durst ac 707

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ijsbeer

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Hi everyone.

I'm almost there to buy a Durst ac 707 enlager. But now is my question. It is any good for b/w printing and have you got any hint's when i'm buying this thing? where to look for to see that it is good.
hope you can help me.

thanx already

ijsbeer
 
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Hello there. Which model is it, specifically? They can have different heads.

Among others, I use an AC 707 Autocolor, and I would qualify it as one of the best enlargers ever made. Yes, it is simply OUTSTANDING for black & white work. The dichroic filter set, the built-in light timer and internal swappable diffusion boxes are all extremely convenient features, making it a versatile and complete apparatus. The negative holder is modular and fits all sizes up to 6x7 by changing the masks only (but it can work as well as a universal holder with anti-newton glasses and its moving masks).

It has as well a built-in lightmeter and color meter facility, which can be handy and helpful. The only drawback someone finds is that the meter cirtcuitry is sophisticated and all this built-in features could be subject to damage on the very long run. You understand that a modular enlarger leaves the chance to change one single part in case it would brake. However, the whole machine is solid and well built, and personally I never use the light and color meter facility, so even if it would eventually stop working that would not be a great deal to me.

In few words: if the price was good, I would have no doubts in purchasing it again!
 
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ijsbeer

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Hello there. Which model is it, specifically? They can have different heads.

Among others, I use an AC 707 Autocolor, and I would qualify it as one of the best enlargers ever made. Yes, it is simply OUTSTANDING for black & white work. The dichroic filter set, the built-in light timer and internal swappable diffusion boxes are all extremely convenient features, making it a versatile and complete apparatus. The negative holder is modular and fits all sizes up to 6x7 by changing the masks only (but it can work as well as a universal holder with anti-newton glasses and its moving masks).

It has as well a built-in lightmeter and color meter facility, which can be handy and helpful. The only drawback someone finds is that the meter cirtcuitry is sophisticated and all this built-in features could be subject to damage on the very long run. You understand that a modular enlarger leaves the chance to change one single part in case it would brake. However, the whole machine is solid and well built, and personally I never use the light and color meter facility, so even if it would eventually stop working that would not be a great deal to me.

In few words: if the price was good, I would have no doubts in purchasing it again!

Hi Marco. thanks for your very positive reply. I'm gonna buy the autocolor version too. I wil pick it up the first thursday in november. Hope it is in good shape. 50 euro is a Real bargain in my opinion after your reply. Thanx.

Greets
ijsbeer
 
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It is not a bargain, it is a TOTAL STEAL, shame on you!!! :mad: I paid it ten times as much five years ago!

Oh, well... :D

Have fun!
 

roy

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A giveaway by the sound of it. Lucky to have found it !
 

blokeman

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I have had one of those, easy to use, great calibration system with the built in light-meter, if you put in the time calibrating your papers, a print can be gotten very quickly. I would've paid about $5-600 in about 1988, 2nd hand that is. Yes, it's a steal (if it's what you want)
 
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I would've paid about $5-600 in about 1988, 2nd hand that is. Yes, it's a steal (if it's what you want)

I have an AC707 with the filtration head and exposure meter that I got for FREE! A friend of mine was selling his small camera shop / minilab and he had an old conventional darkroom out the back - he even delivered it :smile: .


APUG user bogeyes very kindly scanned the manual and emailed it to me in pdf format - If you need a copy I'll happily send it to you if you pm me with your email address (I'm away for the next week and won't have internet access so I'll send it as soon as I can).

My enlarger needs a few minor repairs to the diffuser box (which I have underway), and I'm missing a 6x6 masking plate if anybody has a spare they'd like to sell - else I'll make one using the other plate as a pattern.

So far I've made a couple of prints with it, but have used gelatin filters and manual exposure until I get the hang of B&W alchemy/sorcery again :tongue:
 

Blighty

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Can't disagree with any of the above. I have the AC707 black and white (condensor head). I've been using it for donkeys years and I can't fault it. Well, actually I can. The meter or the circuitry in the head suddenly decided not to work after a couple of years. So I decided to bypass it all and just use a Durst Tim timer and a gossen Profisix with Lab attachment. I've upgraded recently to a StopclockPro and Zonemaster and it has to be the best combo ever (IMO).Another good all rounder has to be the M605, totally irrelevant to the thread, I know, but worth mentioning:smile:
 

Soeren

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It is not a bargain, it is a TOTAL STEAL, shame on you!!! :mad: I paid it ten times as much five years ago!

Oh, well... :D

Have fun!
Bump.
Did a search on colorheads and saw this thread. I just have to brag a little
Yesterday I was given a Durst AC 707 autocolor, yes for free :D
Finally found out what that white scale is for.
Cheers
Søren
 
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ijsbeer

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very good Soeren,

But can you tell me where the white scale is for? I'm curious

Cheers
ijsbeer
 

Soeren

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Look up in the thread :smile: Its a timer/stopclock. Works when you hit the button on the light-/colormeter.
Cheers
Søren
 
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ijsbeer

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Thanks Soeren :smile: i'm gonna use the 707 today again :D:D
 

Soeren

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BTW. Lensboards for Durst's. I have only one (80/105mm) and might need one for 50mm. I guess it has to be recessed but are Lensboards for Durst models interchangeable? If not, which models through time do share lensboards.
Cheers
Søren
 
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ijsbeer

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BTW. Lensboards for Durst's. I have only one (80/105mm) and might need one for 50mm. I guess it has to be recessed but are Lensboards for Durst models interchangeable? If not, which models through time do share lensboards.
Cheers
Søren

Hi Soeren,

You've gotta search for a Durst Siriotub. I use that for my El Nikkor 50mm. I don't know wich lensboards are interchangeable.

hope it helps a bit.

ijsbeer
 

andreasM

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Oct 20, 2008
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Can't disagree with any of the above. I have the AC707 black and white (condensor head). I've been using it for donkeys years and I can't fault it. Well, actually I can. The meter or the circuitry in the head suddenly decided not to work after a couple of years. So I decided to bypass it all and just use a Durst Tim timer and a gossen Profisix with Lab attachment. I've upgraded recently to a StopclockPro and Zonemaster and it has to be the best combo ever (IMO).Another good all rounder has to be the M605, totally irrelevant to the thread, I know, but worth mentioning:smile:

Hi Blighty,
How did you do that - bypassing the circuit in the head? I have problems with it too and would appreciate some helpful advice
Thank you very much
Andreas
 

Blighty

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Hi Andreas,
Bear in mind that my AC 707 is the dedicated black & white model i.e. it uses condensers rather than a diffuse light source as in the the colour version. If yours is the colour version, then I'm not too sure how you'd go about this. For my particular model, I simply cut the lead 6" below where it enters the light column and spliced on a mains lead. Any other wires left protruding were cut right back and their ends taped up. The original remote sensor was rather basic anyway and not a patch on my Zonemaster analyser.
 

berten

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Bypass Durst AC707

So I decided to bypass it all and just use a Durst Tim timer
Six years ago I sold all my darkroom equipment. But I missed it, and I'm now putting a new darkroom together. I have a Durst AC 707 in good shape but would like to use it with a classical darkroom timer or even a stopclock. How do I connect this and/or bypass the built-in metering system? THNX
 
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