Ilfospeed Multigrade 400HL head and 400C controller: compatible with new MG paper?

[Vaughan]

Hello

I just found a Beseler 45MX enlarger with Ilfospeed Multigrade 400HL head and 400C controller. Does anybody know whether the head is compatible with new MG papers? The Ilford data sheet for MG paper says: "Contrast is controlled by using MULTIGRADE hand filters, legacy MULTIGRADE 500/600 equipment, other variable contrast enlarger heads, such as those made by Heiland Electronics GmbH or colour enlarger heads."

The enlarger as sold only has the Ilford MG head. I only print b+w with Ilford MG paper, but I don't want to buy a lemon.

An update: from the Ilfospeed 500 pdf I just found:

The most notable change when operating the new ILFOSPEED MULTIGRADE 500 equipment is the colour of the light produced by the ILFOSPEED MULTIGRADE 500H enlarger head, when compared with that of the ILFOSPEED MULTIGRADE 400 equipment. The magenta and yellow dichroic filters have been replaced by blue and green dichroic filters respectively, eliminating the red component of light produced by the enlarger head. This, combined with the introduction of separate heat absorbing filters, helps reduce focusing problems caused by negative popping (or movement).

[Dugan]

I have an Omega D5XL with the Ilford Multigrade 400 system, it works fine with every VC paper I've used.
The 400 gives contrast grades 0-4, the 500 gives contrast grades 0-5.
It is SO nice to change contrast grades by pushing a button.

[interneg]

The MG400 delivers 'G5' (ie when set to max Magenta) with current papers - the controller is confusing simply because the specific generation of Multigrade it was designed to complement topped out at G4. If you have an MG500 transformer with the 30v tap for the HLZ variant for the Focomat 1c, you can wire up a converter plug & get a slightly more understandable grade spacing with the ability to use the MG500 and other controllers (though it does run contrastier, grade for marked grade, than the MG500, which itself runs about 1/2 grade harder than the regular numbered filters to about G4ish). In fact, Kodak seem to suggest in some of their polycontrast data sheets that the MG400 was capable of delivering the highest potential contrast grade of everything they had tested (no idea of methodologies etc), but having worked with various MG systems, the 400 is a pretty clear demonstration of magenta filtration being more capable of truly hitting G5 than the blue filtered MG500 is.

[Vaughan]

Thanks for your wisdom. I will consider the acquisition.

[interneg]

The only other thing that might be worth considering before diving in on it is that the 1970's/80's electronics in the controller are a real potential failure point (currently dealing with an MG500 power supply that is having issues) - but there are various solutions to this (at the end of the day, the head has 2 30v bulbs in it and essentially nothing else).

[mpirie]

(currently dealing with an MG500 power supply that is having issues)

Yeah, part of the reason i've been stock-piling MG500 setups as the PSU's seem to be the weakest link in the setup.

Mike