Hacking 8x10 and 11x14 enlarger LED head

[evan clarke]

Do you think this would work??
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6W-9W-12W-15...item3a84f084c8

I don t think so, you can see the poor distribution of light in their photo. The led head I used is excellemt

[evan clarke]

I'd love to see a photograph of your modification, Evan.

I have some pictures but I will make some netter ones showing the details of the light panel. She's really ugly but works really well a d I made it in about 20 minutes. Gen 2 will be slick but then ole V1 works ,

[evan clarke]

Again, http://www.anythingdisplay.com/Merch..._lightbox_sign

This panel is the bomb, great illumination and runs cold as ice.

[photoevangelist]

Great information, Evan! Do you need to diffuse the light? I may end up making an 8x10 head to enlarge my 8x10 negatives after all!

[brucetaylor]

Evan, thank you so much for your clarifications. I hope to get some time soon to put them in place.

Lee, the reason you need diffusion (as I found out) is the light display is divided into geometric segments which print through unless there is diffusion.

[evan clarke]

Yep, I used a simple of opal plexiglass and it works fine. Since V1 went into service, I bought diffusion sheets in various densities which will snap right into the frame on the led panel which is made so transparencies can be mounted in it.

[brucetaylor]

Hi Evan,

Yes, I was hoping for something like that-- a snap in diffusion sheet. I thought it was odd that the frame didn't come with something along those lines since it is used for backlighting transparencies. Are these standard lighting diffusion sheets you're using, like Rosco 216 white diffusion or something else?

[evan clarke]

Yes, they are Rosco

[brucetaylor]

An update on the anythingdisplay light source mentioned earlier: I mounted it on my Omega F yesterday and fired it up. I taped an 11x14 picture frame under the display to get a little distance from the light source and used a sheet of Lee 216 diffusion to eliminate any grid pattern. Amazing! Stopped the 300mm lens down to f11 and I was getting 15 sec exposures on Arista VC paper at 11x14. Very workable, simple solution. There really isn't any reason to try to come up with a head lifting mechanism, as the lighting frame is so simple and light, not much different than removing a negative carrier.

Thank you Evan for a great solution!

-Bruce

[jbenedict]

Thanks for posting this stuff... Depending what I find out about my Aristo 810 as discussed in another thread, one of these LED panels might be a better solution than spending more to modify/retrofit my Aristo so it works properly.

Jeff