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  #1  
Old 17th April 2021, 10:26 AM
JevCar JevCar is offline
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Default Query regarding Durst m670 bw.

So i purchased my Durst m670 bw vc enlarger. What arrived was a Durst m670 bw non VC enlarger which works fine except it has a broken filter drawer and had been supplied with a 75w bulb instead of the suggested 150 w bulb. I contact the company who sold this to me (reputable company)who have now sent me the head for a VC enlarger that doesn't seem to be doing as it should . Its is loaded with an osram 100w display/optic lamp that gives me exposure times of under 1 second at f8 . With regard its VC capacity when i dial in a contrast setting the image projected onto the easel is graduated in colour (magenta or yellow ) rather than a solid covering of uniform colour that am assuming it should be. Have i been sent a dodgy unit or is my lack of experience in printing letting me down? Really confused and any help wuld be appreciated.
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Old 17th April 2021, 12:01 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Hi Jev,
A graduated colour in any direction, top to bottom or left to right, is not good. You are fully correct in assuming that the light and therefore colour should be evenly spread across the baseboard. Please check as if you were going to make a print by putting in a negative and focus. Arbitrary settings aren't really helpful.
Regarding the exposure time, have you made prints? If not how did you arrive at the exposure time?

It may just be down to lack of use that things are not working properly but you will need to investigate the light path and dials etc.
Some snaps might also be helpful too.
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Old 17th April 2021, 02:30 PM
JevCar JevCar is offline
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Thank you MartyNL for your reply. I have checked this as if ready to print with a negative in place and the same as i have already stated prevails. Other than at the extreemes of 0 an 5 all settings inbetween produce a graduated cast in either yellow or magenta tones. With regard exposure time i have the option of disengaging the the variable contrast via a knob on the side of the lightbox allowing a straight through passage of light for an exposure , which via the patterson 2000d timer that i use to be what seems to me a very rapid exposure at 0.8 second at f8. I am not sure that this is normal, although contrast aside the print was satisfactory otherwise. Sadly having only joined here yesterday i have not yet worked out how to display snaps.
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Old 17th April 2021, 02:47 PM
JevCar JevCar is offline
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trying to upload a couple
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Old 17th April 2021, 04:44 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JevCar View Post
Other than at the extreemes of 0 an 5 all settings inbetween produce a graduated cast in either yellow or magenta tones.

So when using the dichroic (colour head) none of the filters are in the light path at 0 on all 3(Yellow, Magenta and Cyan) and at the equivalent of 5 in MG filters only Magenta is engaged, the yellow which when you dial in magenta only, then engages to give a yellow cast until you get to whatever your max M setting is?

At the risk of appearing to insult your intelligence can I take it that you are only ever dialling in one color and not using Y and for Ilford dial filtration settings?

If you engage the C only does this work the C only and does not engage either the Y or M?

Thanks

Mike
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Old 17th April 2021, 05:10 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Jev, your not using the VC head combined together with the BW head condensers by any chance, are you?
You also received the correct light mixing box(es)?

I haven't done my homework yet but both VC and colour heads normally use diffusion and therefore require light mixing boxes and not condensers.
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Old 17th April 2021, 07:11 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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I can’t help with the enlarger problems, but I really like the pictures you have uploaded, and look forward to seeing more in future. Given that the original enlarger wasn’t what you expected to receive, and the VC head doesn’t seem to be working properly, perhaps you should get your money back and start again? There are lots of enlargers available, and as already mentioned, you could get a model that can do 35 and MF without having to buy a conversion kit. I’ve used the Durst 670 for 35mm work, but not the colour or VC heads. It’s a good enlarger, but only if it’s working properly.
Alex.


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Old 17th April 2021, 07:43 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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What might help is photos of the actual enlarger and its "insides" so we can all be sure that what we think you have in your description is actually what you have, if that makes sense?

I agree with Alex that based on admittedly only two photos the prints look OK

Thanks

Mike
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Old 18th April 2021, 02:15 AM
JevCar JevCar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
So when using the dichroic (colour head) none of the filters are in the light path at 0 on all 3(Yellow, Magenta and Cyan) and at the equivalent of 5 in MG filters only Magenta is engaged, the yellow which when you dial in magenta only, then engages to give a yellow cast until you get to whatever your max M setting is?

At the risk of appearing to insult your intelligence can I take it that you are only ever dialling in one color and not using Y and for Ilford dial filtration settings?

If you engage the C only does this work the C only and does not engage either the Y or M?

Thanks

Mike
Thank for not insulting my intelligence Mike , the Durst m670 BW vc is a monochromatic head i believe? One dial , runs from magenta at 5 to yellow at 0.
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  #10  
Old 18th April 2021, 02:18 AM
JevCar JevCar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alexmuir View Post
I can’t help with the enlarger problems, but I really like the pictures you have uploaded, and look forward to seeing more in future. Given that the original enlarger wasn’t what you expected to receive, and the VC head doesn’t seem to be working properly, perhaps you should get your money back and start again? There are lots of enlargers available, and as already mentioned, you could get a model that can do 35 and MF without having to buy a conversion kit. I’ve used the Durst 670 for 35mm work, but not the colour or VC heads. It’s a good enlarger, but only if it’s working properly.
Alex.


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Thanks Alex ,appreciate that and beginning to think along the same lines.
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