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Thread: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

  1. #1
    Eric Woodbury
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    Dec 2003
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    1,637

    calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    I'm trying to help a friend install and operate a Durst 184 10x10 enlarger. We're doing ok, but I've never seen one of these beasts and friend is 2500 miles from here. Friend is mechanically challenged and somewhat frantic. A little hard to get clear answers to my questions.

    I'd sure like to see one or have an exploded view of how the head works. Friend prints 40 x 50 inch prints from 8x10. This should be possible. Originally, there wasn't enough throat, so we had a new "pipe" machined that extends the head away from the vertical post by another 8 inches. That worked fine. Now there is concern that the head and the table can't move far enough apart to focus with a 210mm lens. We need 60 inches from film to paper for this to work.

    Should the need arise to raise the head, would it be possible to remove the focus rack assembly with negative holder and lens stage together and move it higher, or is this piece integral to the structure that goes up and down?

    Is there a 184 enlarger close to Santa Barbara, CA?

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    ic-racer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    6,736

    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    Seems like a lot of work for an enlarger with wheels, one that was designed to function horizontally to solve those problems.

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  3. #3

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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    Or get a 180mm Rodagon

  4. #4
    Drew Wiley
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    Sep 2008
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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    There's likely going to be a lot of falloff even with a 240 lens, requiring a custom convex diffuser. But 180 for 8x10 really sounds odd. I have 180 Rodagon, but I use it for 4x5.

  5. #5

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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    Or get a 180mm Rodagon
    Does it really cover 8x10 at 5x?

  6. #6
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    Maybe stopped way the hell down! Even a 240 generally requires a stop smaller than a 300 to get reasonably even illumination and comparable corner sharpness. My idea of a good focal length for 8x10 is 360, though I also use a 305 Apo Nikkor, and have a 240 of the same on hand, but never use it for 8x10, though I hypothetically could. It makes a lot more sense to tilt this enlarger horizontal for the big size of prints in mind. It's designed to go back and forth between vertical and horizontal very quickly and accurately.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Madisonville, LA
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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    Not really; according to Rodenstock, it will cover 8x10 at almost 1:2 wide open. They don't list coverage stopped down. I use it for 1:1 all the time at f/11. A 240 will cover 8x10 wide open up to 1:4. At f11, I haven't found significant fall-off.

    RodenstockProcess2.pdf

  8. #8
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    Luis, those specs are for Apo Rodagon process lenses. Bob stipulated the 180 Rodagon per se, which is an ordinary enlarging lens, and definitely not very good at 1:1. Bob needs to clarify his comment. Big enlargements are a different application anyway, and require potential illumination falloff being addressed too.

  9. #9

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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    No, if you would read it you'd see that it covers the Rodagon in addition to the Apo-Rodagons. 50-360 Rodagons and 240-360 Apo-Rodagons.

  10. #10

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    Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators

    Quote Originally Posted by Luis-F-S View Post
    Been hunting for that document for months - thanks!

    I'm slightly surprised that the 135 & 120 WA apparently cover 5x7 out to 2-2.5x, but otherwise there's nothing totally unexpected there.

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