writes:
Thanks Ron and All for your responses,
I know nothing about enlargers other than general principles, and Ron
you bring up something I was going to bring up anyway. What kind of a
light source is typically used for big enlargers? I have heard that
condenser lamps are preferable, but for a 4x5 wouldn't the condenser
lenses have to be pretty big? I've seen some 4 3/8" dia pcx lenses for
reasonable prices, but would that be big enough? What about fresnel
type lenses? What about the bulbs themselves, would a halogen be good?
I have some halogen bulb fixtures with small condensers in them from
some old lab instrubent. Uses a 100w 12v lamp whivh I have also. Do
you think that would work? I have been looking on eBay at enlarger
lenses, and I notice prices vary hugely. I'm going to assume that the
Nikkor lenses must be pretty darn good because they seem to fetch some
pretty handsome prices. Obviously I would want the sharpest lens
possible, but price is an issue. Anyone care to offer some
recommendations? I will primarily be doing 6x6, 6x9, and 4x5 (inch)
negatives. Basically, any information anyone wants to offer would be
appreciated.
Gene Johnson
Ron Baker wrote:
>
> Hi Gene
> My opinion is that you need a good even light source whether defused or
> condenser next it is very important to keep everything parallel, lens,
film
> plane, and paper. Third but not least is the enlarging lens which is the
> most important. Without a good lens you don't get good sharp prints.The
> shorter the focal length the more critical the quality lens is. There are
a
> lot of good quality enlarging lens on ebay at a very reasonable price.
> Ron
> www.ronbakerphotography.com
Dear Gene:
Some good questions. And some good points made by Ron. Taking things totally
out of order... Yes, the Nikkors are good, not the absolute best, according
to some, but in my personal experience, very good. I have also had very good
luck using vintage Kodak Ektanon (Spelling?) with no coating, even. I have
found that lens 'quality' isn't the same factor in an enlarger as it is on
the camera. (So long as it is clear) There are fewer colors of light from a
tungsten bulb than daylight, So correction for wavelength of light isn't as
critical, especially in B&W printing. Not to say there is NO consideration
for light color, just not so sensitive about it. What I have found to
matter... Vibrations... My darkroom was in the basement, and the table
sandbagged. I had the biggest, heaviest enlarger that would fit through the
door. The long exposure time, relative to exposing film in a camera, gives
many hundreds, thousands of times even, as many chances for vibrations to
affect the exposure. I even went so far as to rig a remote control on/off
switch, so I wouldn't have to touch the enlarger or the table. As for
condensers, I have seen, and even own, a set 12 inches in diameter, but I
wouldn't expect you to find any that size except by pure luck. (And I'm
keeping mine!) From about 4x5 on up, I pretty much figure I'm going to be
using diffusion lighting. Just the weight of condensers for 8x10 is daunting!
Not to mention the cost! (A lot of weight at the top of a pendulum=more
noticeable vibrations) For 6x9 on down, it's more of a personal choice...
Some claim to like the look of condensers better, some like diffusion better.
One thing is true, condensers are more contrasty, (Sharper) and diffusers are
more forgiving of scratches, dust, ETC. A diffuser is easier to come up with.
I used "Milk Glass" for an old Elwood 5x7 glass plate enlarger. Worked fine.
As for the light source, I simply walked into my nearest darkroom supplier
and bought a P211, or whatever the number is. It's nothing more exotic than
an ordinary 75 watt tungsten bulb with NO logo printed on top, and extra
heavy frosting inside the glass. I have heard of people using point source
(halogen) bulbs with condensers, but I seem to remember that they produced
very contrasty prints.
So it's all up to you to decide what you want to do, and how you want to go
about it. I would say to go with whatever lens you can come up with for a
decent price... After all, this is printing, not making original negatives...
If you flub it, you still have the neg and can try again. Just try to control
the variables... Exposure times, paper, ect, until you can repeat everything
in your sleep. Then, when you change one thing, you will know what the effect
of that ONE thing was, and not have to guess which of several variables
caused it.
One last point, in my earlier post, I said the difference between camera
lenses and enlarger lenses was flat field... I meant to say, flat field on
BOTH sides of the lens.
Hope this give you enough information to start with.
Junkman
