Vivitar VI Enlarger Dioptic Light Source/Light Pipe

[bgaspard]

Just got one of these for free. Anyone know where I can get a manual? I have the regular (?condenser or diffusion?) head on now, but I am not sure how to set up the Dioptic Color head.

 

[MikeK]

I have this very enlarger complete with instruction manual. I will need to scan and make into a PDF for you. Problem is I am leaving town on a business trip and will not be back until Wednesday night (Pacific Time) so the soonest I could make the copies would be Wednesday or Thursday depending on how late I get back. Let me know if that is OK.

Send me a PM with the email address you would like the manual sent to.

By the way this is quite a nice enlarger

Regards

Mike

 

[bgaspard]

MikeK will send me a manual when he gets a chance, but if anyone else has one to email to me it would be much appreciated.

I placed the color head on, but cannot seem to get the condenser bulb socket out. I guess, by definition, the color head is a condenser as well, but it uses the light pipe as opposed to the direct bulb. The light pipe is lit from one chamber above. I think the light pipe is supposed to light more evenly.

As I was saying, I got the color head on, but I could not pull the socket with the condenser bulb out of the back of the unit. The rails and pulley system gets in the way. Can I remove the socket without taking the entire thing apart? Is there a screw or nut or release that I am missing?

This was my girlfriend's dad's enlarger, and he takes immaculate care of his possessions. With the exception of a little rust on the screws, this enlarger looks like new. I can't wait to fire it up!

 

[MikeK]

Email sent with PDF attachment. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Enjoy your enlargers

Mike

 

[bgaspard]

MikeK is awesome.

 

[Richard Jepsen]

The Vivitar VI was an interesting enlarger concept in the late 70s. Our community darkroom has a unused one stored on the floor. It's manual says, "The dioptic light source is a high intensity, cool and integrated light system, designed specifically to convert the Vivitar VI into a universal, color and B&W enlarger. It features the exclusive "Light Pipe" which functions both as a color integrator and a cool light transmitter with over 90% efficiency. It provides a full range of 0-200 color correction units with permanent dichroic filters, allowing simulation of all popular variable contrast, B&W paper grades. Its immediate advantages are reduced exposure times, uniform condenser illumination and virtual elimination of heat at the negative plane.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Anyone knows whether this "dioptic" system gives light that is more like normal condenser light or more like diffusion light? Or in between?

 

[Richard Jepsen]

Funny, our community darkroom just sold a nice one yesterday. I did not have the opportunity to use it but the light pipe diffuses the image. Underneath the light pipe is a condenser. I bet the contrast is similar to a Leica 1C, softer than a B-22 but harder than my LPL MXL 670 dichro head. I cleaned the Vivitar up for the sale and it is not a bad enlarger.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Well, I just bought and received one in fantastic condition, so I'll soon report...

What a beauty! If it wasn't for the few plastic parts, it would be perfect.

 

[raucousimages]

The Vivitar is a condenser enlarger. Even with the color head you need to use the condenser lens. To remove the socket on mine you back out two thumb screws and rotate the socket about 1/8 of a turn and remove from the rear. You might need to rotate the head to get the socket to clear the collum. Then you replace the socket with a plastic plug that you shuld have with the enlarger if you got all the parts.

I get beter results with the B&W head and mulit grade filters than I ever did with the color head.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I get beter results with the B&W head and mulit grade filters than I ever did with the color head.

In which respects? Contrast? Even illumination?

 

[raucousimages]

Beter control of contrast. I could not do 00 or 5+. The results were good with the color head but I liked the filters beter. I sold the head when my sons started useing the darkroom. I wanted to just start them on filters.

I also had some problems doing split printing. I would move the head when I went from grade 0 to grade 5.

This was my first enlarger. I bought it in 1976 and my kids are still useing it.

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Ah, good to know. I seldom use the extreme grades, so it might not be a problem in my case (in fact I print on graded paper a lot).

Given that I've been printing with a Holga-like Vivitar enlarger (a nightmare to align) so far, anything sturdier and cleaner will be an improvement.

I also want to start learning color printing (I got a Unicolor drum with motor base in the same deal), which should be a lot of messy fun.

 

[stressed61614]

If you are looking for the manual for the Vivitar VI Enlarger check here ' http://www.jollinger.com/photo/enlargers/vivitar.html ' also check out ' http://www.jollinger.com/photo/index.html '

Hope this helps

 

[awindels2002]

Vivitar VI Owners Manual

I've got a favor to ask if anyone of you can pass me along the owner's manual for the Vivitar VI enlarger?? I would greatly appreciate this! a PDF format file would work great....I checked the website on jollinger.com --> but no manual for the Vivitar VI was there to be found
thanks
awindels

 

[MattKing]

I've got a favor to ask if anyone of you can pass me along the owner's manual for the Vivitar VI enlarger?? I would greatly appreciate this! a PDF format file would work great....I checked the website on jollinger.com --> but no manual for the Vivitar VI was there to be found
thanks
awindels

I got this link from that site:

http://www.jollinger.com/photo/cam-coll/manuals/enlargers/misc/VivitarVI_Manual.pdf

 

[ic-racer]

I think the 'light pipe' is a pretty good idea. Basically it replaces the traditional 'bounce the light off styrofoam' mixing box that is quite inefficient. When it came out I figured it was a pice of fiber optic cable with the fibers randomly dispersed from entrance to exit and would produce almost no light loss during the mixing process. But I have never seen one up close to confirm this.