cold light for 8x10 enlarger: super chromega f dichroic II

[norman_riley]

Hello. Does anyone out there know if Aristo or some other manufacturer

of cold light heads (are there any?) produces a cold light that will

fit the aforementioned 8x10 enlarger? I suppose I could use the

supplied color head for B&W printing, but I'd prefer to simplify the

operation by reducing it to a cold light and digital timer, thus

negating the need for the cooling unit, and various other devices that

came with the enlarger. Thus, I pose my question, and would sincerely

appreciate any helpful information members of this forum may be able

to provide. Thank you. N. Riley

[mark_sampson]

Keep the dichro head. You'll see no improvements in your prints if you find a cold-light, since both heads produce a diffuse light. And you'll need a stabilizer or Metrolux timer to deal with the cold-light's temperature-induced brightness variations, so it won't be much (if any) simpler. I use both types regularly (on different enlargers) so this is an experience-based opinion.

[leonard_robertson]

I agree with Mark's answer, but if you want to get more information on cold lights, here is the Aristo site - http://www.aristogrid.com/heads.html

I suspect the cost of an 8X10 head will help you decide.

[norman_riley]

Gentlemen, thank you for your responses. Aristo tells me they'll charge me something near $1400 to custom make a coldlight head for this enlarger. Given that estimate and your advice, which matches the advice I've received from others who are not members of this forum, I'm inclined to stick with the dichro head for now. If the results obtained using a cold light are indistinguishable from those obtained with the color head, I would be wiser to put the money toward a more pressing need, e.g., 450 mm Fujinon-C or Nikkor-M for my camera. Norm