enlarger question

You can't even begin to print well unless the lenses are good quality.
So that's where to start. Be sure to get 6 element lenses -- Componon
instead of Componar for example. But there are things you can do to the
existing enlargers to make them perform better. If they are
mechanically sound and if the moving parts are not badly corroded or
worn, enlargers can not only be brought back to life--they can be
improved.

And just as a note. Ugly does not mean bad in enlargers. Some of the
really ugly ones are among the best. All you really want them to be is
solid and stable.

Quick approach:
Clean the units thoroughly inside and out. They need to be spotless.
Use very light lubrication on any moving parts that aren't smooth.
Sewing machine grease or oil works well, but us it sparingly. It just
attracts more dirt.

Align the enlarger. There are lots of notes on the web about doing
this. One trick is to take a simple laser pointer and mount it on a
base so that the beam is absolutely perpendicular to the plane of the
base. Shine the beam up into the enlarger (with a glass plate on the
negative stage), and true up the lens, the neg stage, and the paper
stage so they are all parallel using the reflected image back down on
the paper stage. Also make sure that when the laser is aimed up
through the center of the enlarging lens that the laser dot appears on
the center of each condenser lens and the enlarger lamp. That means
the lamp is centered on the condensers which are centered on the lens.

Improve the light source. Nothing says you need to slavishly stick
with a crappy light source. You can install anything that fits. For
condenser enlargers my current favorite is a 12 volt halogen lamp with
a 2" halographic diffuser in front of it. Many people are fond of
"point source" illumination.

Hope this helps.

John spake thus:

Creeker wrote:

Only thing I would disagree with is a Democracy gets corrupt when the
peopel get lazy and selfish.

Could someone point me to a Democratic government ? I don't remember
ever seeing one.

Do you mean democratic or Democratic?


--
The only reason corrupt Republicans rule the roost in Washington
is because the corrupt Democrats can't muster any viable opposition.

John spake thus:

Gunnar Mallon wrote:

Hi all,

we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society
darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more
important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not
just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens?

The best lens ever made can't make an out-of-focus image sharp. A good
chassis with good alignment should be the basis for any enlarging. I'll
take a well-aligned Durst with a triplet over a poorly aligned Beseler
with an APO lens every day of the week.

Yes, but the Beseler can easily be aligned, so that shouldn't be an issue.


--
The only reason corrupt Republicans rule the roost in Washington
is because the corrupt Democrats can't muster any viable opposition.

"Gunnar Mallon" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society darkroom.
i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more important
lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not just a bit of
metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens?


A good enlarger is a pleasure to work with; a bad one can drive you crazy.
These days there are basically 2 choices: Beseler or Omega. I never enjoyed
the Beselers I had (23c, 45M). Not particularly stable, negs seemed to pop
on anything over a 10s exposure. The Omegas I used at a school lab were
better. That seems to be the consensus. Durst is the gold standard but there
is no repair facility in the US tho parts can be ordered I hear.

As I mentioned neg popping is a problem with poorly designed halogen or
tungsten heads. Some enlargers have a fan to remove the heat. Works great in
the Durst; can't speak for others.

Evenness of illumination was another problem I had with the Beselers. That's
true for most cheap enlargers. The edges will be darker. The difference will
be unnoticeable in the better ones. As the bulb ages light out put
decreases. Enlargers with a feedback loop will maintain a constant output
for all practical purposes.

I never enjoyed switching VC filters manually. I prefer pressing a few
buttons or twirling a few knobs.

Natural Light Black and White Photography
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze76ane/
-George-

I started printing when I was 12 when my parents bought me a used enlarger
to print 35mm negatives. They didn't know anything about it and didn't want
to buy a new one that I might never use. So they brought home a Dejur 4X5
coldlight with a 180 mm lens.

If my arms were twice as long as they were it would have been ok. That was
30 years ago and I still have it but I switched to a 23 C that has always
done a good job for me.

Scott

"seog" wrote in message news:XFhuf.5015$WX3.4337@trndny09...
"Gunnar Mallon" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society
darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is more
important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is it not
just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative onto the lens?


A good enlarger is a pleasure to work with; a bad one can drive you crazy.
These days there are basically 2 choices: Beseler or Omega. I never
enjoyed the Beselers I had (23c, 45M). Not particularly stable, negs
seemed to pop on anything over a 10s exposure. The Omegas I used at a
school lab were better. That seems to be the consensus. Durst is the gold
standard but there is no repair facility in the US tho parts can be
ordered I hear.

