Enlarger lamp question

[Rhodes]

So, I was enjoying myself in the bat...ehhhh darkroom, doing some printing and the bulb of the enlarger burn out.
I have a meopta opemus III, any opal bulb of 75w to 100w can be use to replace it or it has to be some specific opal bulb for enlargers?

 

[snapguy]

spare

Is there some reason why you didn't have a spare on hand before the bulb burned out? A regular bulb might work if you don't necessarily mind if "Westinghouse" or some other brand name is burned into your prints. Some regular bulbs have info on the end of the bulb, the part that would face the enlarger baseboard. Do you carry a spare tire -- that fits -- in your trunk, presuming you have a car?

 

[paul_c5x4]

The recommended fitting for my Durst L1200 condenser head is a 150W P3/4 lamp - I've been using a 75W P3/3 of late because I needed a longer exposure time, and I have a stock of them hidden away.

If you can not find a like for like replacement (I think you need a 75W lamp, type PH211), go for a lower wattage rather than higher. The exposure times will be slightly longer and will be easier to work with.

 

[Bill Burk]

The enlarger bulbs, like PH212, have the company logo printed on the side...

Stock bulbs often have the printing on top, avoid that... otherwise you'll have a company logo like GE watermarked on your prints.

 

[Rhodes]

The spare bulb that I got is 150w, the enlarger have a notice of max 100w sign. And spare tires do come with the car, but asking why I do not have a spare bulb enlarger and comparing with spare tires is completely stupid and if you do not have a valid answer to the question, please refrain of posting dumb replies.
Paul, I can find bulbs for it, in online photo material shops here, but with costs above 10 euros (and then plus the shipping costs). I did ask because light bulbs (depending of the type, of course) do tend to be more cheap at supermarkets.

 

[Bill Burk]

Rhodes,

I (we) can't in good faith, say it's OK to use 150W when the notice says max 100W.

You can sometimes remove the company logo from top of supermarket brand bulbs. But the bulbs for enlargers have a much creamier diffusion than supermarket bulbs.

 

[Bob Carnie]

I use 250 w bulbs on my gear when they are rated 150w.

go through bulbs a bit faster but no issues.. I agree though I can't in good faith recommend it.

Rhodes,

I (we) can't in good faith, say it's OK to use 150W when the notice says max 100W.

You can sometimes remove the company logo from top of supermarket brand bulbs. But the bulbs for enlargers have a much creamier diffusion than supermarket bulbs.

 

[paul_c5x4]

A 150W lamp will generate quite a bit more heat than a 75W or 100W lamp - The housing will be designed with a 100W limit in mind. Also bear in mind that a proportion of this heat will be directed at your negative, so there is risk of damage if things get too hot.

I have not seen any white lamps in my local supermarkets, they sometimes have frosted ones which are no good for our use. Do you have any commercial electrical wholesalers in your area ? - You may find one locally that can order in a few (say ten at a time) for considerably less than €10 each.

 

[Rhodes]

Ah, I see. Well I did use for just one print the 150w bulb, but decided not to carry on with more prints do to fear of the heat damage the enlarger.

 

[eddie]

Do a search online for the proper bulb. Photo stores are the worst place to buy them. When I needed spares, for my LPL, photo stores had them for about $20. An online bulb specialty source had them for $7. I think I ordered four, or five. Always good to have a few backups.

 

[Rhodes]

The cheaper that I found here is:http://www.centralfoto.pt/pt/analogico/paterson-ptp610-lampada-para-ampliador-75watt-quartz.html

 

[Bill Burk]

That one is a funny shape, but looks OK.

PH211 is a 75W opal bulb meant for enlargers, see if you can find that online at any light bulb company website. I saw eBay has plenty as well.

 

[MartinP]

Unless you are very lucky, probably you get your paper from an online stockist? Those places often also sell the right sort of bulb. Maybe add five enlarger bulbs to your next paper order?

The white "opal" effect is very thick on an enlarger bulb and hence there is no hotspot. With a slightly-similar looking household bulb (especially one containing a tiny quartz envelope, as your linked example seems to) then you will probably have a hotspot rather than an even light-source. Unfortunately this will be visible on the easel, usually as steep fall off round the edges of the centre area.

The Meoptas do have a rather good lighting design and that bulb you linked to looks shorter than the usual pattern, so the effective light-source (as seen by the optical path) might not be in the optimum place for the condensers in the enlarger. The lamp, the condensers and the enlarger lens are a specifically designed optical arrangement to give even lighting over the negatives. Note that, in the Opemus the same condensers are used for 35mm and 6x6cm (ie. it is a 6x6 enlarger with a carrier adaptable for smaller formats) so with a 35mm neg you might be able to get away with it as you effectively use only the centre of the light beam.

 

[snapguy]

gee whiz

I thought you were posing a humorous but fake, phonied up dumb, and patently painfully obvious question as a joke, so I thought a true answer was appropriate.

 

[summicron1]

The enlarger bulbs, like PH212, have the company logo printed on the side...

