Question about glass negative carriers

I was just staring at a nice Beseler 8346 carrier (glass, 6x6,
for the 45 enlarger) and the wheels started turning.

Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground? Wouldn't this help diffuse the light,
sort of like turning an incandescent-based enlarger into a cold
light? The ground side of the glass should be far enought from
the plane of focus that it wouldn't show in the image, shouldn't
it? I suppose some illumination would be lost, but one could
always use a bigger bulb, or enjoy the additional time available
for dodging.

Is there some fatal flaw with this idea? Idle minds, you know...

Thanks.

Steve

Stephan Goldstein wrote:



Is there some fatal flaw with this idea? Idle minds, you know...

Just a thought but:

The upper ground glass would be very close to the focal plane in the neg
carrier, it would be almost or when stopped down in focus. Therefore the
'grain' of the frosted surface of the glass would show up on the print.

Just a thought, not tried it.

Pete

--
http://www.petezilla.co.uk

Stephan Goldstein wrote:



Is there some fatal flaw with this idea? Idle minds, you know...

Just a thought but:

The upper ground glass would be very close to the focal plane in the neg
carrier, it would be almost or when stopped down in focus. Therefore the
'grain' of the frosted surface of the glass would show up on the print.

Just a thought, not tried it.

Pete

--
http://www.petezilla.co.uk

"Stephan Goldstein" wrote in message
news
I was just staring at a nice Beseler 8346 carrier (glass, 6x6,
for the 45 enlarger) and the wheels started turning.

Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground? Wouldn't this help diffuse the light,
sort

Depth of focus. You really don't want to be focusing upon the confusion of
the ground-glass above the negative.

"Stephan Goldstein" wrote in message
news
I was just staring at a nice Beseler 8346 carrier (glass, 6x6,
for the 45 enlarger) and the wheels started turning.

Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground? Wouldn't this help diffuse the light,
sort

Depth of focus. You really don't want to be focusing upon the confusion of
the ground-glass above the negative.

If you want to try diffusion "on the cheap" put the ground glass at least an
inch above the negative stage but below the condensers, you may need to rig
some sort of spacer to get the job done. You'll lose a lot of printing
speed. And Opal glass works better but you'll lose even more speed.

--
darkroommike

----------
"Stephan Goldstein" wrote in message
news
I was just staring at a nice Beseler 8346 carrier (glass, 6x6,
for the 45 enlarger) and the wheels started turning.

Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground? Wouldn't this help diffuse the light,
sort of like turning an incandescent-based enlarger into a cold
light? The ground side of the glass should be far enought from
the plane of focus that it wouldn't show in the image, shouldn't
it? I suppose some illumination would be lost, but one could
always use a bigger bulb, or enjoy the additional time available
for dodging.

Is there some fatal flaw with this idea? Idle minds, you know...

Thanks.

Steve

If you want to try diffusion "on the cheap" put the ground glass at least an
inch above the negative stage but below the condensers, you may need to rig
some sort of spacer to get the job done. You'll lose a lot of printing
speed. And Opal glass works better but you'll lose even more speed.

--
darkroommike

----------
"Stephan Goldstein" wrote in message
news
I was just staring at a nice Beseler 8346 carrier (glass, 6x6,
for the 45 enlarger) and the wheels started turning.

Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground? Wouldn't this help diffuse the light,
sort of like turning an incandescent-based enlarger into a cold
light? The ground side of the glass should be far enought from
the plane of focus that it wouldn't show in the image, shouldn't
it? I suppose some illumination would be lost, but one could
always use a bigger bulb, or enjoy the additional time available
for dodging.

Is there some fatal flaw with this idea? Idle minds, you know...

Thanks.

Steve

"Stephan Goldstein" wrote in message
news
I was just staring at a nice Beseler 8346 carrier (glass, 6x6,
for the 45 enlarger) and the wheels started turning.

Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground? Wouldn't this help diffuse the light,
sort of like turning an incandescent-based enlarger into a cold
light? The ground side of the glass should be far enought from
the plane of focus that it wouldn't show in the image, shouldn't
it? I suppose some illumination would be lost, but one could
always use a bigger bulb, or enjoy the additional time available
for dodging.

Is there some fatal flaw with this idea? Idle minds, you know...

Thanks.

Steve

hi steve-

i worked darkrooms prof for almost 20 years. i have used such an apparatus.
it is very finely ground glass set into the carrier so as it is hovering
slightly (maybe 1/2 inch) above the negative that is sandwiched in 2 other
pieces of glass. it's a built in diffuser, really. i used it only on 4x5
negs, but i think the same principle would apply to any size - IMHO.

mike posted a good solution. it may take some rigging, but you could make
one out of an existing glass carrier without too much of a hassle. i found
the extra exposure time helpful also, esp if working with a bad neg, as so
many of my printing jobs were - people who don't know how to expose film
properly. and the diffusion of the harsh light of a regular condenser head,
which i use at home now, is nice too.
there's nothing a small set of screwdrivers, black tape and old carriers
bought a flea market can't do, really.
give it a shot!

-c.

"Stephan Goldstein" wrote in message
news
I was just staring at a nice Beseler 8346 carrier (glass, 6x6,
for the 45 enlarger) and the wheels started turning.

Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground? Wouldn't this help diffuse the light,
sort of like turning an incandescent-based enlarger into a cold
light? The ground side of the glass should be far enought from
the plane of focus that it wouldn't show in the image, shouldn't
it? I suppose some illumination would be lost, but one could
always use a bigger bulb, or enjoy the additional time available
for dodging.

Is there some fatal flaw with this idea? Idle minds, you know...

Thanks.

Steve

hi steve-

i worked darkrooms prof for almost 20 years. i have used such an apparatus.
it is very finely ground glass set into the carrier so as it is hovering
slightly (maybe 1/2 inch) above the negative that is sandwiched in 2 other
pieces of glass. it's a built in diffuser, really. i used it only on 4x5
negs, but i think the same principle would apply to any size - IMHO.

mike posted a good solution. it may take some rigging, but you could make
one out of an existing glass carrier without too much of a hassle. i found
the extra exposure time helpful also, esp if working with a bad neg, as so
many of my printing jobs were - people who don't know how to expose film
properly. and the diffusion of the harsh light of a regular condenser head,
which i use at home now, is nice too.
there's nothing a small set of screwdrivers, black tape and old carriers
bought a flea market can't do, really.
give it a shot!

-c.

"Stephan Goldstein" wrote in message
news
Why didn't/doesn't anyone make a glass carrier with the _top_
of the upper glass ground?

Enlargers that have a diffuse lighting source, such as the Omega D5, et al,
don't need such a thing so I have to believe you are working with a
condenser enlarger. In those cases, there are usually diffuser add-ons
available.

Believe me, if you have considered such a need, then someone else has an
it's been made.

If you will be specific concerning your enlarger, we can help. (Oh just
please don't tell me you are trying to dumb down a Leitz Focomat II... I'll
have to send Guido over there... )