New to me Beseler 45MX

[xkaes]

Yeah, I found this out the hard way years ago when using my Point Light Source. I have it on a voltage regulator but the light is so bright that I wanted to dim the light and increase the exposure times. But by dimming the output from the bulb, it changed the color dramatically -- just look at any incandescent bulb on a standard dimmer switch. It's like exposing paper to a 100W light bulb versus a candle flame. My exposures were perfect -- thanks to my trusty Minolta Autometer II -- but the contrast changed dramatically. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the problem, and that's when I switched to ND filters for longer exposures (you use a Point Light Source wide open).

[xkaes]

Do you actually use this stuff???

Steve K

AND I even take pictures with my trusty Toko Tone which makes 14x14mm images on 17.5mm film.

[campy]

it is a Zone VI light head. I will be posting some pictures after the football game.

[xkaes]

I'm only vaguely familiar with the Zone VI head. My Beseler has two cords that come out of it. Yours is probably the same. One is for turning the bulb(s) ON/OFF. The other is a heater to keep the bulb warm so that the output color stays the same. You can check this your self to determine which is which. Voltage regulators/stabilizers are frequently used -- and you might have one somewhere. Others will kick in with more details on your specific head. Zone VI didn't actually make them, but I don't know those details.

P.S. I have an owners manual for the MXII which will help if you don't have one. There are some slight differences between the MX and the MXII. Are you sure it's an MX -- the front plate will either say MX or MXII. Others might have the manual for your cold light head. So basically, you have a condenser and a diffusion head. They each have their advocates and detractors. I use both because they give me more contrast control -- condenser, higher, and diffusion, lower.

[campy]

Here is some of what I picked. It turns out it's two complete enlargers but when I picked it up it was packed in a box and he said there were two heads so I didn't think to take the other stand and baseboard because my car was filled. I will pick up the other stand and sell one of the setups. The cold light unit appears to be well used. There are some clips in the 3rd picture that I don't know where they go.

[xkaes]

Something is amiss here. First, on the plate on the lower right of the chassis -- on the power elevator -- what does it say "MX" or "MXII"?

Second, the cold light head REPLACES the condenser on the enlarger. Your picture shows it ON TOP of the condenser. The condenser should be UNDERNEATH the condenser head/bulb part. Maybe the "adapters" are to connect the cold light head to the enlarger. I suspect they are screws (3) to attach the condenser lamphouse to the condenser.

[campy]

It says MXT on the lift motor label. Is this the proper combination for the 2 heads? I can't find how the condenser lenses are installed in the non cold light head.

[campy]

Can someone tell me where and which order the spacer ring, heat absorbing glass and the two condenser lenses get installed?

[xkaes]

You have it right in the first picture. The condenser and lamp assembly are removed using the the two large sliding tabs on the sides (on the bottom). They should stay together. The cold light head should slide into the chassis to replace them. You do NOT use the condenser with the cold light head. If the cold light head does not fit or engage correctly, something -- like an adapter -- is missing, but I don't need an adapter for my cold light head. It fits perfectly.

[xkaes]

The heat absorbing glass is built into the condenser assembly. You have to provide more details on this.