View Full Version : got enlarger? I do.
Todd.Hanz
03-11-2009, 19:30
My ancient Epson 2450 scanner "crapped the bed" recently so no more MF scans for a while for me. While looking for a cheap replacement I stumbled onto a Saunders 670 dichroic enlarger for cheap...$49 bucks in excellent shape. It didn't have a power supply but I found one the same day on the bay and picked it up, along with two lenses (Schnieder Companon S, 50/2.8 and 80/4).
So I'm going retro with my printing these days and hoping for some great results. Any tips or advice would be appreciated as my darkroom skills are limited to Contact sheets/ prints. Please recommend any books or websites that can offer advice if you know of any.
Thanks,
Todd
You are in for a treat, Todd. Looking forward to seeing some of your results.
Congratulations! Welcome to the club!
Welcome to the dark-side of wet-printing ! :) I have started recently again with a Durst M601 that crossed my way.
The only recommendation from my limited experience (I used to wet-print in high-school 25 years ago ...) is that an exposure meter is one of the most useful accessories (next to a really good grain microscope). I used the Ilford publications (from their website) as starting guide and limited myself to Ilford Multicontrast RC paper with a set of Ilford contrast filters to keep things simple...
Al Kaplan
03-11-2009, 20:13
Indeed, welcome to the club! As an all around and reasonably easy paper to find I use Ilford Multigrade and develop in Dektol, again because it's easy to find, but it is a very good paper. (I got spoiled with DuPont Varilour, but it was discontinued in 1968) Both the RC and the double weight fiber versions of the paper have about the same printing characteristics. I suppose that you can find, or somebody here will tell you, the correct settings for your dichro head for the various contrast grades. Ilford was the only company that offered a #00 filter so you can most likely get that ultra low contrast also with your dichro head.
Look around for a Saunders easel with four moveable masking blades. You can center your image on the paper with it, and it takes up to 11x14 paper. It's easiest to use an electric timer to control the enlarger. Some have an electric socket so you can plug in a safelight over your enlarging table. When you flick on the enlarger to focus the safe light goes out, making focusing easier. Have another safe light over your sink, and it's handy to have a white light with a pull cord over your fixer tray for examining your just made print.
Al Kaplan
03-11-2009, 20:19
Better than a meter are test strips, such as a 1x5 inch (aproximate) piece of paper with different exposures along its length. You'll soon get used to KNOWING a good starting point just by looking, then bracket around that. You can also judge contrast that way.
Todd, probably the best thing that's happened to you in a while is your scanner taking a cr*p! I just got back into wet prints this past fall, after a 30 year hiatus. I picked up a Besseler 23C XL for less than $50. I agree with Al about going the test strip way. I cut an 8x10 into about 5 strips. I also vote for the Saunders easel. A good solid easel with 4 movable blades will make your printing to a time of enjoyment. I got a bunch of darkroom stuff last fall including the easel, a grain focuser (need that too!), some (Hewes) reels and tanks, a full set of Ilford contrast filters, a boat load of spotting pens, and many more other goodies...all for only $40.
thomasw_
03-11-2009, 21:40
Wet printing is by far the way for the most beautiful and gripping photographic enlargements. I do sometimes scan my negatives as a quick way to determine which negatives look ok, just suck or have potential, but I find using a printfile even more effective, except for posting to the web ;)
Hi Gabor,
What do you suggest by way exposure meter? I'm only aware of hideously spendy rigs by Heiland Splitgrade in DE and RL Designs [sic?] in UK, and have no experience with either.
pmcc
sf, ca
Hi pmcc,
so far I used the test-strip method (as suggested by Al Kaplan) but not having a "real" permanent darkroom (only our bathroom with temporarily darkened windows) and limited time, I was looking for a cheap meter to reduce the amount of test stripes (and time) and just bought an EM10 exposure meter from Ilford.
As I understood it (haven't received and used the meter yet) it helps making enlargements either in different sizes (from the same negative) or different negatives (with the same printing size and time). It has to be calibrated for the own meter-enlarger-paper-developer combination once by making some test prints (as I understood it).
