Durst M370 filter tray & MF condenser questions

[kdanks]

Hi all

I've just bought a Durst M370 BW on eBay, ready to make my first foray into printing. It came with a set of Ilford multigrade filters which I can cut down to fit in the filter tray, but I wonder if anyone knows whether the tray should have a glass insert in it? The plastic frame has some tiny lugs at one end, but there doesn't seem to be anything at the other end to stop a filter from dropping out.

The enlarger also came with the conversion kit for 6x7 medium format. I want to get into MF, but it will either be 645 or 6x6, most likely 645 because I can't see that I'll want square prints too often. According to the manual I'll need a Lidicon 80 condensor (the kit has a Lidicon 100), a Sixma 66 lower metal mask insert (I've got a Sixma 67 in the kit) and a Sivopar 45 glassless insert.

I know I can just try it for myself when the time comes, but what is likely to happen if I try to print from a 6x4.5 negative with the 6x7 condensor? The enlarger came with 50mm and 80mm EL-Nikkor lenses, and I know that MF needs longer lenses. What does a lower metal mask insert even do? It's all very confusing, so if anyone can throw any light on this I'd be most grateful.

Kind regards

Kevin

 

[Carol]

Hi Kevin. I have an M370 and have often wondered at the funny design of the filter tray. Mine has two tiny, tiny lugs at the front and the same at the back. You have to be very precise when you cut the filters otherwise they wont go in or they'll fall right through. I made a cardboard template before I cut mine.

Sorry I can't help with your other query, I'm pretty much a novice.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your first printing experience. It's addictive.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

I know I can just try it for myself when the time comes, but what is likely to happen if I try to print from a 6x4.5 negative with the 6x7 condensor? The enlarger came with 50mm and 80mm EL-Nikkor lenses, and I know that MF needs longer lenses. What does a lower metal mask insert even do? It's all very confusing, so if anyone can throw any light on this I'd be most grateful.

Q1: absolutely nothing, you would simply loose some brightness that you can very well compensate with a longer exposure. I suggest keeping the 6x7 condenser and relative accessories, as I foresee that 6x4,5 will be not enough for you in the medium/long term, but on the other hand a 6x7 gear can be easily used to print a smaller format. The opposite is, quite obviously, not true.

Q2: yes - 50mm for 35mm, 80mm for mid format.

Q3: the metal masks just support the negative and crop precisely the frame you want to print. Please note that you can print fine a smaller format with the 6x7 mask you already have. A smaller mask like 6x4,5 or 6x6 - though convenient - is not strictly necessary. You just need to take care in centering well the frame you are enlarging, and if you have a negative carrier adjustable in width you can crop the area outside the frame being printed (but this is, again, not strictly necessary).

 

[kdanks]

Carol, Marco, thanks for your replies. Good tip about a cardboard template Carol, I'll definitely do that, and great information on the MF printing Marco. That should save me some money.

Kind regards

Kevin