Lamp for Lucky 90m, shape and wattage

[kazuo]

Hello.

I started with photography in the November of the last year and last month I
got an enlarger! I have some question about condenser enlarger lamp shapes and
wattage.

The enlarger is a Lucky 90m but its comes without a lamp, the enlarger uses a
150w/100v lamp. I found one on Rakuten Kenko shop for approximately 20 USD:

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/kenko-k/item/4944915901693/

This seen to be a picture of the lamp shape


(from here http://utinogarakuta.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-71.html )

The only lamp I found in my local stores is the PH140 75W and currently I'm
using it to print 135 negatives on 5x7 inches paper. The prints look OK to my
untrained eyes, but without a negative it looks like the center is brighter
than the corners.

I'm thinking about using a PH211/PH212 bulb, because I can get then cheap on
Freestyle*. Is this shape "compatibly" with the one on the picture above? Do
anyone know where to get the correct Lucky bulb for a cheaper price?

And about the wattage, the enlarger asks for a 150W, using a 75W makes any
difference other than the exposure time? Because even with a 75W PH140 I need
a 5 stop ND gel filter to bring times to something practical.

Thanks.

* I import nearly everything, because the insane prices in my country. What
you think about 285 USD for a set of Ilford 6x6" Multigrade filters?

 

[Alex Muir]

I don't know your enlarger, but the lower wattage lamp (75w) should only give longer exposures, and no other difference. The lamp shape may be important to obtain even illumination of the negative. On some enlargers you can move the lamp up and down to get even coverage. On Durst the lamp holder just slides up and down. Some have a screw you loosen first to allow the lamp holder to move.
Alex

 

[kazuo]

Thanks Alex. Looking at it close I can see that is possible to move the lamp
up an down.

I'm certain that the I'm not getting even coverage, because slight moving the
lamp change the illumination in a sheet of white paper when I put the mask
without any film.

Any way to determine the correct position? On the side of the enlarger I have
this info: "Condenser lenses: double plano-convex 120ϕ 80R" (what the "120ϕ
80R" means?)

 

[Alex Muir]

It's unlikely you will get perfectly even illumination. You can, however, move the lamp up or down until you get the best available coverage. The corners are usually less bright than the centre. If you have a handheld light meter, you could try putting the room lights off and measuring the light at the centre and corners of the frame with no negative in the carrier. You then adjust the lamp to get the least difference between readings.
I'm not sure about the condenser description. 120 and the circle/line looks like the diameter? I don't know about the 80R.
Alex

 

[John Koehrer]

120=diameter. 80=radius. 80 what i've no idea, maybe furlongs?

Any way without searching for pictures. The 140 is about the size of a golf ball(isn't it?) and the 211/212 are like a common 60 watt household bulb. I'd guess that the Lucky lamp is closer in diameter to the 2xx's.
The diameter will make a difference in evenness across the print. It may not be noticeable because your'e making smallish prints.

 

[MattKing]

120=diameter. 80=radius. 80 what i've no idea, maybe furlongs?

If 120 is the diameter, 80 isn't the radius.

I am wondering whether one of those two numbers might be related to the length of the bulb.

Some of the Lucky enlargers were, IIRC, sold under a number of different names. I wonder if there is a "Vivitar" equivalent that there is more info available.

 

[kazuo]

Thanks for all the answers. I tried measuring the light and I get a one stop
difference between the corners and the center. I will try to make a grade 5
print without any film and see what I get.

Matt, thanks for the tip. I found that the Lucky 90m looks exactly the same as
the Vivitar E-74 the only difference is the name and the color (Vivitar is
painted white and my Lucky is painted gray).

I cannot find the manual of either Vivitar E-74 or Lucky 90m but from a google
search the lamp recommended to the E-74 is the PH211. I try to get one and do
some tests.

Thanks again.

 

[John Koehrer]

The radius of the curved portion of the condenser, opposite the flat side. Not the radius of the flat surface which would be ~60mm.

 

[tj01]

It might be cheaper to get an under lens filter set. I think the 6X6 filter you quoted is expensive.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/762617-Ilford-Multigrade-Under-the-Lens-Mounted-Filter-Kit

 

[kazuo]

The under the lens filter set locally is 460 USD... I'am using Rosco cinema gels, a 120 deep blue and primary green (139 I think), 7 USD per sheet.

I'am using a PH211 bulb now and its working great.

 

[TheToadMen]

I have a Lucky 60M and it came with a 100 Watt/220 Volt lamp, shaped like a mushroom.

 

[kazuo]

This looks like the same lamp for the 90M (but is a 150W/100V). Do you know where to buy one of these lamps? I only found then on rakuten and they don't ship it internationally.

 

[TheToadMen]

Try Ebay, like: http://www.ebay.com/sch/khbphoto/m....h=item58aa0f6dee&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WiKO-enlarger-lamp-PH212-/271187294466?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f2405b902
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EIKO-Enlarger-Lamp-PH-140-Light-Bulb-for-Photo-Enlarger-/271422551332?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f320b7524

I think you can use any brand or model enlarger lamp?

 

[kazuo]

I also think I can use any brand, but the model/shape is important I used the PH140 lamp you linked but I didn't get uniform coverage, its has visible on some prints.

I'm using the PH211 (the 75W version of PH212)

I dind't find this mushroom shaped lamp on ebay, TheToadMen, can you read what is written on the side of your lamp? If I have the shape, like PH211 or PH140, I think will be easier to search for it. Thanks.

 

[TheToadMen]

I'll check the bulb.
On the original website of the manufacturer is says: "Lucky enlarger bulb 100V-150W"
See: http://web.archive.org/web/20070701...p/web/products/lucky/enlarger/90ms/index.html (use Google Translate)

 

[TheToadMen]

One side say: for Lucky.
The other side says 220V / 100 W
There is some sort of writing/ logo, but that could be Japanese writing also??
See images:

 

[kazuo]

The writing is Japanese, ナショナル (nashionaru), meaning "national'. Google don't give me too much, seen to be a brand of Japanese lamps. Thanks a lot TheToadMen, if I found a source of these lamps I will post here.

 

[TheToadMen]

Good luck hunting!
BTW: The manufacturer of these enlargers was: Fujimoto from Japan.