David William White
03-11-2009, 22:02
"Way Beyond Monochrome" is an excellent reference for everything from exposing the negative to pulling a nice print. For reasons that are utterly baffling, it seems to be out of print, so you may have to beg or borrow a copy to study. Mine is out on loan to another photographer so I don't have a copy on hand, but from memory, here are some of the gems inside:
-making proper contact sheets to optimize exposure and development (including both comprehensive and quickie methods)
-good advice on making test strips, including stepping by 1/3 f-stops instead of fixed time intervals, examining only after dry-down
-dichroic settings corresponding to paper grades for common RC papers
-split-grade printing techniques
-process and calibration methods.
There are other good books, but this modern one is my favorite.
One thing I feel compelled to say, just to set your expectations: Printing is an art, skill, and science and takes time and lots of wasted paper. You know how much film you need to blow to get a proper portfolio together? Same thing all over again. Don't try to short-circuit by skipping your contact sheets, they will save you time and precious paper.
D.
jwhitley
03-11-2009, 22:15
As for websites, there's APUG (http://www.apug.org/), which has a vast weath of useful information for folks doing traditional work.
Two good books to start off with for traditional film and darkroom work are Creative Black & White Photography (http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Black-White-Photography-photography/dp/0715312804/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236836416&sr=8-9) by Les McLean and Barry Thornton's Edge of Darkness (http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Darkness-High-Definition-Monochrome-Photograph/dp/0817438157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236836597&sr=8-1). McLean's book has a lot of down-to-earth basic material for the end-to-end process of negative to print. An great beginner's book. Edge of Darkness isn't so much focused on the basics as it is on understanding problems that photographers encounter in the quest for a great print. EoD is also quite the fun read IMO. Each chapter opens with an working anecdote which segues into the technical topic, and provides a very nice flow to the book. Good bedtime reading, and so many of Barry's prints in this book are sublime. Both of these are amazingly cheap on the used market.
Other books of interest include three classics from Ansel Adams. I highly recommend Examples, The Making of 40 Photographs (http://www.amazon.com/Examples-Making-Photographs-Ansel-Adams/dp/082121750X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236836863&sr=8-1). This book comprises stories and case studies on the shooting and printing (in varying degrees of each) of 40 of Ansel's photos. See also the classics The Negative (http://www.amazon.com/Negative-Ansel-Adams-Photography-Book/dp/0821221868/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236836985&sr=8-1) and The Print (http://www.amazon.com/Print-Ansel-Adams-Photography-Book/dp/0821221876/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236836976&sr=8-1) as well.
Tim Rudman's The Master Photographer's Printing Course (http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Master-Printing-Course-Rudman/dp/0240803248/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3LZCVBOC9RG9C&colid=WIU3SDZY62TT) is worth considering; I haven't read this one yet myself, but it comes well recommended. See also his highly regarded books on toning and lith printing, should your interests move that way.
Last but not least, I'll throw in Steve Anchell's The Variable Contrast Printing Manual (http://www.amazon.com/Variable-Contrast-Printing-Manual/dp/0240802594/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IW2KS41D3X7UJ&colid=WIU3SDZY62TT). Variable contrast (aka "VC") papers providethe ability to adjust print contrast by using filters that allow varying proportions of blue vs. green light through. Suffice it to say that this is immensely useful in achieving a good print. Your dichroic enlarger will let you control contrast on VC papers by adjusting the proportion of magenta vs yellow filtration. This book as well as various resources on the web describe the process when using a color enlarger head.
David William White
03-11-2009, 22:17
Hi pmcc,
...I was looking for a cheap meter to reduce the amount of test stripes (and time) and just bought an EM10 exposure meter from Ilford.
I have an EM10 as well as a Beseler meter. They are only good for one thing: Once you have time, height, aperture, and filtration to give you a small print, you can then make a larger print without further test strips. But you need the test strips to get the first proper print, which may have required two exposures with different filtration and some dodging and burning, which all needs to be recorded and repeated identically.
In cases where the print is made straight at one contrast, going from a 4x5 print to an 8x10 print (4x the size) requires no meter, just 4 times the exposure.
I fiddled with my meters, then threw them in a drawer.
jwhitley
03-11-2009, 22:19
[as if that weren't enough...] Definitely also check out Roger Hicks' and Frances Schultz's (http://www.rogerandfrances.com/) site, specifically the free and paid articles in The Photo School area. Tons of good information available there as well.
Todd.Hanz
03-12-2009, 04:42
Thanks to everyone, lots of good info to peruse. I have Ansel Adams "the Print" and "the Negative" as well as his book (written by someone else) "The basics of Photography" which provide some insight into printing.