As I mentioned neg popping is a problem with poorly designed halogen or
tungsten heads. Some enlargers have a fan to remove the heat. Works great
in the Durst; can't speak for others.

Evenness of illumination was another problem I had with the Beselers.
That's true for most cheap enlargers. The edges will be darker. The
difference will be unnoticeable in the better ones. As the bulb ages light
out put decreases. Enlargers with a feedback loop will maintain a constant
output for all practical purposes.

I never enjoyed switching VC filters manually. I prefer pressing a few
buttons or twirling a few knobs.

Natural Light Black and White Photography
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze76ane/
-George-

seog spake thus:

"Gunnar Mallon" wrote in message
...

Hi all,

we have a couple of very bad enlargers in our university society
darkroom. i am looking to buy new gear now. what would you say is
more important lenses or enlarger? how does the enlarger matter? is
it not just a bit of metal that passes light through the negative
onto the lens?

A good enlarger is a pleasure to work with; a bad one can drive you
crazy. These days there are basically 2 choices: Beseler or Omega. I
never enjoyed the Beselers I had (23c, 45M). Not particularly stable,
negs seemed to pop on anything over a 10s exposure. The Omegas I used
at a school lab were better. That seems to be the consensus. Durst is
the gold standard but there is no repair facility in the US tho parts
can be ordered I hear.

As I mentioned neg popping is a problem with poorly designed halogen or
tungsten heads. Some enlargers have a fan to remove the heat. Works great in
the Durst; can't speak for others.

Been using a 23C for several years (with both 35mm and 6x9), no glass
carriers, and never had a problem with negative popping. I keep waiting
for it to happen after hearing all the horror stories about it here, but
it hasn't.

Evenness of illumination was another problem I had with the Beselers. That's
true for most cheap enlargers. The edges will be darker. The difference will
be unnoticeable in the better ones. As the bulb ages light out put
decreases. Enlargers with a feedback loop will maintain a constant output
for all practical purposes.

Also not a problem with my 23C; nice even illumination all the way
across the field.


--
The only reason corrupt Republicans rule the roost in Washington
is because the corrupt Democrats can't muster any viable opposition.

Dr. Dagor wrote:

You can't even begin to print well unless the lenses are good quality.
So that's where to start. Be sure to get 6 element lenses -- Componon
instead of Componar for example.

Note that another very significant factor is the degree of enlargement.
As someone who has worked in all formats from 35mm ~ 5X7, I can assure
you that the lens is far, far less of an issue when making a 10X14 from
5X7 than it is when making the same print from a 35mm negative. In fact
I sold my 150 Componon-S as I simply couldn't realize an in-print
difference between it and my 192 Wollensack Graphic-Raptar. I'm sure
that there would have been some around 32X50 or in color printing but I
don't print over 16X20 and I simply don't bother with color. The only
difficulty I have with the 192 is the height of the enlarger head from
the easel ;0

JD

David Nebenzahl wrote:

The best lens ever made can't make an out-of-focus image sharp. A good
chassis with good alignment should be the basis for any enlarging. I'll
take a well-aligned Durst with a triplet over a poorly aligned Beseler
with an APO lens every day of the week.

Yes, but the Beseler can easily be aligned, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Actually most Beselers can't be adjusted. Well, not unless you want to
cut the frame.

JS

John spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

The best lens ever made can't make an out-of-focus image sharp. A
good chassis with good alignment should be the basis for any
enlarging. I'll take a well-aligned Durst with a triplet over a
poorly aligned Beseler with an APO lens every day of the week.

Yes, but the Beseler can easily be aligned, so that shouldn't be an
issue.

Actually most Beselers can't be adjusted. Well, not unless you want to
cut the frame.

Don't know what you mean by "most Beselers", but I can tell you that all
23Cs can easily be aligned. I've done it on mine and others. There are
screws that can be loosened and adjusted to align it in both (x and y) axes.


--
The only reason corrupt Republicans rule the roost in Washington
is because the corrupt Democrats can't muster any viable opposition.

David Nebenzahl wrote:
John spake thus:

Creeker wrote:

Only thing I would disagree with is a Democracy gets corrupt when the
peopel get lazy and selfish.

Could someone point me to a Democratic government ? I don't remember
ever seeing one.

Do you mean democratic or Democratic?

I'd be happy to have both ! Someone in office again with some fiscal
responsibility would be a good start.

Note that to the best of my knowledge the last truly democratic
government existed in Athens.

JD