Using a Minox C lens for enlarging?

Hello,

 

I am looking to get a Minox Enlarger but since they are scarce and quite expensive I

was wondering if I could take the lens out of a faulty minox C and use it in my current

enlarger as it is designed for a flat film plane. I have no problem making a suitable

adaptor for it, I just want a suitable lens that is excellent for enlarging.

 

Thanks very much for any input.

 

Kind regards

 

Steve

Steve, I have a Minox enlarger I haven't used in ages. It's in beautiful condition and I have two extra bulbs for it. Let me know if you're interested in it. Bob

Hi Bob, thanks for the information, how much do you want for it, I notice you are in the States so I will need to add shipping, VAT and import tax - which unfortunately tends to quite often double or triple the cost of the item itself. Steve

Steve, Shipping would be expensive, because it is fairly heavy. I would sell it for $175 and I can accept Paypal. Bob

Hi Bob, if you were in the UK I would buy it in an instant!

 

Do you have any idea of shipping costs as normally this is added to the cost of the item which is then charged VAT on the total and Import tax added on top (or something like that) - so as with most things in the UK it gets expensive.

Steve, I just put it on my kitchen scale and it weighs in at 16 lb., so probably about 20 lb. all packaged up. I can try and find out what that would cost to send to you, or you can too. Try the usps.com website. Bob

Steve, It is $82.50 for 20 pounds to the UK! Insurance would be additional. Too much! Bob

Thanks Bob, what does the insurance cost on top? It might be worthwhile but it is getting costly

 

($175 + $82.50 + Insurance) x 117.5% + Import Tax + UK Carrier Handling.

 

Steve

Hence my original question about the Minox C lens - you can get these (even in the UK quite cheap) if the lens is the same or as good/similar to the minox enlarger lens then that will work for me (I think - unless I am missing something!)

I think Minox enlarger uses the same 15mm lens in different mount. If you can make an adapter to mount a Minox C lens onto an enlarger

and make proper film holder, it is worth a try.<P>

 

However, Minox enlarge has a condenser which condense the light

from enlarger bulb onto a small area, while 35mm enlarge covers

a area ten time as large, I suspect that you me need much longer

exposure vs Minox enlarger

Your best bet is to get a 25mm or 28mm enlarging lens Rodenstock/Schnieder. The Voss is not the sharpest lens but will do in a pinch.

Minox enlargers do turn up in the UK. Postage from Germany might not be so expensive and enlargers in Germany are cheaper than from the USA or even the UK.

 

It does not matter what lens (complan or Minox) that you use to enlarge. The complan lens and curved film plate make corner to corner sharpness in the first place. With a lens for 35mm enlargement you are using the central part of the lens, so get a 20 or 25mm lens for a 35mm enlarger. If needed turn the column around and project to the floor to get the height.

 

The Zenith enlarger goes for 5GBP at Camera Fairs. It stores away in a suitcase. These where recommended in the 70s for those who could not afford the Minox or Minolta enlargers.

 

Yashica Atoron and Mamiya both make enlarger heads for 35mm enlargers. The Minolta versions are usually expensive, but a 25mm lens for the Minolta 3 in 1 enlarger is 10-20GBP.

 

Gerald

Maybe this one is interesting:

 

http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&&item=180241856495

Thankyou everyone for your replies, by pure chance I saw a Mnox Enlarger on a auction site last night in the UK and amazingly won the auction at a "reasonablish" price and I have just picked it up - so I am now the proud owner of a 2201 Minox Enlarger - HOORAY!

 

It appears that everything is in order except one slight technical hitch in that it is set for 110v - it is my understanding that I can just change the connections to make it 240v compatible but as I am hopeless at electrics I was hoping someone here would be kind enough to tell me what connections should go where - or link me to a photo of the correct connections - a circuit diagram sadly means nothing to me at all and I do not want to blow it up before I start.

 

Thanks again everyone.

 

Steve

 

 

 

I

Steve, one way is to get one of those traveller's voltage change transformer to convert 110 v into 240V, then you don't have to do rewiring.<P>

 

You may need to get a spare Fisher 6v bulb for Minox enlarger

Hi Martin,

 

Yes I was thinking about doing that but was just trying to keep it neater and not buy something else - although yours is the safest option unless I can get information on how to connect it up correctly.

 

Looking at the wires some of the insulation is quite damaged so I may need to rewire it a bit anyway especially for replacing the lamp switch with a timer and maybe use a modern mains connector. I really want to use it as opposed to keep it totally original.

@Steve,<br>Just connect the main plug to the timer. Don't replace the lamp switch.

OK Robert thanks I will once I sort out the 240v connections. I was wondering about subsititung a LED instead of the standard bulb, I took off the head and stood a 0.5 watt LED torch upright on the collimator the image is a bright as a button and I am staggered out how clear, sharp and contrasty the whole thing is. It brought a huge smile to my face :-) - the light fall off at the corners is minimal I measured it with a light meter and there is only about a third of a stop difference from centre to edges. Now this has got me quite excited - you could easily use the enlarger with nothing more than a battery operated torch - sorry no doubt not for purists but it has got me thinking that this may be the way I will use it - especially if I can't get the transformer to work - not too keen on spending ﾣ25 or so on a bulb either............

 

Also completely unrelated but what has happened to the Photo.net pages they have gone really unpleasent on my screen is it a new thing or is it a fault on the system or is it just me?

The other thing about the LED is that it runs VERY cool and so the bumph on new torch I just got which is a mighty 1 watt the packaging says will last for 100,000 hours - that will do me!

 

Not bad, a complete light source for a fiver..........

 

I must be missing something it can't be this simple can it?

The other thing I am now thinking about is that if you can use the LED torch as a light source you could at the same time make a little holder for the torch, a red filter and multigrade filters all in one unit and fit it on top of the collimator:-)

 

Can anyone see any pitfalls?

The LED idea is all a bit academic now as I have got the transformer and bulb working fine :-).

 

The enlarger bulb does seem brighter than the LED - but not by that much, maybe I will measure the difference when I get a minute, I am glad I now have both options if I need them - must admit the enlarger looks better as designed than with my torch sat on top of it!

 

Now I just need some paper.............

I'm very interested in the final results using the LED versus the Fischer bulb.

Did you rewire the trafo?

Hi Robert, when I get some paper I will do a test and let you know the outcome. Yes the transformer has been rewired for 240v - I am still thinking of getting rid of the seperate light switch and just starting through a timer.

 

The thing I have noticed about the LED is that the light appears very consistent, the lttle torch has a DC-2-DC circuit that I think regulates the voltage to give the torch peak brightness for the duration of the battery's life.

 

The Fisher Bulb however seems to get brighter after a few seconds so if it was been used I assume the light output would be more variable than the LED - but I don't know yet ,as I haven't used it in the real world (yet).

 

Steve

On my enlarger the 1 watt LED pointing at the collimator gives out about 1 stop less light than the Fisher Bulb in low mode poitnting at 180 degrees away from the collimator. (i.e. pointing at the silver reflector on the top of the enlarging head).

 

When I point the fisher bulb at the collimator even after adjusting the bulb position the light fall off at the edges is significant so I will not be using it that way round.

Hi Steve,<br>

Have you read this <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003HH1">article</a> about the Minox enlarger?