Enlarger bulb will it work ?

Mr Worry · Jan 22, 2009

Hi as i guess we have all heard that the traditional light bulb is soon gonna be banned in most countrys so ive been stocking up on any that i can find for my enlarger. My friend offered me a std pearl 150w es light bulb it has no print on the top and wonderd if it would work fine in my enlarger or if it would have an effect on the print quailty. :confused: As i dont have my darkroom set up at the moment i cannot try it out myself. Thanks

fschifano · Jan 22, 2009

Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the enlarger and the lamp. Chances are that it will not work as well as an enlarging lamp. But don't worry about it. Enlarging lamps are specialty items. As such, they are unlikely to be affected by any ban. Incandescent lamps will die a slow and natural death without legislation. The market will see to that. Consider that CF lamps, while they might cost more initially, last many times longer than incandescent lamps. Add to that the substantial energy savings they provide for an equivalent amount of light. It's a no-brainer.

ath · Jan 22, 2009

Actually in the EU enlarger bulbs probably will be banned. Since there is no lobby for these items nobody put them on the list of exceptions (like bulbs for car headlamps).

John Koehrer · Jan 22, 2009

fschifano said:
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the enlarger and the lamp. Chances are that it will not work as well as an enlarging lamp. But don't worry about it. Enlarging lamps are specialty items. As such, they are unlikely to be affected by any ban. Incandescent lamps will die a slow and natural death without legislation. The market will see to that. Consider that CF lamps, while they might cost more initially, last many times longer than incandescent lamps. Add to that the substantial energy savings they provide for an equivalent amount of light. It's a no-brainer.

Although the cfl's do have a warm up & afterglow considerations.
You might look at LED technology as they're beginning to show up in the big box stores and are instant on/off.

Mr Worry · Jan 22, 2009

Been looking around myself at LED technology based on a std 75w photocrescenta which runs at 1100 lumen with a colour temp of 2800k all of the LED equivalents i have found only run at 700 lumen at best.

ic-racer · Jan 22, 2009

fschifano said:
Consider that CF lamps, while they might cost more initially, last many times longer than incandescent lamps.

That has not been my experience. In the last 9 years of using them to illuminate my darkroom, they have a failure rate similar to that of incandescent lamps. The electronics in the base fails. I just replaced another one yesterday. I now only use incandescent lamps.

I presume the tubes in the failed units are still good. I suspect that if incandescent bulbs were to become unavailable, someone will figure out a way to make it profitable to re-cycle these expended CF lamps.

If anyone out there has a CF lamp that 'lasts many times longer' I'd like to know the brand.

BTW: I'm just referring to the ones with the screw in base.

fschifano · Jan 22, 2009

Whatever they stock at Home Depot has been working for me. I do not use them in the darkroom because of the afterglow, but they are everywhere else in the house. I know they don't like to run too hot, so if you have it in an unvented enclosure that may shorten its lifespan.

Mr Worry · Jan 22, 2009

Has anyone used led lamps in their enlarger if so which ones ?

Enlarger bulb will it work ?

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