Help wanted with a Lucky 90M (newbie dumb question)

Hi. I am totally new to photography (film or otherwise) but approaching retirement I decided to dive in. Like I always do. I purchased a pretty much complete system from a lady who was basically a storage shed picker who had no knowledge or history of the owner. As part of the system I got what looks to be a complete Fujimoto Lucky 90M that I assembled and turned on. It has the original bulb in its box, which worked. I popped in a negative from the guys system to see if I could focus and see the picture. The light was very dim and I was unable to focus it well. There obviously is no documentation other than a few sheets and a manual in japanese. I am running it through a step down transformer (120 to 100) as I am US based. Assume that is needed to not burn it out, but could be wrong.

My system is pretty well stocked with everything and it looks like everything was well maintained by someone that knew what they were doing. It even has a Yashika Electro 35 GSN rangefinder camera. So I assume it is me that is the weak point. Any suggestions for a beginner to help get this running properly? I haven’t even tried developing film yet LOL. So putting the cart before the horse. Hope this is the appropriate sub forum...Thanks in advance.

Did you view the projection in a dark room? If there is any light in the room, the projection will be very dim.

Look at the photos in the following link:

https://www.neverland.bg/?p=5866

If this is the machine you have? It’s a standard lamp & condenser lamp head. The photo of the ID plate indicates a lamp of 150 watts and 100 volts (standard Japanese voltage for homes).

Examine the lamp for its voltage and wattage ratings. The step-down transformer is needed if the lamp is 100 volts.

If the machine was intended for the U.S. market, it will likely have a 120-volt lamp. If so, and you then use a 120-volt to 100-volt step-down transformer, the lamp will be rather dim, as 100 volts is only 80% of the intended voltage.

The most common lamp socket in Japan (per Google search) is E26—the same as in the U.S. and Canada. If so, then you should be able to simply use a PH-212 150-watt 120-volt opal photo lamp and omit the step-down transformer.

https://bluemooncamera.com/shop/pro...65y_vyK_xzwHz5mkIzHtivQ3LFDfFNZ1kIPQ1xHGlxLYR

https://www.filmandvideolighting.co...9gzUCIwI1qnm2QyU46CImTE5DwMpS045gc3v3BvmSqlJY

Hi @new2this - welcome aboard and congrats on picking up what sounds like a very complete kit!

new2this said:

The light was very dim and I was unable to focus it well.

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As @Ian C also comments, did you try this in a dark room, or were the lights on? An enlarger projects a pretty dim image by default. It's very bright in a darkroom under dim red/yellow safelight, but with normal room lights on, let alone daylight streaming in through the windows, you'll barely be able to see the image at all. That's perfectly normal.

You may want to look for and read some basic texts about old-fashioned/analog/darkroom photography. I'm sure some other contributes can mention their favorites; there are many books/guides from esp. the 1970s-1980s that would still be very usable today as the basic methods and materials have not changed much.

You might want to visit these folks. Colorado Photographic Arts Center

Good luck!

Did you open the aperture of the lens?

Nothing to do with your problem nor an answer but I always find a form of "black humour" in anything that has LUCKY in its name but gives problems

I't's a kind of variation on Idi Amin's ( remember him as the dictator of Uganda?) decision to call his assassination squad "The Public Safety Dept"

Just ignore this reply as irrelevant if your sense of humour doesn't run in this direction

pentaxuser

new2this said:

I am running it through a step down transformer (120 to 100) as I am US based.

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First, welcome.
Second, its unlikely that the transformer is needed or even inadvisable.
Is there any badging or labeling in or on the enlarger that makes you think that it was set up for use in Japan? Lucky branded enlargers were sold and used in the USA and Canada.
If there are any decals or labels on the unit, can you share an image of them here?

Neal said:

You might want to visit these folks. Colorado Photographic Arts Center

Good luck!

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This is a really good idea. Find someone in real life who can look at what you have and show you things about its use.

Hi,

Here are some pictures. The bulb is OEM 150v 100w. I was not sure about the transformer but wanted to be cautious. The label is in English. Let me know what specifically is needed to display. I am planning on going to CPAC and take lessons but for now it is YouTube and books. I did get the Darkroom Handbook by Langford and the Ansel Adams Guide Basic techniques of Photography by Schaefer among others from a thrift store. Thank you all for advising me.

People from Japan will correct me on this, but based on the labelling, I expect that enlarger is set up for somewhere other than Japan - most likely the USA and Canada.
Perhaps @Andrew O'Neill will know, based on his years in Japan, whether or not an enlarger with nothing but English on the label would be likely to be set up for Japanese electrical standards.

@new2this I brought my Fujimoto "Lucky" 4x5 enlarger back with me to Canada, the labelling is all in English on mine, too. I never used the condenser and head that came with it back in Canada, as I had switched it out and stuck on an Aristo Cold light VC head. If the enlarger was picked in your country, it was most likely used there, so it should be okay.

new2this said:

Hi,

Here are some pictures. The bulb is OEM 150v 100w. I was not sure about the transformer but wanted to be cautious. The label is in English. Let me know what specifically is needed to display. I am planning on going to CPAC and take lessons but for now it is YouTube and books. I did get the Darkroom Handbook by Langford and the Ansel Adams Guide Basic techniques of Photography by Schaefer among others from a thrift store. Thank you all for advising me.

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The Japan version uses a 100 volt 150 watt lamp. I would double check the lamp. These look a lot like what was sold as a Bogen brand in US (1970's I'm dating myself). I have pumps from Japan that I step down to 100 V.
I doubt there's anything that needs transformer as long as you get the proper voltage lamp.
These things can get hot even with correct lamps, I melted a 34.5mm lens cap on a 50mm EL-Nikkor lens (circa 1973) forgot what I was doing.

new2this said:

The bulb is OEM 150v 100w

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Are you sure? Can you post a picture of the lettering on the lamp itself?

Sorry. I had the volts and watts reversed in my description.

Okay, so the use of the step-down xformer is appropriate.
Have you had a look at the projected image in a dark room yet? 150W should be bright enough.

koraks said:

Okay, so the use of the step-down xformer is appropriate.
Have you had a look at the projected image in a dark room yet? 150W should be bright enough.

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I have not. The one thing I do not have is a safelight I will do so soon. My basement is darkroom dark. Thanks for all of your help!

new2this said:

The bulb is OEM 150v 100w.

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Other way around, maybe?

Plus, it looks like electricity is needed only for the bulb --no motor, etc. SO, check if the bulb socket is some standard, like, e.g. Edison 26 or 27. Then just use bulbs at your domestic voltage; no transformer. And, buying spare bulbs at the Japanese standard voltage might be a headache.

But it must be an enlarger bulb --properly frosted, no markings on the tip.