Light Source - Besseler 23C; any ideas?

A

Anthony

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I have one of these in good shape. I'm contemplating using it for 6x7 negatives. I use an RB67 on very cold days when a view camera is simply too slow. I don't want to use the condenser light source - that's out. I used cold light when I was younger, but they're cumbersome and the intensity drifts when the bulb cools. And I don't want to mess with a stabilizer. All that's just too bloody complicated. Enlarging itself is complicated enough, and with the advent of LED technology it seems there must be an efficient solution available. I know there's a German LED light source that is VC variable, but it's a bit pricey.

Maybe you guys can help. Seems to me there must be something else out there, or one can be built to fit - then use a white plexiglas disc like the cold light.

And maybe I'll just forget the whole thing. Contact printing is just so much easier. Thank you in advance.
 
I use a Zone VI VC head on an old Omega D-2. What I have found is that if I preheat my CL head for an hour or so before use, it doesn't drift a lot - or, more precisely, it drifts consistently. I get very repeatable results session to session - and I am not using a stabilizer. When I say "warmup", I do not mean the light is on, only that the heater portion of the head is plugged in and powered.

I do keep notes and check light output periodically using an enlarging attachment on a Luna Pro. (I occasionally rehab and re-calibrate old Luna Pros for newer batteries because I am a masochist, and I have several laying about.) Process:

  • Set the enlarger to a known height, lens, and f/stop and insert an empty film carrier.
  • Focus the enlarge to make the edges of the carrier sharp
  • Turn on the enlarger in focus mode and leave on for a consistent amount of time - I use 60 sec or so
  • Measure the EV on the easel with an LP
This test has shown consistent output from the head once it has undergone the aforementioned hour of warmup.

What is the German LED head to which you refer. I am intrigued.
 
In the US it's sold by "CAT labs." (I don't know what CAT labs is supposed to mean.)

Here's the link - -

ps://www.catlabs.info/product/heiland-led-cold-light-source
 
Does your Zone VI head have a light sensor already installed? If so, or you can find one, get the Zone VI Stabilizer unit and you'll never have a care about coldlight drift, again.
 
Even if I wanted to use a cold light head, where would I find one? I don't know if Arista still makes one for that size. I guess I could call them back . . .

Not eBay. That's out.

Stabilizers just increase the complexity of what already is ballooning into a mass of needed stuff. There's a reason I carry all that large format equipment - it makes very good print quality easy. Clean the holders before you load them and clean the print frame glass before you print. That's about it.

Maybe I'll just proof the 6x7 negatives and enjoy them myself. I suppose I could always print them at the community darkroom downtown - I'm a member. I don't know . . .

Or take still life pictures inside when it's 10 degrees out.
 
Darkroom equipment, like most analog stuff nowadays, is becoming more scarce and expensive with each passing week. I was lucky enough to pick up an Aristo VCL4500 unit, in mint condition, for my Beseler 45MX not too long ago. I always wanted one of these, but couldn't afford one back when they were new. I feel like a "grown up" now that I can just dial in the contrast wanted and/or easily print different image areas to different contrast levels or do split-grade printing. I used VC filters for many years, but don't miss 'em.
 
Anthony said:
In the US it's sold by "CAT labs." (I don't know what CAT labs is supposed to mean.)

Here's the link - -

ps://www.catlabs.info/product/heiland-led-cold-light-source
Click to expand...

That's really tempting ...
 
Hi. I have been using an Heiland light source for quite some time on my 23C. It is a superb tool and extremely confortable to use. No warm up time (like the Zone VI I was using previously on the 45MXT that I am currently upgrading to an Heiland head as well), consistent results session after session. Tough expensive, I cannot recommend these enough.
 
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