? I've heard these bulbs should not be turned on/off for a short duration of lets say 1 second, as done for flashing for example. Any guidelines for this? Are there LED bulbs of same size and voltage available? Thanks.

MARTIE · Jul 14, 2024

There are lots of different brands to choose from and I've never noticed a difference on the baseboard.
Philips, Osram, GE (General Electric), Sylvania, etc.

Each brand gives the lifespan of their lamps but anything from 250-500hrs.

The fitting code of GX5.3 appears to be the most common but probably not universal.

I am not aware of any led variants.

It's always a good idea to check the lamp house periodically together with the silicone cables and lamp holder and if necessary clean the porcelain foot to ensure a clean and firm connection.

Rather than use my enlarger to flash paper, I use a rh designs paper flasher.

awty · Jul 14, 2024

MARTIE said:
Rather than use my enlarger to flash paper, I use a rh designs paper flasher.

What a great product.

RalphLambrecht · Jul 14, 2024

chuck94022 said:
I'm looking at the purchase of a Durst Laborator 1200. In the past I've done all my printing with Beseler 45 series enlargers, so Durst is new to me. This one comes pretty well equipped: CLS 450, Femobox 450N, 450, and 66, Femomasks 35N, 45, 66 & 67, El Nikkor 1:4 75mm, Componon-S 5.6 150mm, ST 450, TRA-450, Time O Lite, Exposure pedals, and Durst Femoneg. Also, Femogla AN for the 450.

The whole Femo-blah part of Durst is new to me, coming from Beselers. But it is pretty clear what those items do.

My question is this: Is there anything glaringly missing from this list, or other things I should consider about the Durst? It does light up properly, bellows is in great shape, etc. - all things I can check coming from a Beseler seem fine. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything before handing over the money.

Also, I'm looking at about a $1100 transaction. Is that too much these days for a Durst 1200?

I have an opportunity for a Beseler 45MXT with a Schneider 150mm lens, color dichro head, gralab timer, and 4x5 negatrans for about $900.

I think the Durst is an overall better purchase, though the price is higher.

Opinions?

Thanks!

-chuck

The Durst L1200 is a fantastic enlarger, but for optimal stability, the top of the column should be wall-mounted, and I'm missing a 50mm lens on your list for 35mm enlargements. I recommend the EL Nikkor 50mm f/2.8.

RalphLambrecht · Jul 14, 2024

chuck94022 said:
I'm looking at the purchase of a Durst Laborator 1200. In the past I've done all my printing with Beseler 45 series enlargers, so Durst is new to me. This one comes pretty well equipped: CLS 450, Femobox 450N, 450, and 66, Femomasks 35N, 45, 66 & 67, El Nikkor 1:4 75mm, Componon-S 5.6 150mm, ST 450, TRA-450, Time O Lite, Exposure pedals, and Durst Femoneg. Also, Femogla AN for the 450.

The whole Femo-blah part of Durst is new to me, coming from Beselers. But it is pretty clear what those items do.

My question is this: Is there anything glaringly missing from this list, or other things I should consider about the Durst? It does light up properly, bellows is in great shape, etc. - all things I can check coming from a Beseler seem fine. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything before handing over the money.

Also, I'm looking at about a $1100 transaction. Is that too much these days for a Durst 1200?

I have an opportunity for a Beseler 45MXT with a Schneider 150mm lens, color dichro head, gralab timer, and 4x5 negatrans for about $900.

I think the Durst is an overall better purchase, though the price is higher.

Opinions?

Thanks!

-chuck

Once

chuck94022 said:
I'm looking at the purchase of a Durst Laborator 1200. In the past I've done all my printing with Beseler 45 series enlargers, so Durst is new to me. This one comes pretty well equipped: CLS 450, Femobox 450N, 450, and 66, Femomasks 35N, 45, 66 & 67, El Nikkor 1:4 75mm, Componon-S 5.6 150mm, ST 450, TRA-450, Time O Lite, Exposure pedals, and Durst Femoneg. Also, Femogla AN for the 450.

The whole Femo-blah part of Durst is new to me, coming from Beselers. But it is pretty clear what those items do.

My question is this: Is there anything glaringly missing from this list, or other things I should consider about the Durst? It does light up properly, bellows is in great shape, etc. - all things I can check coming from a Beseler seem fine. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything before handing over the money.