I'll look for others, thanks.
Todd
Todd.Hanz
03-12-2009, 04:44
I'm most familiar with test strips having done them for contact printing with digitally enlarged negatives so I will follow that route.
Thanks,
Todd
I have some of the books mentioned before, but I find "Way beyond monochrome" a bit too technical for beginners, though it's indeed a great work.
I would rather recommend Larry Bartlett's "Black and white photographic printing workshop":
http://www.amazon.com/Larry-Bartletts-Photographic-Printing-Workshop/dp/0863433669
Really good.
....
I fiddled with my meters, then threw them in a drawer.
You want to get rid of the EM10?
Good luck. You won't go back to scanning.
Al Kaplan
03-12-2009, 05:51
This applies to anybody interested in learning the B&W darkroom:
If you don't have a dichroic enlarger get every set of filters you might run ito cheap! Kodak doesn't have EXACTLY the same contrasts as Ilford, and the DuPont Varilour, but not the earlier Varigam, have a feature that no other set has. If you find the corect exposure for your lightest area on the print and change contrast the exposure stays the same through grade three, and is exactly double for grade four (hit the timer button twice).
Sometimes at yard sales you can buy boxes of darkroom "junk" for next to nothing. Don't worry about whether or not you need it! I picked up a box with a dozen or so assorted negative carriers for my Kodak Precision enlarger, plus a gizmo that replaces the red filter that swings under the enlarger lens. Instead of just a red filter it has tricolor seperation filters for color printing but the filters themselves are beyond salvation. I'm planning on taking the #0, #2, and #4 filters from one of my sets and mounting them in the gizmo! No more CHANGING filters, just swing it into position!
Before you pass up a $1.00 Time-o-Lite timer because it looks like a piece of solid rust see if it WORKS! They usually do. An ordinary 60 watt light bulb hanging from the ceiling on a drop cord works fine for exposing contact sheets and saves you from burning out your expensive enlarger bulb, but always keep a spare bulb handy for the enlarger.
Nice thread, I'll be following it. I got tired of dealing with curled negs and a flatbed film scanner so decided to try scanning contact prints from my MF. Then, being impatient, I ordered an enlarger on the *bay. Paper etc. from freestyle. This time next week I'll be into wet printing as well. I wish us both luck, I'm looking forward to it.
Todd.Hanz
03-12-2009, 06:47
Nice thread, I'll be following it. I got tired of dealing with curled negs and a flatbed film scanner so decided to try scanning contact prints from my MF. Then, being impatient, I ordered an enlarger on the *bay. Paper etc. from freestyle. This time next week I'll be into wet printing as well. I wish us both luck, I'm looking forward to it.
Cool, we can compare notes ;)
Todd
like2fiddle
03-12-2009, 07:31
Todd, great to know you'll be printing. There's another book that I found extremely helpful when I began shooting, developing, and printing. It's called "Black and White Photography" by a guy named Horenstein. I highly recommend it.
Todd, to begin with make it easier on yourself and use multigrade resin coated RC paper rather than graded fiberbase. I use Ilford's multigrade RC, pearl surface. Once you're up to speed, you can decide to use the good stuff to print the good stuff.
PlantedTao
03-12-2009, 08:06
I will be starting up soon as well. The darkroom is close to being done... just setting up the comfort features :) I like the idea of a light for checking your prints after the fix... I have heard this several times so will have to setup a simple light for this like Al suggested
This week I did take the time to make sure the enlarger is level... it was very simple with the Versalab level and I like the fact that I can check easily and often with this device... spendy tho.
I will be contacting Freestyle for my chemicals this week, going to try Silvergrain. Hope to report back in a couple of weeks with results.
cheers.
Jason
Todd.Hanz
03-20-2009, 13:25
My first print, let me know what yall think. This print was shot with a digital camera to upload here, quality is better in the analog world ;). Printed using Franks advise, Ilford multigrade IV RC paper.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3370571577_9273cff0f0_o.jpg
I would like to add some contrast, am using a dichroic head...should I dial in a bit of magenta?
Todd
Looks great! I'm not sure I'd add contrast, looks like it has enough already.
shadowfox
03-20-2009, 13:33
Sweet! Isn't it wonderful?
