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  #1  
Old 11th December 2021, 10:09 PM
egrabczewski egrabczewski is offline
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Default Minox Model II Enlarger

Regarding the Minox II enlarger for 8x11mm negatives, does anyone know what the diameter of the Minox 15mm, f/3.5 lens is and any information about the thread?

I'd like to see if I can machine a recessed lensmount for an LPL 7451 enlarger. I've got a Minox II 25401 on it's way from the US and I'd like to see if it's possible to get the lens to work in the LPL also.
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Last edited by egrabczewski; 11th December 2021 at 10:33 PM.
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  #2  
Old 12th December 2021, 11:40 AM
Nat Polton Nat Polton is offline
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http://www.submin.com/8x11/collection/minox/index.htm

The above site may be of interest to you, but unfortunately I cannot find any info about the lens for the Model 11.

The "Big List of Enlarging Lenses" draws a blank also.

You could try "Butkus" , a site full of free photography manuals.

Good Luck with the project.



P.S. Have a look on the Submin site under ACCESSORIES........ENLARGERS.
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  #3  
Old 13th December 2021, 07:09 PM
egrabczewski egrabczewski is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nat Polton View Post
http://www.submin.com/8x11/collection/minox/index.htm

The above site may be of interest to you, but unfortunately I cannot find any info about the lens for the Model 11.

The "Big List of Enlarging Lenses" draws a blank also.

You could try "Butkus" , a site full of free photography manuals.

Good Luck with the project.

P.S. Have a look on the Submin site under ACCESSORIES........ENLARGERS.
Thanks Nat. I l've already looked at that site and others on Minox but even the most specialised sites don't take an interest in the fine details of the lens.

I'll post something when I have more info.
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Old 13th December 2021, 08:37 PM
Nat Polton Nat Polton is offline
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https://www.cryptomuseum.com/covert/...=The%20MINOX%2

The instruction manual just in case you have not seen it.

Cheers.
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  #5  
Old 12th January 2022, 10:37 AM
egrabczewski egrabczewski is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by egrabczewski View Post
Regarding the Minox II enlarger for 8x11mm negatives, does anyone know what the diameter of the Minox 15mm, f/3.5 lens is and any information about the thread?

I'd like to see if I can machine a recessed lensmount for an LPL 7451 enlarger. I've got a Minox II 25401 on it's way from the US and I'd like to see if it's possible to get the lens to work in the LPL also.
The Minox II enlarger arrived from the USA to the UK a week ago. I've bought a transformer that converts from 230VAC to 115VAC since it's wired for USA voltages. The USA AC frequency is 60 Hz however my transformer cannot replicate this and so it gives a 115VAC at 50Hz supply to the enlarger. This didn't seem to upset it.

There was no bulb inside the enlarger head and the official bulb that was originally used (Dr Fischer 6V 6A 1521 RP11) is no longer manufactured and almost impossible to source - so I've replaced it with a BA15S to G4 adapter + Philips Type 5761 6V 30VA G4 bulb.

The original Dr Fischer bulb had a unique "L" shaped filament that was necessary to focus the light correctly onto the enlarger base. I've found that I can get perfectly acceptable lighting using the replacement bulb by simply moving and twisting the bulb inside the enlarger head. This is easier than it sounds because of the nice way the bulb slots into the head - a bit like a car cigarette lighter - making it easy to change the position of the filament and hence the evenness of the lighting. I check my two other enlargers (Durst M800 and LPL 7451) and in both cases the illumination in the centre was about 1 stop down from the edges. I could get the same with the Minox enlarger by carefully moving the bulb into it's optimum position.

As for the lens issue, I've found that I can't unscrew the lens in the normal way that enlarger lenses can be changed. It seems to be fixed in place by a collar (like the ones you get in large-format lenses) and so is part of the negative-holder assembly. There's no "thread" to measure - which is probably why nobody has quoted it in any of the literature.

The good news is that I can get at least 8 x 10 prints form the Minox enlarger but I can just as easily get 8 x 10 prints from my LPL 7451 using a recessed lens board and a 30mm lens. I managed to source an Omega negative carrier that holds the 8 x 11mm negatives for the Minox.
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Last edited by egrabczewski; 12th January 2022 at 10:42 AM.
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  #6  
Old 12th January 2022, 12:31 PM
egrabczewski egrabczewski is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by egrabczewski View Post
I check my two other enlargers (Durst M800 and LPL 7451) and in both cases the illumination in the centre was about 1 stop down from the edges.
Sorry, it's the other way around. The centre is one stop brighter than the edges.
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  #7  
Old 1st February 2022, 08:28 AM
pgram pgram is offline
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Default I Just acquired a Minox enlarger

Hi,
I'm back in the darkroom after many years, and I'm a fan of Minox 8x11.
I just acquired a Minox 8x11 enlarger, and I will be happy to contact other Minox Enlarger users to exchange information and advice.
Question 1: How can I print on multigrade paper? where can I insert the filters? Do I have to use under-the-lens filters?
Question 2: My first attempts at printing resulted in very short exposure times, about 3 to 4 seconds. Is that the intended time? It seems very short for me, with no time for any burning-dodging action.
Question 3: the original lamp is not to be found anywhere. I'm using a C15 6v 21w lamp, and I found the best positioning for uniform illumination. Does anybody know of a better replacement bulb?
Thanks in advance for your patience...
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  #8  
Old 1st February 2022, 12:56 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is online now
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There is a copy of the instructions at post #4 above. On that model, there seems to be a type of dimmer switch at the rear of the column base which gives an 8x increase in exposure. That would suggest that normal exposures, on full power will be quite short.
I haven’t seen or used one of these enlargers, but along with others, have tried using LED bulbs in place of the standard one. The Minox seems to use a bayonet fitting bulb, although I can’t tell if it is BC or SBC. You find LEDs produced for all sorts of applications now, including cooker hoods, ovens etc, so worth a look for something that can be used. I have converted a Leitz Valoy 11 to LED, with the advice of another FADU member. In that enlarger, it is then possible to sit the MG filter directly on top of the condenser housing. The LED bulb generates minimal heat. Looking at the Minox, from the manual, I think that might be possible, and certainly worth investigation.
From the pictures, it looks like a very well made piece of equipment.
Alex.


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  #9  
Old 1st February 2022, 04:29 PM
pgram pgram is offline
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I did some experiments, and it appears that with the light set on "High" the exposure time is about three or four seconds, so the heat should not be a factor.
It is indeed possible to place the filter on top of the condenser; not very practical, but feasible.
I have ordered on eBay a LED light and the adapter to connect a G4 bulb to a B15s socket; when they will arrive (from China!) I'll try.
An exposure time of 4 seconds doesn't leave to me any time for dodging-burning; I'll see if the LED will extend that time somewhat.
I was considering inserting a dimmer to reduce the light intensity, but that will change the colour of the light and I do believe that the filtering will not work as per specifications.
There is a possibility to insert a neutral filter before the second condenser, multiplying the exposure by a factor of 6x; but I'm afraid the acutance will be affected as well, and with such a tiny negative that can be a factor to consider.
I'm looking forward to a LOT of experiments... But I like experimenting!
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