Durst 606 lensboard question

[BlueWind]

Hello!
I am slowly bringing to life an old & sturdy Durst 606 developper. It came with a recessed lensboard but I have seen flat lensboards that fit that same enlarger head.
Can someone please tell me what difference in results should I expect when using a recessed versus flat lensboard? And if I use the recessed one (the one I already have) can I use it with any lens as long as the thread mount is compatible?
I must add that I've never used an enlarger before, I apologize if the question is too basic...
Thank you in advance
Joao

 

[ic-racer]

A recessed board may be needed for shorter focal length lenses, depending on how far the enlarger bellows collapses. For example on my Omega, a recessed board is needed for my 25mm, 30mm and 45mm lenses.

On my 8x10 Durst, a recessed board is needed for 150mm and shorter lenses.

Another way to put it is that since enlarging lenses are not retrofocus design, the shorter focal lengths really need to be close to the negative when making big enlargements.

 

[BlueWind]

Understood! This Durst 606 model has no bellows, the position of the lens is fixed. Maybe (my speculation) this is the reason for different shapes (recessed, flat) of boards. This recessed board came with a C500 mm Cassar lens (Steinhil IIRC...), so up to this focal lens it should be adequate. I hope to be able to assess it.
Thanks for your input
Joao

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning, Joao;

The Durst 606 enlarger recessed lens board is the Type "IXOTUB" and is intended to be used with lenses of around 50 mm focal length or less for use with 35 mm negatives. There was the standard 25 mm thread mount, and the more rare 39 mm thread mount. There was also a 35 mm or 25 mm focal length lens that was for 110 film negatives, but the 50 mm lens worked pretty well with that size. A really useful accessory was the lever that hung down out of the "tub" and had a ring clamp that went around the aperture ring of the lens for stopping down after focusing.

For use with lenses of 75 mm focal length and longer for 6 cm by 6 cm negatives, you used the standard non-recessed or flat circular lens board.

Congratulations on getting one of these enlargers back into operation. I had one back in the 1960's and 1970's, but it was one of the things that did not survive the death of a marriage.

 

[BlueWind]

Thank you Ralph. your answer was quite clear - you've provided me very specific information that is usually hard to find. I'm afraid my enlarger has not the lever you mentioned, but as I have been able to find separate parts here and there, maybe I'm lucky one more time.
Grateful thanks
Joao

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

This Durst 606 model has no bellows, the position of the lens is fixed. Maybe (my speculation) this is the reason for different shapes (recessed, flat) of boards.

No. It's impossible that the lens may be fixed. There MUST be a way to move it close and far from the negative.

If it doesn't have bellows or collapsing cylinders, it MUST have anyway some other focusing device (a threaded ring or whatever).

The point is that any focusing device (bellows, rings, whatever) has its own range. For mechanical reasons (when the bellows are closed you can't compress them any further; when the ring is all turned clockwise you can't turn it anymore; etc.) the range is of course limited. When you use short focal lenses, in some cases you have to "help" the focusing device to get the rear lens as close to the negative as needed with a recessed lensboard.

 

[Jerevan]

I have one of these enlargers and I concur with what Ralph says. The flat board is called IXOPLA. There is a manual here: http://gbchcf.free.fr/

 

[John Jarosz]

Joao:

I owned a 606 as my first enlarger (many years ago). I no longer have it. But at that time, I made a lensboard that placed the lens further from the negative that was normally possible. I have saved this and I will offer it to you (free). Maybe you can make use of it for longer focal length lenses. Send me a PM with your postal mailing address and I will send it.

regards,

john