I also use a color head on my Vivitar enlarger, if you dial in more magenta, the light will become dimmer so you have to compensate with more time.
Aside from the hassle of darkening room and preparing chemicals (and washing up afterward), darkroom printing is way more fun and rewarding than inkjet.
Roger Hicks
03-20-2009, 14:34
... darkroom printing is way more fun and rewarding than inkjet.
Yeah. Inkjet is like watching paint dry...
Tashi delek,
R.
Beniliam
03-20-2009, 15:31
I use Silvergrain Tektol Standard (1+9) is a good developer, ecological and easy to mix; but its exhausted before than the Kodak Dektol (1+3) for example. Its totally true in my opinion what Photo Engineer mention in APUG above Tektol.
http://www.apug.org/forums/461045-post24.html
The Dmax (maximum black density that have each paper) dropped evidently in my tests at the 7-9 days of the dilution was created.
Good luck, Todd.
-
David
nikon_sam
03-20-2009, 17:59
This applies to anybody interested in learning the B&W darkroom:
...but always keep a spare bulb handy for the enlarger.
Al,
Believe me when I say I read your whole statement BUT this advice really jumped out at me having just replaced the bulb in my Beseler a few days ago...It seems they do get so hot that any bump to the enlarger (while the bulb is still very hot) will cause the bulb to fail...
I had three spares in the closet so I was able to contunue printing...and just the other day I picked up 7 more bulbs off ebay...
Just as Al has stated "...always keep a spare bulb...":D :D :D
Hey, congrats Todd! I hope this experience has got you hooked on traditional darkroom.
Todd.Hanz
03-21-2009, 06:11
thanks guys!
Todd
pesphoto
03-21-2009, 06:19
Al,
Just as Al has stated "...always keep a spare bulb...":D :D :D
....or a spare enlarger.........:)
The bulb went out on my Omega B22 a while ago, luckily I had another enlarger to use while I waited for my replacement bulbs to arrive.
nikon_sam
03-21-2009, 21:37
....or a spare enlarger.........:)
The bulb went out on my Omega B22 a while ago, luckily I had another enlarger to use while I waited for my replacement bulbs to arrive.
I've got that covered too...I have a spare enlarger and spare bulbs for it...
Ronald M
03-21-2009, 21:51
I am a test strip guy. Locate it thru important areas such as the eyes of a portrait.
You will also learn a well exposed and properly developed negative requires the same printing time at x magnification regardless of film type. 8x10 print is say 20 sec at f8, use that as your test exposure.
A contact sheet can also be used to get a start time for the whole roll. Have the enlarger at the height for 8x10, then if the exposure for the contct is good, the print will be close.
I have a meter and never use it, not for color or black&white.
presspass
03-22-2009, 08:15
If you can find one, get a Nova slot processor - it works well with RC, I'm not sure how well it will work, if at all, with regular paper. It keeps the chemistry fresh for up to a month - even the developer. That makes it much more convenient to go to the darkroom and make a couple of prints with minimum setup time.
Todd.Hanz
03-23-2009, 05:30
Well...
the prints are coming out fine. I spent the weekend printing and it's a blast. Besides the common newbie mistakes of leaving the lens wide open, loading the paper in the easel while the enlarger was still projecting the image, forgetting to turn off the white light while projecting etc., I'm having fun!
The process is amazing, for me at least and the images are really nice. Sharpness and tonality is amazing, not to mention no color casts from the black inks ;).
C-ya,
Todd
Well...
the prints are coming out fine. I spent the weekend printing and it's a blast. Besides the common newbie mistakes of leaving the lens wide open, loading the paper in the easel while the enlarger was still projecting the image, forgetting to turn off the white light while projecting etc., I'm having fun!
The process is amazing, for me at least and the images are really nice. Sharpness and tonality is amazing, not to mention no color casts from the black inks ;).
C-ya,
Todd
All of the above and it is indeed fun. I did a few 5x7s and contact sheets. My enlarger has aperture settings, I guess they all do, and I did not know that at first and was adjusting only the exposure times.
The best book so far is the simple "Kodak Workshop Series" on bw darkroomk techniques.
I'm trying to be consistant, as recommended in most books, and am using all Arista (freestlyphoto.biz) products.
So far, so good.
Al Kaplan
03-23-2009, 07:46
It gets even BETTER!
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