Opemus 6 colour for Black and white advice

[Chrishuddersfield]

Are all the enlargers the same model of Durst? As I remember it when I used a college darkroom the enlargers were a mix of Durst and LPL of varying models, multigrade, colour, and with filters - kept you on your toes.

Hello

sorry for the late reply. Had no internet for a few days. They are all Durst ranging from 35 to medium and large format. I can’t remember the models but I’ll have a look again.

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

Just out of curiosity, which bits have you not been able to work out?

pentaxuser

I thought there would be a like button.. but I’ve sussed it now I think.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

sorry for the late reply. Had no internet for a few days. They are all Durst ranging from 35 to medium and large format. I can’t remember the models but I’ll have a look again.

We didn't have large format enlargers. Power output differences can be confusing but if everything is around the same then there is less of an issue, however I don't usually make test prints so consistency of light output on the baseboard is probably more significant to myself than others.

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

Hello again.

I finally got my enlarger set up and I think the bulb blew. Has anyone experienced anything like this? the chap I purchased it from doesn’t want to know and has stopped answering my messages.
It did work for around 15 mins, then just made a pop sound. I tried a new fuse and checked all
The parts and it seems fine. Does any one know where to buy these bulbs from?

Also the neg case is has glass above and below the negative. Will this affect the images I produce? the negative tests/cases at college have no glass in and hollow. The glass on mine seems quite clean, but there are tiny little marks.

Thanks

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

We didn't have large format enlargers. Power output differences can be confusing but if everything is around the same then there is less of an issue, however I don't usually make test prints so consistency of light output on the baseboard is probably more significant to myself than others.

Thanks

 

[Tom Kershaw]

It did work for around 15 mins, then just made a pop sound. I tried a new fuse and checked all

What type of lamp does your Opemus 6 head take?

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

What type of lamp does your Opemus 6 head take?

Hello

the lamp is a tungsram 12v, 100w bulb.
Is that too powerful?
The previous owner used this.

thanks

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

 

[Tom Kershaw]

the lamp is a tungsram 12v, 100w bulb.

12V, 100W sounds about right, it is what my Meopta Magnifax colour head takes. If you upload a picture of your Meopta head that might make things clearer. Just to add that you need to be very careful not to touch the centre halogen lamp inside the reflector.

 

[AgX]

the lamp is a tungsram 12v, 100w bulb.
Is that too powerful?

Meopta advised for the colour head with additional density filter the 100W version, for the head without density filter the 85W version.

 

[MattKing]

That looks like an EFP bulb - which is used in a number of enlargers, including my LPL enlargers.
The contacts look quite worn, which may have contributed to the bulb blowing.
Here is a listing for a replacement: https://www.amazon.co.uk/231-EFP-100W-Effects-Lamp/dp/B000KH7S3U
One piece of advice backed by long term experience - buy two, not one. That way you have a bulb available when the next one goes, and you will be able to source a further replacement at your leisure.
When you put a new bulb in, check and clean the socket first.

 

[Mick Fagan]

You may wish to check the ceramic plug, which is a heat protection unit, these deteriorate as well and with the corrosion and pitting inside them, they can cause the lamp to blow.

It may look something like this.

 

[AgX]

One can assume that used socket contacts look like the respective lamp pins.

 

[Ernst-Jan]

Would you say the Opemus is a better enlarger than the Durst M670BW I was initially seeking?
Thanks

First of all, I am not a very experienced printer but I do own a Opemus 5 and a Durst M670.

The Meopta does its job and you can make great prints with it, but the M670 works finer.

But yeah, the Opemus was for free and the M670 I had to pay €300 for.

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

Meopta advised for the colour head with additional density filter the 100W version, for the head without density filter the 85W version.

Thanks

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

First of all, I am not a very experienced printer but I do own a Opemus 5 and a Durst M670.

The Meopta does its job and you can make great prints with it, but the M670 works finer.

But yeah, the Opemus was for free and the M670 I had to pay €300 for.

Thanks

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

12V, 100W sounds about right, it is what my Meopta Magnifax colour head takes. If you upload a picture of your Meopta head that might make things clearer. Just to add that you need to be very careful not to touch the centre halogen lamp inside the reflector.

Thanks

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

You may wish to check the ceramic plug, which is a heat protection unit, these deteriorate as well and with the corrosion and pitting inside them, they can cause the lamp to blow.

It may look something like this.

Thanks

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
I’m so annoyed with this machine and the chap I purchased it off is not answering. I’ll try a new bulb and I’ll check the other bits. Thanks.

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
I’m so annoyed with this machine and the chap I purchased it off is not answering. I’ll try a new bulb and I’ll check the other bits. Thanks.

I'll risk saying this and appearing to be condescending as you may be intending to do what I am about to suggest but in addition to a new bulb I'd seriously take the advice of the others' posts and change the ceramic holder. As was said its insides will already be like the prongs on the bulb you showed and will shorten the bulb's life as you have really only replaced half of what you need to. If you cannot find a new ceramic holder then at least until you can find one try and clean the insides of the with a sewing needle or better still with a jeweller's round file whose action files the inside and removes some of the blackened material caused by the inevitable arcing that occurs over the many times the lamp switched on and off

pentaxuser

 

[flavio81]

Hello

Some advice please
I recently purchased an Opemus 6 enlarger, however, I was seeking a Durst M670BW, as these are the enlargers I’m using in college.

The chap I Obtained the Opemus 6 from said he used it for black and white, because it’s capable of both.

A couple of questions..
At college I use the M670BW and we have Ilford filters for contrast. On my Opemus 6 there is no filter tray, however the chap who owned it said I could use/add the magenta on the colour part.
Is this true ? Can I match the filter grades at college doing this?

How funny, i have a M670 Color which i used for BW.

Yes you can do BW with a color enlarger and get very good results. Just search for the manual and it will tell you the filtration required to alter tha contrast grade of the paper. Also ILFORD has a publication on this topic: adjusting contrast using a color enlarger.

 

[Jojje]

It may be of interest Meopta did offer a separate multigrade head besides colour head, namely Meograde. I did manage decades with multigrade filters in the box, though...

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

I'll risk saying this and appearing to be condescending as you may be intending to do what I am about to suggest but in addition to a new bulb I'd seriously take the advice of the others' posts and change the ceramic holder. As was said its insides will already be like the prongs on the bulb you showed and will shorten the bulb's life as you have really only replaced half of what you need to. If you cannot find a new ceramic holder then at least until you can find one try and clean the insides of the with a sewing needle or better still with a jeweller's round file whose action files the inside and removes some of the blackened material caused by the inevitable arcing that occurs over the many times the lamp switched on and off

pentaxuser

Thanks , appreciated

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

 

[Chrishuddersfield]

Does anyone know where to get a ceramic head from? Is that this white thing ?
Thanks.