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Enlarger 100w bulb supplies in UK seem to have disappeared!?

ColinRH

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I am considering getting an enlarger which is illuminated by a 100w 240v bulb. It seems to me that these are not now available in the UK.
How do other owners of such enlargers keep their machine going - or IS there a supply in the UK?
 
RMD said:
They're listed on Amazon under the name 'rough service bulbs' :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...-alias=diy&field-keywords=rough+service+bulbs
Click to expand...

From personal experience, you may need to be aware that ordinary pearl bulbs may not give the even illumination of a proper enlarger lamp (and the logo/details transfer on the end of the lamp doesn't help this...although I have removed this in the past using fine emery paper). The version of lamp from Firstcall might justify the extra cost (thanks for the link, might get a spare myself while these are available).
 
Although I have a stash of 150W lamps for my L1200, I'm currently running it with a 75W lamp. The exposure times are a little longer, but not appreciably so. If you can't find any 100W lamps, a 75W will work just as well.
 
RMD said:
They're listed on Amazon under the name 'rough service bulbs' :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...-alias=diy&field-keywords=rough+service+bulbs
Click to expand...


Rough Service lamps are diiferent from enlarger lamps:


-) they may be different in the kind of diffusor (typical matted instead of milky)

-) they may have a signing at an improper location

-) they definitely burn, at the same wattage, at lower temperature, even lower than household lamps. And thus deliver less light output and yield a different light colour (more reddish).


That will not say that they cannot be used in an enlarger.
 
has anyone experimented with one of the recent LED bulbs that are the same shape as traditional light bulbs and have diffused glass? I suspect if these work, the benefit in reduced heat would be useful. My enlarger uses halogen dichroic bulbs so can't test myself.
 
ColinRH said:
I am considering getting an enlarger which is illuminated by a 100w 240v bulb. It seems to me that these are not now available in the UK.
How do other owners of such enlargers keep their machine going - or IS there a supply in the UK?
Click to expand...

Just another ill-fated project from the global tree huggers.They managed to replace a cheap,environmentially safe product with an expensive, technical inferior toxic waste productand pushed nations into hamster buying. Well done!
 
The more usual bulb sizes are 75W and 150W. Both of these are easily available from online retailers. The rough-service bulbs have little relationship to photographic enlarger bulbs - you may as well use a normal domestic lightbulb to get the same uneven illumination. The led-based replacement bulbs may not have a complete colour spectrum (hence sub-optimal results for multigrade papers), and incorrect size and shape to match the condenser(s) and may also have a delay turning on or off, making them difficult to time at short exposures.
 
Real enlarger bulbs are white coated rather than frosted. Household or rough service bulbs are no suitable substitute. Besides plenty of NOS lamps on eBay, at least one German maker, Dr. Fischer, still produce enlarger lamps in every common wattage and size. And as special application lamps are not under the European ban, there is no end in sight - lamps are not really dependent on mass production, they can be made to spec even in quantities of one...
 
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Well, only in two sizes (60 & 65mm diam.)
 

A milký coating reduces the colour temperature too.
 
My experience of using a 75w bulb was that (because of its slightly smaller dimensions) there was a bit more light fall-off at the edges of the frame. This is fairly easily compensated for with burning in but it's something to be aware of. Trying to find 150w es enlarger bulbs is like looking for rocking-horse shite. Luckily - and you might be justified in saying selfishly - I managed to buy the entire stock of enlarger bulbs from my local photo dealer a few years ago for a song. He hadn't sold any in years so he said I might as well have 'em.
 
RalphLambrecht said:
Just another ill-fated project from the global tree huggers.They managed to replace a cheap,environmentially safe product with an expensive, technical inferior toxic waste productand pushed nations into hamster buying. Well done!
Click to expand...
Nope, the blame lies somewhere between digital and halogen, and the drops in demand each caused. Philips, the last large scale maker, had already quit making their Photolita series bulb type photographic lamps (whether darkroom or photo incandescents) years before the household lamp market was regulated.

Enlarger bulbs may still be legally made and sold, as special application lamps they are exempt from the EU regulations (incidentally that's why you can still buy rough service lamps as well). There still are smaller makers of enlarger lamps around.
 
ColinRH said:
I am considering getting an enlarger which is illuminated by a 100w 240v bulb. It seems to me that these are not now available in the UK.
How do other owners of such enlargers keep their machine going - or IS there a supply in the UK?
Click to expand...

Just to bump this up - I have found a supplier not too far away that stocks Photocrescenta lamps in 75W, 100W, 150W, and 250W (all 230/240V), but only with an E27 screw base. In single quantities, they work out at around £10 each in single quantities with the price dropping to around £5 in packs of ten (plus shipping). There may well be the chance of a group buy if I can get a local dealer interested in the 150W & 250W lamps. Drop me a note if you are interested.
 
Paul
You might consider building a small stash of these bulbs yourself.
I have MANY spare bulbs for my enlargers, just in case they stop making the bulb.
I already had to switch to G series bulbs, because the special DURST bulbs for the L-1000 are no longer made. And who know if/when the G series will be also affected by the switch to CFL or LED bulbs.
 
LED seems to work well

Mr Rusty asked if anyone had tried a LED bulb for enlarging. Recently I put a "warm white" Osram LED Superstar Classic A 60 Advanced (to give it its full name) in my Focomat 1c, which is linked to a Heiland Splitgrade system. This gives me the correct exposure and contrast for most negatives.

The classic 'old' bulb for the enlarger, the 75W Philips Photocrescenta A, has a colour temperature of 2800 K. The LED bulb's power rating is 10W; it emits 806 Lumens with colour temperature of 2700 K. It produces full light instantly. Its expected life span is 20 thousand hours; this amounts to 20years at 2.7 hours a day! Both are pretty much the same size and shape, both emit diffuse light.

I have had 2 short printing sessions with this set-up. I was expecting 806 Lm to be a little dim which means long exposure times. I have found the opposite; exposures of half to 2/3rds, around 12 seconds at f/8 when enlarging 35mm to 8 X 10 size. There is very little heat. I'm still in the process of calibrating the filtration but it looks as if I will have to increase contrast by about a half grade. Interestingly it also appears that I will need about ⅓ stop more exposure -- I guess the Splitgrade's exposure metering is a little more sensitive to LED light.

To summarise: so far so good with the LED.

Louis
 
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Good to know that the Osram LED lamp works for you. I believe the Focomat 1c uses the lamp "end on". For other enlargers such as the Durst range that us the bulb "side on", the plastic (?) collar on the lamp will cast a shadow.
 
Thanks all for your information and suggestions. I hope it has given help to others, but for myself I have decided not to buy the enlarger now; I have my eye on one which runs on the 12v 100w quartz version.
Thanks again
 
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