Durst Laborator 1200 - Anyone using one?

paul_c5x4 · Mar 29, 2010

mattm098 said:
Paul, are you sure those weren't stolen lol... the price is simply illogical and doesn't make any sense

The advantage of buying from a seller that doesn't know what the stuff is and describes it poorly. The other, a much better description with a reasonable BiN price.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 29, 2010

paul_c5x4 said:
The advantage of buying from a seller that doesn't know what the stuff is and describes it poorly. The other, a much better description with a reasonable BiN price.

Well, here is a similar story:

About 10 years ago, I was interested in buying a drying cabinet. I saw one 2nd-hand, advertised in the local paper (Essex, England) and went to take a look. It was a beautiful piece, hardly used, manufactured by Marrutt, worth about £500 new. The seller, a lady about 70 years old, did not know what she had there, and offered it for £50. I told her what it was worth, but she said that it was old and her husband never used it much. She just wanted to get rid of it. It was tempting, but I just couldn't. I gave her £200 and never looked back. It's still drying my film today.

Again, pay up to what its worth to you. A simple rule that has served me well over the years.

Mahler_one · Mar 29, 2010

Ralph: I know that you are a real expert in the use of the Durst 1200, and hence my question. I noted last year that Heiland will install their computerized "printing system" onto the Durst CLS head. One has to send the head to Germany for installation, and then hope that if something goes wrong that someone in the US can fix it. Do you know anyone who has done such modification? Have you seen a Durst so modified "working", and if so, have you an opinion? Just curious if it would make sense to modify the Durst system in order to used the Heiland in fully automatic mode.

mattm098 · Mar 29, 2010

Ralph, you're a good man.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 29, 2010

Mahler_one said:
Ralph: I know that you are a real expert in the use of the Durst 1200, and hence my question. I noted last year that Heiland will install their computerized "printing system" onto the Durst CLS head. One has to send the head to Germany for installation, and then hope that if something goes wrong that someone in the US can fix it. Do you know anyone who has done such modification? Have you seen a Durst so modified "working", and if so, have you an opinion? Just curious if it would make sense to modify the Durst system in order to used the Heiland in fully automatic mode.

I know Jürgen Heiland well. I also know a ton of people who love this product and rave about it. Unfortunately, I'm too traditional of a printer to have my enlarger changed over to an automated printing machine. I'm a hands-on kind of guy, you know.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 29, 2010

mattm098 said:
Ralph, you're a good man.

It's easy to be honest with a full stomach.

5stringdeath · Apr 3, 2010

I am the proud owner of a 1200 as of today

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ic-racer · Apr 3, 2010

5stringdeath said:
I am the proud owner of a 1200 as of today

Very Nice!

5stringdeath · Apr 3, 2010

Yea but the controller/timer for this head looks daunting given I can't find a manual ... unless I want to fork over 45euros Still, I shall play.

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Renato Tonelli · Apr 3, 2010

5stringdeath said:
I am the proud owner of a 1200 as of today

You'll never look back.

5stringdeath · Apr 3, 2010

Renato Tonelli said:
5stringdeath said:

I am the proud owner of a 1200 as of today

You'll never look back.

Click to expand...

I can't because there won't be enough room in my small darkroom to turn around

5stringdeath · Apr 3, 2010

Hmm, well this is probably bad news .. plugged it in, fan comes on in the head but this is what the display looks like. Can't figure out anyway to reset/clear/use it .. any ideas? BTW, you can't see it in the pic, but all the LED's are lit.

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gary mulder · Apr 4, 2010

Reset by holding down the grade button and the press the clear. Maybe this helps

5stringdeath · Apr 5, 2010

gary mulder said:
Reset by holding down the grade button and the press the clear. Maybe this helps

Na, didn't help. I talked with Jens this morning and he stated he's seen a few of these failures this year so he thinks its a manufacturing defect coming to rear its ugly head. Short story, $1500 repair, so now I have one huge paperweight ... blah

Q.G. · Apr 5, 2010

No you don't.
Find a less 'technological advanced' head for the machine (what would you need the multigraph head for anyway ), and you'll have one heck of an enlarger.

5stringdeath · Apr 5, 2010

I asked him that and he said it would cost the same to convert it .... as i'm not familiar with this unit, maybe you can be more specific about my conversion options?

frobozz · Apr 5, 2010

Find another head compatible with the L1220 - on craigslist, on ebay, on here, wherever, and swap it out for the Multigraph head. Then sell your head as a parts head for someone who has a working controller but wrecked head, or whatever. All the parts are out there to make everyone happy, it's just a matter of all finding each other

For instance, the CLS500 and CLS501 heads should drop right on to that chassis, I think. And there was a condenser head - perhaps you can find someone with one of those left over after they swapped on a color head.

Duncan

5stringdeath · Apr 5, 2010

Its a possibility ... however because this was a free enlarger, I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money on her, because I have access to a full darkroom outside my house, but figured I'd set up a basement darkroom for use. So its pretty low on my priority list, but I'll keep my eyes open for a local sale or something.

Thanks!

Mahler_one · Apr 5, 2010

A bad, bad story....thankfully the enlarger came free. I believe the suggestion to keep the enlarger and eventually look for another head makes some sense...one of these days you might find one for a few hundred dollars. At least you can work outside off your home.

Ed

RalphLambrecht · Apr 5, 2010

5stringdeath said:
Na, didn't help. I talked with Jens this morning and he stated he's seen a few of these failures this year so he thinks its a manufacturing defect coming to rear its ugly head. Short story, $1500 repair, so now I have one huge paperweight ... blah

As others have stated, many heads fit this enlarger. The one you had wouldn't have been my favorite to begin with (too complicated electronics and hard to use with f/stop timing). The CLS501 or earlier work great and are very simple to use. They should be affordable. Richard Ross of RHDesigns (member of APUG) makes a reasonable version one as well. It's similar but better to the one you have. Heiland Electronics in Germany makes a brand new version using LEDs (probably expensive though).

5stringdeath · Apr 5, 2010

I thought RHDesigns only made timer systems ... I don't see any heads on their page? Unless my old eyes are going blind

Q.G. · Apr 5, 2010

There's a complete 1200 with condensor head on eBay now. Bidding stuck at $349.
Bidding will go a bit higher, but you don't need another complete 1200. So imagine how cheap a condensor head could be.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 5, 2010

5stringdeath said:
I thought RHDesigns only made timer systems ... I don't see any heads on their page? Unless my old eyes are going blind

Send them an email. I believe they convert your dead Multigraph head!

RalphLambrecht · Apr 5, 2010

Q.G. said:
There's a complete 1200 with condensor head on eBay now. Bidding stuck at $349.
Bidding will go a bit higher, but you don't need another complete 1200. So imagine how cheap a condensor head could be.

With 5 days to go, that set is like to double in price, but that's still worth it.

5stringdeath · Apr 8, 2010

Ok not to beat this to death but ....

So I got a replacement bulb, and the controller/power illuminates fine. So I'm still looking at this controller, have Google'd til I can't no more ...

Anyone have any idea of what I should look for if I open it up ... I mean, maybe its something simple? (heh) I just wanna give this one shot before deciding what to do with this monster, cause it looks so good in my basement and I'd love to get her working.

Durst Laborator 1200 - Anyone using one?

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