Restocking 300W / 120V ELH lamps - good UK sources?

Tom Kershaw · Oct 15, 2019

As of today I'm down to my last spare ELH lamp. I see they're listed at Silverprint and Morco for around £12 but wonder if UK members have had success sourcing elsewhere? - not that I have issue with ordering from either of those photographic dealers in principle. One of my enlargers takes four of these lamps and the other two so would be interested in a potential volume discount.

Phil Hudson · Oct 15, 2019

I had the same issue but didn't find anything much cheaper....think I went to Specialist Lamps in the end. They trade as uk-stuf on eBay and cost under a tenner if you buy 4 or more. Quality seems OK but don't expect anything fancy like Osram!

Tom Kershaw · Oct 15, 2019

Phil Hudson said:
I had the same issue but didn't find anything much cheaper....think I went to Specialist Lamps in the end. They trade as uk-stuf on eBay and cost under a tenner if you buy 4 or more. Quality seems OK but don't expect anything fancy like Osram!

Thanks Phil. I seem to remember paying around £6 to £8 in the past which is more inline with advertised USA prices. Perhaps the ELH lamps have become a more specialised item these days. My stock has been mostly General Electric, although I also seem to have used Philips and Osram brand units.

Bill Burk · Oct 15, 2019

Check with @David Lyga

Phil Hudson · Oct 16, 2019

It has also been suggested elsewhere that the 250w version ENH offers a longer life and less heat etc - if your exposure times will tolerate the lower output. They're cheaper too!

https://www.slclightingonline.com/p...MIu4abw_if5QIV0_hRCh04vgiDEAQYBSABEgKDM_D_BwE

Tom Kershaw · Oct 16, 2019

The ENH lamps look tempting but I wonder if there is any unforeseen disadvantage, taking into account longer exposure times which shouldn't be too much of an issue. The ELH option on eBay seems to be available for £8.50 if ordered in multiples. £6.25 for branded ENH units.

Ian Grant · Oct 16, 2019

I bought a few boxes of these bulbs a some years ago my enlarger takes 4 of them. Buying in bulk lowers the cost significantly, I kept the receipt so I'll have to dig it out.

My 5108 is fine even with just 2 bulbs so I don;t see that using 250w bulbs would be an issue. I had thought of having 4 resistors added to drop the lamps output slightly which greatly increases bulb lfe - it's done with some slide projectors. I'd have no issues using my enlarger lenses a stop wider.

Ian

AgX · Oct 16, 2019

How big do you print anyway to need 1200W of incandescant lighting?

Tom Kershaw · Oct 16, 2019

AgX said:
How big do you print anyway to need 1200W of incandescant lighting?

The 5108 stops down the light a fair amount, so 1200W doesn't go as far as you would think.

AgX · Oct 16, 2019

Where does all that power vanishes, in the mixing chamber?
At the smaller useful F-stop?

Tom Kershaw · Oct 16, 2019

AgX said:
Where does all that power vanishes, in the mixing chamber?
At the smaller useful F-stop?

I tend to have the 5108 set up for larger prints and use my 504 for smaller work; but having said that 1000W would probably work fine. I'm not expert on the original design logic of using the ELH lamp, although I think these were common in slide projectors so perhaps had good availability at the time.

Ian Grant · Oct 16, 2019

AgX said:
How big do you print anyway to need 1200W of incandescant lighting?

My 5108 is the floor standing model with the drop bed for large prints, I do print 30"x24" at times and with a large mixing box for 10x8 negatives you need that level of light intensity.

Ian

Tom Kershaw · Oct 16, 2019

Ian,

Have you purchased ELH lamps recently? Phil Hudson gave a link earlier to an eBay seller with lamps for £8.50 each - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELH-120v...300108?hash=item2a55ee31cc:g:OqEAAOSwgyZcGOpk - which seems to be the same brand as Silverprint markets for around £12. - https://shop.silverprint.co.uk/Silverprint-Projector-Bulb-ELH-120V-300W-GY5-3/product/ELH120/ELH120/

Tom

Ian Grant · Oct 16, 2019

Yes , I saw that link, the company I bought from was litelec.com, they don't list these any longer. I'm not needing bulbs at the moment as I have a box with 19 left and an unopened box of a dozen.

