Durst · Medium format · 1976–1983
Durst M605
Durst launched the M605 in 1976 as a top amateur enlarger for color and black-and-white, from 35mm up to 6x6. It's die-cast metal throughout, and you could have it with the CLS 605 color mixing head or a condenser head, and the two swap easily. The color head dials up to 130 on each filter and has a built-in add-in filter for 40 more yellow and magenta. A slider moves its mixing box between 35mm and 6x6. The head swings and the lens board tilts, so you can straighten converging verticals the way a view camera does. Darkroom Photography tested one in 1979 and couldn't seriously fault it, though the cyan knob on the left side annoyed the reviewer. The last series left Brixen in 1983. Durst revived the name in 1998 for the M605 Classic, a black 6x7 limited edition.
M605 Color, with the CLS 605 color headM605 black and white, with the condenser headM605 Classic, a black 6x7 limited edition from 1998
Spec at a glance
- Maker
- Durst
- Stock head
- Dichroic color
- Launched
- 1976
- Made
- 1976–1983
- Takes
- 35mm to 6x6 cm
- Light source
- CLS 605 color head with a 100 W halogen lamp, or a condenser head with a 150 W opal lamp
- Color filtration
- Dichroic Y, M and C to 130, plus a 40Y and 40M add-in filter
- Lens boards
- Boards for 50mm and 80mm lenses came with it
- Biggest print on the baseboard
- 16x20 in
- Head movements
- Head and lens board tilt for rectification; head turns for wall or floor projection
- Also listed as
- M605, M 605, Durst M 605 Color, Durst M605 Color
Darkroom check
Light, carriers, bellows and lens
- Light source and lamp
- The M605 came with either the CLS 605 color mixing head or a condenser head, and Durst made them easy to swap. The color head uses a 100 W tungsten-halogen lamp and dials yellow, magenta and cyan up to 130, with a lever that adds 40Y and 40M. The condenser head uses a 150 W opal lamp off a 45-degree mirror. Durst stopped amateur spares at the end of 2008, so a spare lamp in the box is a real plus.
- Carriers and condensers
- The book-style glass carrier stays open for loading and has four sliding masking strips. In the color head a slider moves the mixing box between 35mm and 6x6, so there's no box to lose. The condenser head needs separate condensers for 35mm and 6x6. Durst also sold SIVOPAR glassless inserts for 35mm, 6x4.5 and 6x6 and an anti-Newton glass.
- Column and bellows
- A heavy machined column bolts to the baseboard, with cm and inch scales and magnification marks for 50mm and 80mm lenses. A big crank raises the head and locks when you let go. Ask for a photo of the column scales and ask whether the head holds its height without creeping.
- Alignment
- The head swings and the lens board tilts for Scheimpflug correction, so a head left off zero prints soft at one edge. Ask the seller to confirm both tilts sit at their zero marks. A sharp corner-to-corner print at zero is the proof.
- Lens
- Durst's 1977 brochure lists lamp, condensers and lens boards as standard, and a 1979 UK price list gives boards for 50mm and 80mm lenses but no lens. Count the boards in the photos. If a lens is included, check which board it's screwed into.
- Timer and power
- Period ads sold the M605 Color with its lamp and a transformer (Trafo), so the color head needs that box to run. Ask for a photo of the transformer with its label. You'll also want a separate darkroom timer.
- Shipping and pickup
- Darkroom Photography's reviewer unpacked his from a huge crate, and the column and baseboard are solid metal. Ask the seller to take the head off and pack it on its own. Pickup is the safer bet if they won't.
Should come with it
- CLS 605 color head with its 100 W halogen lamp, or the condenser head and its condensers
- The transformer for the color head
- Glass negative carrier with masking strips
- Lens boards for 50mm and 80mm lenses
Hard to find if missing
- The color head's transformer
- Siriokit condenser head, if you want condenser prints from a color unit
- SIVOPAR glassless inserts and the anti-Newton glass
- SIRIOAR extension column
Check the listing photos against these lists, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing carrier, condenser or lens board should come off the price.
What to check
Durst's service support for the M605 ended in 1988, and its amateur spares stopped at the end of 2008, so a missing transformer, condenser set or carrier insert has to come from another used enlarger. The glass carrier can show Newton rings; Durst sold an anti-Newton glass for that.
- 01Which head: Check the photos for the CLS 605 color head or the condenser head. A Color unit should have its filter dials and the white-light lever.
- 02Filter dials: Ask the seller to turn each dial from 0 to 130 with the lamp on. The lit scales should move smoothly and the light should change color.
- 03Mixing box slider: Ask whether the 35mm to 6x6 slider on the color head moves and clicks into place. Both positions should give an even, bright circle on the baseboard.
- 04Transformer: Look for the color head's transformer in the photos. The head won't light without it.
- 05Negative carrier: Ask for a photo of the carrier open, with its glass and four masking strips. The glass should be clean and uncracked.
- 06Lens boards: Count the lens boards in the listing. A 50mm and an 80mm board cover 35mm and 6x6.
- 07Tilts at zero: Ask the seller to confirm the head and lens board tilts sit on their zero marks. Off-zero tilts give a print that's soft at one side.
- 08Crank and column: Ask whether the head locks at any height when the crank is released. It shouldn't creep down.
New to used enlargers? How to check a used enlarger covers the bellows, the column, the lamp and alignment, and condenser, diffusion and color heads explains which light source suits how you print.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask which negative carriers, condensers or mixing box and lens board come with it, for a photo of the lamp lit, and for a photo of the bellows with a light inside them. Pass on any seller who won’t answer.
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