$39 Cold Light Head for 8X10

[Neal Chaves]

I need a small light box to have near the enlarger. In Home Depot I saw a 12"X12" LED fixture that looked good for $39. It has three switchable color temperatures, a warm white, a neutral white and a daylight. When I got it home and wired it up, I thought if it is 12"X12" it should drop right into the 8X10 Beseler enlarger like the factory cold light source. Well, the Beseler box is actually 11 3/4"X11 3/4", so it would not drop in. However, I put it on top of the housing, about 1/4" higher than the original sits when it drops in.

I set up the enlarger to make an 11X14 print from an 8X10 negative. I could see the thing was bright, but to my surprise the projected daylight (same as W45 tube) image was only 1/2 stop less bright than my Beseler source and the illumination was just as even as the Beseler. Afterwards, I noticed that the widow of the fixture is actually 9 3/4"X9 3/4", the same size as the width of the Beseler 8X10 negative carrier that was in place. The Beseler diffusion was still in place, so it that was removed, the Home Depot fixture which has its own diffuser might be equally bright.

I'm not going to try to make prints with this thing, but it shows me that LED the cost of LED sources for enlarging is coming way down. When I need to replace the cold light, if ever as I have a complete spare, it will be easy and inexpensive. On the baseboard is my densitometer, a CibaChrome Exposure Monitor M3 that has served me well for years.

[j.e.simmons]

Is this it?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerci...H-HD/304258319

It might be good for contact printing, too. If it just came in UV.

[Neal Chaves]

That's it. The diffuser has a fine pebble finish that would not be suitable for contact printing.

[Paul Ron]

i bought one of those for my kitchen but it wasnt bright enough so i started using it as my light box.

to use it on the enlarger is a great idea!

[dsphotog]

They also have a 12x24 inch one!