Ikoblitz 4 Bulb Size

[ralf_j.]

<p>Hello - I have an Ikoblitz 4 that came with one of ebay wins a few years ago. I have googled around to find out what kind of bulbs it takes, but have seen no information.<br>

Recently I started to play around with it again and purchased an Eveready 504 battery for it. It has a bayonet socket mount, and as luck would have it I had a blue flash bulb that had also acquired as part of a lot. Judging from the size of the flash pan and the bulb, I was under the impression that the bulb would be too big for the Ikoblitz 4. The bulb was is a bayonet mount and on the glass has the words G-E 6(General Electric 6?). At the base, around the contact it says USA 4.

<p>I was determined to try. I grew up with electronic flash so, bulbs are foreign to me. I mounted the Ikoblitz on my Bessamatic, set the shutter speed to 1/30s and closed down the aperture as per the guide behind the Ikoblitz, and told my wife to hold still. I think I gave her quite a scare, there was a loud pop, and super bright light, and the natural burning smell. The bulb had melted slightly on its lower part and there was a slight crack(is that normal?) I will have to wait to finish the remaining exposures in order to find out what I got from that bulb.

<p>So again, I am asking for your help in identifying the right bulbs for Ikoblitz 4. Thank you in advance for your help.

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<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3528/3464180227_b931db25bf.jpg" alt="Bessamatic with Ikoblitz 2" width="372" height="500" /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3464995926_fe44153cef.jpg" alt="Bessamatic with Ikoblitz" width="389" height="500" />

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[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Hi Ralf, Take a look at my post a couple of weeks ago here on GE Photo Lamp Data and look under flash bulb data:<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00SyyH">http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00SyyH</a><br>

Maybe that can be of help.</p>

[leon_b1]

<p>According to the information I can find on the web, the Ikoblitz 4 takes PF1 type capless bulbs (PF1B is the blue version).</p>

[leon_b1]

<p>By the way, I don't think the cracking / melting is unusual with this type of bulb. They even explode periodically.</p>

<p>The Osram XM1 will also fit this flash, it's the same as the Philips PF1.</p>

[golden]

<p>very cool looking camera Ralf!</p>

[john_lynch5]

Any bulb with the correct bayonet is the "correct" bulb for your flash. Since the GE 6 worked (btw, I believe the GE 6 is a bulb designed with a long duration to sync with focal plane shutters at higher speeds), Bulbs were selected primarily based upon output and film type. Blue bulbs for daylight color film and clear bulbs for B&W. You could use blue for B&W but they were more expensive. Bulbs were pretty costly in their day, about 10 cents each which would be equivalent to around a dollar each today. Thats for the amatuer bulbs, The more powereful screw base bulbs were even higher.

[john_shriver]

<p>Since your Bessamatic is a leaf shutter camera, use the much cheaper 5B or 25B "Press" flashbulbs. The long-peak focal-plane 6B and 26B are much rarer and more expensive, and give you a lower guide number with leaf shutters than the 5B or 25B.<br>

You can use the even cheaper (and very common) M3B bulbs by buying the right adapter on eBay.</p>

 

[ralf_j.]

<p>Thanks Luis for the refresher.</p>

<p>Leon - thanks for your feedback. I was under the impression that PF1 types were more common in EU.</p>

<p>Hi John - yes, Bessamatic isn't just a cool looking camera, but a really good photographic tool... when they work that is, they can also be a real pain to repair when something goes wrong with their mechanics.</p>

<p>Thank you for the insight Mr. Lynch. I for sure know a quite bit more through yours and other contributions here.</p>

<p>Thanks John, I had heard about the adapter, and saw a couple at the auction site. I will give it a try.</p>