Saunders/LPL and Ilford filters

[Doc W]

I need to get a set of Ilford MG filters for a Saunders/LPL with a Super Dichroic 4500II head. I have the “basket” (filter holder) that screws onto the barrel of the lens but I am not sure if the current filters from Ilford are the same same size. The actual filter is 2” in diameter whereas the dimensions of the basket are 3.5 x 3 inches.

Here is the B&H page: https: //www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/24675-REG/Ilford_1762617_Multigrade_Filter_Set_with.html

Can any of you Saunders/LPL owners shed light on this?

 

[brian steinberger]

You would need the 3.5 x 3.5 set and cut them to fit your holder. I use the below the lens set you referenced with my LPL. I don’t have a drawer but just use the holder on the lens as designed.

Here is the link to the 3.5 x 3.5 filter set.

 

[Rob Skeoch]

Just asking. If it's a colour head, why not just dial in the filters using the head and no below lens filter?

 

[Doc W]

Just asking. If it's a colour head, why not just dial in the filters using the head and no below lens filter?

Good question Rob. My plan is to speed match the head so I can use continuous filtration without changing the printing time. However, I am teaching my grandson who is 21 and by far the most simple route into printing is to use multigrade filters. He will be doing this on his own pretty soon and allmost all of the literature out there is based on multigrade filters.

My last enlarger, a 4x5 Devere, was speedmatched, and I heartily agree with you. That is the way to go if one has a dichroic head.

 

[MattKing]

For a temporary solution, and with the knowledge that you can employ yourself the colour head instead....
Cut a piece of mat board to the same size as the holder, and cut a hole in that just a bit smaller than the 2x2 filters.
You will probably need to bodge up some stop pieces on the mat board to make sure that the filters sit in the right spot on the mat board.
It won't be as convenient as having a matched holder, but it should work.

 

[cowanw]

I have a six inch set you can have.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

If you can locate some Ilford holders/frames, or even old Kodak ones, then you can cut the new filters to fit. I recently replaced mine that way. I already had a few sets of holders so I just bought the 6" version of the filters and made two sets. I think I still have some Kodak frames around here somewhere if you are interested. The old Kodak filter frames are the same size as Ilford so they will fit right in the same drawer IIRC.

The other option with a Dichroic head is to split print. Max yellow for one exposure then max magenta. I did that for a while with a Dichroic head before I picked up the VCCE module. I prefer under the lens filters to the Dichroic option myself even when split printing.

 

[Doc W]

Thanks for all the tips, guys. Very helpful.