Unsharp after burning

I am having a problem with sharpness when I am burning in an area of a
print. I am using a D5 with a dicro head. On larger prints, 14x14 and
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original. The enlarger is stable & so
is the easel. It does not happen all the time. It is sharp on a
straight print. What varieing factor am I overlooking.
The lens is stopped down 4 stops. I use my hands halfway between the
lens and paper with a large opening than smaller. Is it a form of
diffraction that is causing the image to do this? Has any one had this
happen?

Keith

Does the negative bend, from heat, after the light has been on for a while?

"kpphoto" wrote in message
m...
I am having a problem with sharpness when I am burning in an area of a
print. I am using a D5 with a dicro head. On larger prints, 14x14 and
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original. The enlarger is stable & so
is the easel. It does not happen all the time. It is sharp on a
straight print. What varieing factor am I overlooking.
The lens is stopped down 4 stops. I use my hands halfway between the
lens and paper with a large opening than smaller. Is it a form of
diffraction that is causing the image to do this? Has any one had this
happen?

Keith

Does the negative bend, from heat, after the light has been on for a while?

"kpphoto" wrote in message
m...
I am having a problem with sharpness when I am burning in an area of a
print. I am using a D5 with a dicro head. On larger prints, 14x14 and
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original. The enlarger is stable & so
is the easel. It does not happen all the time. It is sharp on a
straight print. What varieing factor am I overlooking.
The lens is stopped down 4 stops. I use my hands halfway between the
lens and paper with a large opening than smaller. Is it a form of
diffraction that is causing the image to do this? Has any one had this
happen?

Keith

When burning and dodging, I use a piece of flat black paper or board to absorb
light from the enlarger instead of reflecting or refracting it. Your hands are
curved and are also bright and may cause light scattering.


Francis A. Miniter


kpphoto wrote:
I am having a problem with sharpness when I am burning in an area of a
print. I am using a D5 with a dicro head. On larger prints, 14x14 and
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original. The enlarger is stable & so
is the easel. It does not happen all the time. It is sharp on a
straight print. What varieing factor am I overlooking.
The lens is stopped down 4 stops. I use my hands halfway between the
lens and paper with a large opening than smaller. Is it a form of
diffraction that is causing the image to do this? Has any one had this
happen?

Keith

When burning and dodging, I use a piece of flat black paper or board to absorb
light from the enlarger instead of reflecting or refracting it. Your hands are
curved and are also bright and may cause light scattering.


Francis A. Miniter


kpphoto wrote:
I am having a problem with sharpness when I am burning in an area of a
print. I am using a D5 with a dicro head. On larger prints, 14x14 and
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original. The enlarger is stable & so
is the easel. It does not happen all the time. It is sharp on a
straight print. What varieing factor am I overlooking.
The lens is stopped down 4 stops. I use my hands halfway between the
lens and paper with a large opening than smaller. Is it a form of
diffraction that is causing the image to do this? Has any one had this
happen?

Keith

kpphoto wrote:
[...] I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original.

That is usually indicative of negative movement, usually from heat but that
seems unlikely in your case. Is there anything else that might be making the
enlarger move?

kpphoto wrote:
[...] I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original.

That is usually indicative of negative movement, usually from heat but that
seems unlikely in your case. Is there anything else that might be making the
enlarger move?

"kpphoto" wrote in message
m...
I am having a problem with sharpness when I am burning in an area of a
print. I am using a D5 with a dicro head. On larger prints, 14x14 and
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original. The enlarger is stable & so
is the easel. It does not happen all the time. It is sharp on a
straight print. What varieing factor am I overlooking.
The lens is stopped down 4 stops. I use my hands halfway between the
lens and paper with a large opening than smaller. Is it a form of
diffraction that is causing the image to do this? Has any one had this
happen?

Keith

Just a guess: Is the lamp heat causing the negative to "pop"?
Possible causes: Are you using a glassless negative holder? Does this only
happen with longer exposures and not shorter exposures? Is the fault more
noticeable in the center of the print than the edge (the edge of the neg
would be held solidly and can't move)? What is the room temperature-- can
you aim a fan at the enlarger head (taking clear that the vibration of the
fan doesn't affect the enlarger)?

Ken Hart

"kpphoto" wrote in message
m...
I am having a problem with sharpness when I am burning in an area of a
print. I am using a D5 with a dicro head. On larger prints, 14x14 and
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a
doubling of the image over the original. The enlarger is stable & so
is the easel. It does not happen all the time. It is sharp on a
straight print. What varieing factor am I overlooking.
The lens is stopped down 4 stops. I use my hands halfway between the
lens and paper with a large opening than smaller. Is it a form of
diffraction that is causing the image to do this? Has any one had this
happen?

Keith

Just a guess: Is the lamp heat causing the negative to "pop"?
Possible causes: Are you using a glassless negative holder? Does this only
happen with longer exposures and not shorter exposures? Is the fault more
noticeable in the center of the print than the edge (the edge of the neg
would be held solidly and can't move)? What is the room temperature-- can
you aim a fan at the enlarger head (taking clear that the vibration of the
fan doesn't affect the enlarger)?

Ken Hart

(kpphoto) wrote in message om...
up from a 6.45 neg, I have areas that go out of focus almost like a

"areas" that are sometimes but not always blurred... sounds like you
are using a glassless carrier.

doubling of the image over the original.

If the neg pops (forth or back) between basic and additional exposure
the image will be blurred the way you describe it.