chriwurz
Hello,
I’ve been using a 75 W Opal lamp in my Axomat 5 up to now. With larger formats, I end up with quite long exposure times, so I’m thinking of fitting a 150 W lamp.
My question is: I assume that the 150 W lamp is not only brighter but also gives off more heat. Do I need to worry about a loss of quality because the 35 mm negatives get too warm? How long should I leave the 150 W lamp on for at most to avoid damaging the negatives?
Many thanks in advance to everyone who replies!
Christian
MirkoBoeddecker
Christian,
Lots of people do that. It doesn’t damage the negative – unless you expose it for a really long time, in which case it might lose its sharpness.
However, as the stronger lamp means less exposure time is needed, you shouldn’t run into any problems.
What can happen, though, is that the housing gets very hot.
So be careful and always have a spare fuse to hand. If the bulb blows, it can sometimes blow the fuse.
Regards,
Mirko
MirkoBoeddecker
I’ve only just realised it’s an Axomat 5.
The 5 should actually be rated for 150 watts – have a look at the type plate.
The 2 and 3 models are only rated for 75 watts.
In theory, the 5 model (if purchased as a complete unit) should also come with heat-resistant glass as standard.
This protects the negative terminal.
Gast
If you connect a dimmer to your 150W lamp (these are available as simple plug-in dimmers), you can limit the significant heat build-up that occurs during the lengthy setup process. The maximum power is really only needed for focusing and exposure.
Gast
Hello Christian!
I’ve been using the Axomat 5 with a 150W bulb for six years.
It’s true that the enlarger gets hot. However, it only gets so hot that you wouldn’t want to rest your hand on it after about five minutes.
I’ve never had any problems with the negative, though. It doesn’t really get warm either. (Just to be on the safe side, check that the heat-protective glass (between the condenser and the opal lamp) is in place).
Just go for the 150W.
Have a nice day.
Kay