Stock bulbs often have the printing on top, avoid that... otherwise you'll have a company logo like GE watermarked on your prints.

but if you can't find an enlarger bulb quickly (freestyle has them) take a regular bulb, some fine sandpaper, and carefully rub the writing off the end of the bulb so it doesn't project onto your prints.

enlarger bulbs may be made to come on quicker, or have better color balance, but for quick b/w work in a pinch, what the heck...

 

[ac12]

@Rhodes

You need to get spare bulbs NOW.
The higher wattage bulbs are being phased out and more difficult to find.
Although photo bulbs, being specialty bulb are exempt from that in the US, don't know about other countries.

And the comment of having a spare bulb on hand is not a dumb reply.
In my experience, bulbs have a bad habit of burning out when the local photo stores are closed, like in the middle of the night or on a weekend. And if the local store don't have that bulb, you have to mail order the bulb with more delay due to shipping. So if you don't have a spare bulb, it could take you days or weeks to get a replacement bulb so you can start printing again. And the weeks delay is real, I've seen situations where a particular bulb is just not available. Many of the usual dealers were out of that bulb, so of course some of the dealers that had them raised their price. If you really want it, you have to pay their price.

I would NEVER use a bulb with a wattage greater than the equipment is rated for.
- The electricals (wire, switch, lamp socket, etc.) may not be able to handle the higher current flow, this could lead to a fire.
- The enlarger may not be able to dissipate the heat fast enough, and you may get thermal damage to the enlarger.
This is why I have spare bulbs, so I am not put in a position of where the only bulb that I have is a higher wattage than the enlarger is rated for.
And note the plural in my sentence. I have seen spare bulbs blow out in the first 5 minutes of use, so a spare to the spare makes sense to me. Besides, depending on the availability of that specific bulb and shipping time, once you use your spare, it could take days or weeks to get a new spare.

The only time I would use a non-photo bulb is when the photo bulb is no longer made and/or available.
This is the case with some of the Durst enlargers.
The special bulbs are no longer made and have not been made for years. So, those that still have the bulbs are asking over $100 and sometimes up to $300 for the bulb.
In this case, the only practical economic option is to use non-photo bulbs and make the best of it. This is clearly a suboptimal alternative.

 

[Rhodes]

Snapguy, I apologise also for my reply, the post was serious,and I didn't think that you were just joking in a light maner. I should have reply that I do not carry a extra tire,the car does it for me. And yes,has many things,one should have replacements bulbs for enlarger.

 

[JOR]

I have a meopta opemus III, any opal bulb of 75w to 100w can be use to replace it or it has to be some specific opal bulb for enlargers?

No, the condensers (assuming it is a B&W lamphouse) require an opal lamp intended for enlargers. I expect the original was 75W. Philips made a last batch a few years ago but they are still available from specialist suppliers. I get mine (P3/3 230V) from RK Photographic in Potters Bar, England.
Their email is sales@thedarkroom.co.uk. They ship all across Europe. You must specify ES (Edison Screw) or BC (Bayonet Cap). The pictures are wrong. The cost is about 6euros each plus post. I have no connection with them.

 

[Rhodes]

Yes, the original (I think, since I bought the enlarger second handed) was 75w. The land has this: 220v-75w p3/3 edswan uk or ediswan uk 6A.
And yes, I began the thread to learn if a enlarger bulb has to be or is a specific one or any kind of the same gender may serve.
I ask again for all your help, is this a valid replacement: http://niobo.pt/shop/laboratório-c-161_207/lâmpada-opalina-75w-p-3449.html
It was the only 2 web addresses with enlarger bulbs here. If not, I have to go shop abroad.

And now for something completely different: and about led bulbs? Can that be a replacement in the future, or they are not compatible with the kind of light an enlarger have to have?

 

[Bill Burk]

I think the bulb in the link you shared is perfect.

People are using LED bulbs. But the light may not be "perfect" for multigrade filters and multigrade paper.

 

[ac12]

There are people using LED bulbs.
But your enlarger has to be of a design where it would work.
Example, the LED bulb that I've seen in the store, has the light emitting part on the top half of the globe part of the bulb.
That would work if the bulb is suspended directly over the negative, but NOT if the bulb is position vertical and reflects off a mirror (as the Durst M600 is).
Others have rebuilt their enlarger head to install different LED units.
How well it works for multi-grade paper will probably depend on the design of the LED bulb/unit itself.

BTW the uncertainty of the availability of bulbs has driven me to stock up with enlarger bulb, if they stop being produced. This is especially the case for my Durst enlarger.
It is not only enlarger bulbs, but also bulbs for the lamps in my house that are connected to dimmers. Last time I looked, I could not find an LED bulb that worked with my dimmers. I would have to replace all the dimmers in the house with dimmers that would work with the LED bulbs. So again, I stocked up on bulbs for those lamps.

 

[Rhodes]

I see. I thank you all for the replies.

 

[John Koehrer]

Paterson's site says the PTP 610 is suitable for any enlarger using a 75 Watt ES base.

In the US the base would be an E27. From their picture it sure looks the same.