Also, I'm looking at about a $1100 transaction. Is that too much these days for a Durst 1200?

I have an opportunity for a Beseler 45MXT with a Schneider 150mm lens, color dichro head, gralab timer, and 4x5 negatrans for about $900.

I think the Durst is an overall better purchase, though the price is higher.

Opinions?

Thanks!

-chuck

Once you've got it, you can invest in a copy of 'Way Beyond Monochrome. It has several interesting chapters for L1200 users about calibrating the color head; aligning negative and lens stages and so on!

kfed1984 · Jul 15, 2024

RalphLambrecht said:
Once you've got it, you can invest in a copy of 'Way Beyond Monochrome. It has several interesting chapters for L1200 users about calibrating the color head; aligning negative and lens stages and so on!

I just got an L1200 with CLS 501 head and also have a copy of your book; good to know you endorse this enlarger. The book has too many nudes IMHO, which is a bit distracting at times, LOL. The only thing I'm worried about for L1200 is the obsolescence of the halogen bulb, so I'm thinking if an LED bulb with equivalent luminosity and voltage will work. I realize the spectrum is different and has sharp peaks, but maybe that can be compensated with different filtration exposure times?

kfed1984 · Jul 15, 2024

MARTIE said:
The fitting code of GX5.3 appears to be the most common but probably not universal.
I am not aware of any led variants.
It's always a good idea to check the lamp house periodically together with the silicone cables and lamp holder and if necessary clean the porcelain foot to ensure a clean and firm connection.

I'm thinking of an LED bulb with 24V and same lumens rating as 250W halogen. The mounting feet can be adapted as needed. This would be the easiest LED conversion not requiring removal of existing light box and replacement with a new LED one, plus adjustment with counterweights, etc. Easiest conversion, if halogen ever becomes difficult to get.

MARTIE · Jul 15, 2024

kfed1984 said:
I'm thinking of an LED bulb with 24V and same lumens rating as 250W halogen. The mounting feet can be adapted as needed. This would be the easiest LED conversion not requiring removal of existing light box and replacement with a new LED one, plus adjustment with counterweights, etc. Easiest conversion, if halogen ever becomes difficult to get.

In all fairness, the exact same thing could be said about film, paper and chem's?
So, if you're worried, just stock up when the price is right, they don't cost a fortune.

The other thing is, these machines were designed for professional, commercial use and with a lifespan of 500hrs, one lamp will probably last years in the hands of a hobbyist.

My advice would be to get printing ASAP and leave any notions of conversion if/when all else fails.

These enlargers are too good and too nice to ponder away.

MARTIE · Jul 15, 2024

RalphLambrecht said:
Once you've got it, you can invest in a copy of 'Way Beyond Monochrome. It has several interesting chapters for L1200 users about calibrating the color head; aligning negative and lens stages and so on!

I particularly like the section on speed matching.

kfed1984 · Jul 15, 2024

MARTIE said:
In all fairness, the exact same thing could be said about film, paper and chem's?
So, if you're worried, just stock up when the price is right, they don't cost a fortune.

yeah maybe that's the easiest thing, there are a few cheap ones on amazon, hopefully they should be alright:

Replacement bulbs from official sources go for like $50 a piece. I burned a few of them while playing around with the power supply, so don't want to blow too much $$$.

mwdake · Jul 16, 2024

kfed1984 said:
I just bought a Durst 1200 (CLS501) with 4x5 and 6x9 light boxes and a femoneg carrier (non-AM) with 35mm mask, for $1000. Everything is working fine. Does anyone know the exact lightbulb spec for this? I know its a 250W 24 V, but what is the bulb size/code? How long does the bulb last usually? I've heard these bulbs should not be turned on/off for a short duration of lets say 1 second, as done for flashing for example. Any guidelines for this? Are there LED bulbs of same size and voltage available? Thanks.

I had a 1200 with a CLS 500 posted on here for free, local pickup, but didn’t get any response.
I’m afraid to say what became of it but it’s probably on its way to making washing machines or cars now.
I’m sure the analog photo gods have a special punishment for me later.

kfed1984 · Jul 16, 2024

mwdake said:
I had a 1200 with a CLS 500 posted on here for free, local pickup, but didn’t get any response.
I’m afraid to say what became of it but it’s probably on its way to making washing machines or cars now.
I’m sure the analog photo gods have a special punishment for me later.

They go for about $4000 on ebay.

Durst 1200 question

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