LPL 7700

Darkroom check

Light, carriers, bellows and lens

Light source and lamp

It's a condenser head with three clear condensers, an adjustable lamp socket and a teardrop opal lamp: a 75W 120V PH140 in North America, a 100V 100W lamp on Japanese units. KHB Photografix still stocks the PH140 under both LPL and Omega part numbers. Ask for a photo of the head lit with no carrier in, showing even light on the baseboard.

Carriers and condensers

It takes LPL's hinged glassless carriers for 35mm, 6x4.5, 6x6 and 6x7, and the universal glass carrier with masking blades. Japanese units came with the universal glass carrier and an auxiliary condenser, while new ones sold in Canada shipped with no carriers. Ask what's in the box, and whether the auxiliary condenser is there.

Column and bellows

The column is a 110 cm aluminum girder with a counterbalanced, twist-to-lock carriage, and it turns around for floor projection. The bellows are extra long, and KHB sells replacements for ones that have cracked, split, torn or developed pin holes. Ask for a photo of the bellows racked out with a light inside.

Alignment

The lens stage tilts and shifts for distortion control and the carriage tilts for wall projection, so both need to sit at zero for square prints. Ask whether the seller has checked them with a level, and look for the locks in the photos.

Lens

It takes LPL's reversible, rotating 39mm threaded lensboard, and one came with it new. LPL rates it for lenses from 38mm to 105mm. Lenses weren't included, so check the listing for one.

Timer and power

The condenser head runs straight off the mains with no power supply box; only the dichroic and VCCE heads need one. Run it through your own enlarging timer. A Japanese-market unit is built for 100V, so check the lamp and label on an import.

Shipping and pickup

KHB lists the condenser 7700 at about 15 kg on a 45x60 cm baseboard, and ships new ones in two cartons. Ask the seller to box the head and baseboard separately, or plan to pick it up.

Should come with it

• Condenser head with its three condensers and lamp
• A 39mm threaded lensboard
• Carriers for your formats
• Baseboard and column
• The red safety filter

Hard to find if missing

• The auxiliary condenser supplied on Japanese units
• Carriers KHB lists as discontinued, such as 126, disc and 4x4 cm
• Replacement bellows (KHB had one in stock when we checked)

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.