Might be worth contacting Harry at LitetLec, he can probably order them in still but you'd need to buy by the box, also if a group purchase is made you'd get a far better deal. That's what I did last time.

Ian

Tom Kershaw · Oct 16, 2019

Ian Grant said:
Yes , I saw that link, the company I bought from was litelec.com, they don't list these any longer. I'm not needing bulbs at the moment as I have a box with 19 left and an unopened box of a dozen.

Might be worth contacting Harry at LitetLec, he can probably order them in still but you'd need to buy by the box, also if a group purchase is made you'd get a far better deal. That's what I did last time.

Ian

I seem to remember ordering a box from your group buy, which must be the source of the GE units. The other makes I would have purchased independently.

Ian Grant · Oct 16, 2019

Tom Kershaw said:
I seem to remember ordering a box from your group buy, which must be the source of the GE units. The other makes I would have purchased independently.

Yes that's right, I still have a box of the GE US made units left, and two from another box, as well as an almost complete larger box of Philips units made in Japan.

Ian

Phil Hudson · Oct 17, 2019

I'd be interested in a box quantity of branded ELHs (eg Philips, GE, etc) if anyone has found a good deal.

Ian Grant · Oct 17, 2019

I think I bought 60 ELH bulbs last purchase, that made it economic in terms of shipping/carriage to the dealer and then on to me allowing him to keep the price down. Long term I'd like to switch all my enlargers to LED, I have a condenser Johnsons V54 - it's my second, I used a De Vere cold cathode head with the first for about 25 years until I gave it away. Ironically the second came from the person I gave it to (a member here.

Tom may remember but I think the bulbs were around £3 at a time when photo dealers were selling them for around £10-£12 each. The thread should still exist here

Ian

Tom Kershaw · Oct 17, 2019

I may have missed something but I've just had a quick look back through 'Conversations' and saw you had quoted a price per unit of £6.50 inc VAT.

Tom

Tom Kershaw · Oct 17, 2019

Ian Grant said:
Long term I'd like to switch all my enlargers to LED, I have a condenser Johnsons V54 - it's my second, I used a De Vere cold cathode head with the first for about 25 years until I gave it away. Ironically the second came from the person I gave it to (a member here.

Ian

Having only a small darkroom and at one point more equipment installed than space to move, I've now rationalised down to two enlargers which makes operations more straightforward. However, I would have thought my MULTIGRADE 500 system on the 504 was more prone to complex failure than the 5108 which is older. Actually my De Vere 504 chassis is in almost 'as new' condition, I don't think it got much if any real use before I purchased it a few years ago, whereas the bigger machine looks very well used.

mpirie · Oct 17, 2019

I recently bought 6 X OSRAM 93518 ELH 300W 120V, halogen lamp with reflector MR16 from Amazon for £31.32.

Works out at a fiver each.

WRT to running lower wattage lamps, i'd be worried that my MG500 head would not work properly since i believe the grades are achieved by varying either the voltage or current to each lamp?

Mike

Tom Kershaw · Oct 17, 2019

mpirie said:
I recently bought 6 X OSRAM 93518 ELH 300W 120V, halogen lamp with reflector MR16 from Amazon for £31.32.

Do you have a link?

Tom

mpirie · Oct 17, 2019

Bugger!....even cheaper now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01I54PR32/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mike

Tom Kershaw · Oct 17, 2019

I don't see anything about the number of lamps? - also says out of stock.

mpirie · Oct 18, 2019

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ELH-300wat...f=sr_1_10?keywords=elh&qid=1571389206&sr=8-10

More expensive, but in stock.

As Bill says, it might be worth checking with David Lyga.

Mike

Restocking 300W / 120V ELH lamps - good UK sources?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency