Buying film from overseas...

[Molli]

Don't be troubling yourself on my account! It's officially the weekend - enjoy!

(It doesn't detach from the base, by the way)

Now, my thanks for your help, go to sleep!

'night

[gamincurieux]

Take some more pics & post em if you don't mind, looking up from under etc, would be handy to see more...

[w9cae]

Molli is that an Gnome brand enlarger ?

[OldBikerPete]

Molli is that an Gnome brand enlarger ?
No, It's a Meopta - very widely used in the stone age.

Molli, the Meopta has a 'preview filter' which can be swung under the lens. If that filter were removed and it's mounting used to drop in filters cut into circles, that would do the trick. You could just drop in the preview filter when needed.

Peter.

[gamincurieux]

That sounds like the way to go..

[gamincurieux]

I'm probably going to have to sit this film buying round out, just this time though, I'm still very interested no doubt about it. I've had to (had to, HA!!!) spend a fair sum of money on some needed gear this last week, so as buying film this time was more for experimenting with some new types it'll have to wait a bit, I'll just chug along on whatever film is left in my fridge for the moment.....

[Molli]

No, It's a Meopta - very widely used in the stone age.

Molli, the Meopta has a 'preview filter' which can be swung under the lens. If that filter were removed and it's mounting used to drop in filters cut into circles, that would do the trick. You could just drop in the preview filter when needed.

Peter.

Thank you, Peter. I looked at what I might do with that preview filter's holder. The thing is, it's all of apiece. In order to put a different filter in, I'd have to break the red filter currently in it as it's held in place by two immovable metal clasps. To pry them up would almost certainly break the preview filter itself.
Not to worry as I'm happy to just hold the needed contrast filter beneath the lens.

[Molli]

I'm probably going to have to sit this film buying round out, just this time though, I'm still very interested no doubt about it. I've had to (had to, HA!!!) spend a fair sum of money on some needed gear this last week, so as buying film this time was more for experimenting with some new types it'll have to wait a bit, I'll just chug along on whatever film is left in my fridge for the moment.....

Is anyone still interested in doing this? If not, is there anyone willing to sell me just a couple of rolls of film and perhaps 5 sheets of 5x10 paper?
I'm unable to go into an order overseas by myself with the cost of p&h and Vanbar's is too expensive for me, particular given that this will be my first effort at developing and printing images. If anyone has any 'to spare', I would happily pay for the items themselves (obviously) plus the costs of packaging and postage. I'd actually prefer that it be film and paper you were close to throwing out anyway if it would mean selling it cheaper than brand new stuff.
Many thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to help me out :)

Molli

[polyglot]

Molli: if you don't find someone closer (in Vic), PM me and I can send a little over. I'm in Perth though so it's gonna be about $10 shipping. Assumimg you still need to get paper developer (and fixer?), you're almost certainly best off getting a 25-pack of 8x10 RC from the same shop, should be $30ish.

If your enlarger is anything like mine (LPL C7700), the lens screws into a circular base and the circular base gets wedged into the bottom of the head by that screw you found. In my case, the circular base is indented: it goes in one way for 35mm and in the other way for MF, thereby changing the distance from lens to film by about 20mm and allowing you to achieve proper focus. Have a look where the lens goes into the circular plate - bet you see a thread coming out the other side and it is 39mm diameter.

Some older enlargers don't use the standard M39 thread though, they have lenses with smaller diameter (eg 25mm) that go clean through the lens board and then have a big nut on the back that holds them there. Show us a photo of the back of the lens board and we can be sure about which it is.

[Molli]

I took these photos the other night whilst we were discussing this - I should have popped the lens along side a ruler because it's impossible to tell scale without one. At any rate, the lens seems to definitely welded into the circular base. That dark ring you can see around the lens itself measures 18mm, the shinier looking outer ring measures 22mm. Neither of these sections screw into anything on the enlarger itself; the entire circular base is simply held in place with the screw mentioned previously.

With regard to what you might have available to sell, that would be fantastic! As mentioned, while the prices at Freestyle are easily the cheapest I've seen, the postage and handling are killers. With Vanbar here in Melbourne, the reverse is true.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g22/TinySavage/DSCF6856.jpg

[Molli]

p.s Thank you for your help!

[gamincurieux]

I just don't get it..... since when did Meopta render the lens totally immovable?! I first printed on an already-quite-old Meopta in high school back in the early 80's and you could sure remove the lens back then if you wanted to.... what's going on with Molli's?!

[Molli]

Maybe it's me and I'm just an eighty pound weakling? :)

[Molli]

It's the Meopta Axomat 1a, if that helps any. Seriously, though, it's not a big drama for me to simply hold a filter beneath the lens so don't go worrying about it too much.

[polyglot]

See that inner ring (with notches) in the photo? That's the back of the lens. The outer ring (no notches, maybe it's knurled) is the nut and it unscrews from the lens. The lens will then drop out of the lensboard, which you'll find has a plain hole of about 20mm in it. Assuming it's the lens you want to use, don't bother removing it for now. With a 20mm lensboard hole, replacement lenses for that enlarger will not be common but they will be very cheap!

[wotalegend]

Is anyone still interested in doing this? If not, is there anyone willing to sell me just a couple of rolls of film and perhaps 5 sheets of 5x10 paper?
I'm unable to go into an order overseas by myself ........

Have I missed something? Has everyone except me pulled out of the Freestyle deal?

Cheers, Peter.

[Molli]

I'm still in if you're still in :) If the other Peter (OldBikerPete) is still in, we have us a trio of buyers. I'd really like to get this organised soon. There was a message a few pages back regarding FreeStyles buying policy for overseas buyers and we also need to figure out how we're going to manage the financial side of things in order to get all of the money together to pay it all on one card. Unfortunately, they don't take PayPal which is all I have. If either of you accept money in that fashion, I'm happy to send my share to you. The order will be shipped to whoever's name is on the credit card so distribution after delivery also needs sorting.
Please let me know what suits and also... is there anyone else interested? The more people in on this order, the lower the P&H per person.

[gamincurieux]

Wot, me worry?!

[OldBikerPete]

Ummm. I don't think I was ever in to this buy. Freestyle don't seem to have 50 sheet boxes of 5x4 Portra 160VC - which is my film of choice and they don't have any 400VC at all, at all.

[Molli]

Ummm. I don't think I was ever in to this buy. Freestyle don't seem to have 50 sheet boxes of 5x4 Portra 160VC - which is my film of choice and they don't have any 400VC at all, at all.

Apologies, I must have misread.

I've sent out PMs to the two other people who've expressed interest in going into this order and I'd like to have something organised by the end of the week - very early next week at the latest, if possible.
Is there anyone else interested?