Hello,

I recently acquired a Durst M601 enlarger. I have used this in my home darkroom for a few months and have a few questions, hopefully you can help me out!

The negative carrier has inserts for 35mm film. In order to switch the negative carrier to use 120 roll film negatives I have been snapping the two 35mm "frames" out of the carrier. This seems to be wearing on the tabs that hold the 35mm frames in place. Is there an easier (less destructive) way to remove and reinsert these 35mm negative frames?

I prefer to print without using the anti newton glass inserts (less chance for dust) but, at times when printing the end frame negative (last negative on a strip) on a 120 roll, the negative carrier doesn't hold the negative in place (it slips out of the carrier when inserted into the enlarger). Is there anything to remedy this? Or do I have to resort to the anti-newton ring glass inserts? Like my problem above (with the 35mm frame inserts) I have a very difficult time trying to insert the glass inserts into the negative carrier. The tabs on the carrier grind into the edge of the anti-newton ring glass and I fear they will break (or the glass will break) because I am forcing them into place. There has got to be an easier way. Can you help?

Finally, I have a 50mm lens and a 75mm lens for the enlarger. Although, when ever I try the 50mm lens (I thought this would be the proper lens for enlarging 35mm negs and the 75mm lens for enlarging 120 negs) I must lower the enlarger head almost to the bottom in order for the image to be focused. This results in making small (not enlarged) 35mm prints. I 'm sure this has something to do with the way the glass condensers (focusing units) are inserted into the enlarger head. Although, I've tried inserting the glass condenser's in many different ways, I still can't figure it out. So, I have been using the 75mm enlarger lens exclusively for enlarging both 35mm and 120 negatives. Using this lens (75mm) the biggest 35mm enlargement I can make is approximately 7 1/2 inches X 9 1/2 inches. That is as big as I can print a 35mm negative with the enlarger head fully extended. Is this correct? Should I be able to blow up a 35mm negative further than this? Does this too relate to the condenser glass?

Thank you for your time, I appreciate any help you have to offer.

MB Miller

-- MB Miller (MB_Miller@yahoo.com), March 08, 2000

Answers

The condensors should be inserted curved surface to curved surface. There's is a seperate condensor for 35mm work called the "Silvon 50" (spelling?) that apparently is optimised to print 35mm negs but even using the std condensors and 50mm lens I think you should be able to print bigger and focus the image when the head it up the top of the column. This leads me to wonder what lens board you've got in it. Mine has a name written on it but I can't remember what it says... I'll have a look tonight and I'll measure the recess.

I can print about 16x12 on the baseboard with either the 75mm or 50mm setups in place.

I only have the glass carrier (with masking slides) so can't help you with that area.

Nige.

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), March 08, 2000.

The condenser lenses have nothing to do with the focus of the negative at all. I'm not sure how you could be using them to adjust the focus.

The condenser lenses go between the lamp and the negative stage, and if they are adjustable, it's to give even illumination across the negative. With the 50mm lens you should be able to get about a 16" wide print on the baseboard with the enlarger head at the very top of the column.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), March 09, 2000.

back again... I'm at home and have done some measurements...
here goes, all at full column height
35mm neg, std condensors, 75mm lens - 294mm x 244mm (11 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches)
35 neg, std condensors, 50mm lens - 560mm x 340mm (22 x 13 1/3 inches)
6x4.5 neg, std condensors, 75mm lens - 450mm x 340mm (17 3/4 x 13 1/3 inches)

the lensboard/carrier is called a Durst Setopia 2839 and has rougly (very hard to measure accurately) 13mm (1/2 inch) recess. Each combination focused the image on the baseboard at full height.
Hope all this helps...

Nige 35mm Neg, Sivocon 50 & std Condensor (only one '50' condensor) - 500mm x 330mm (19 1/2 x 13 inches)


-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), March 09, 2000.

don't no what happened with that last post... the last sentence should have been up with the other measurements... I know it was that way as I cut'n'pasted in from a wordprocessor!

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), March 09, 2000.

I think your problem with the 50mm lens has to do with the lensboard. My Durst M605 requires a semi-recess lensboard for the 50mm lens. You can test this by extending the enlarger head all the way up the column and handhold the 50mm lens within the lens-stage, then manually move the lens up or down until the enlarged image is in focus. Now check the position of the lens, is it a little bit hidden inside the bellow? If it is , you will need a different lensboard. I am using a Siriotub for the 605

-- Michael Lee (jamcom@tpg.com.au), March 09, 2000.

Thanks - I had the same trouble with a used machine I bought today. They had the lensboard in upside down!

-- J Schween (joanne@schween.demon.co.uk), May 30, 2002.