Darkroom Question for Darkroom Experts

[Pablito]

A small detail but I do not recommend bamboo tongs because the rubber tips get contaminated and they can stain your prints. Plastic or stainless are better but you need to be careful not to scratch the prints.

 

[Seele]

About enlargers:

While it is true that a good enlarging lens can give better result than a poor one, you still need the enlarger properly aligned and adjusted to make a difference. Say if your enlarger hasn't got its negative and easel planes exactly parallel, the lens' optical axis not perpendicular, the light source not correctly positioned, even the best lens in the world would produce rubbish prints.


My personal 4"X5" enlarger is a WASP IIIA from 1949, bought about 20 years ago for A$50. Rough and ready engineering of course, but after I had it adjusted and aligned, with a better lens fitted (old Schneider Componon 150/5.6) it keeps producing top-class prints.

Also, get a grain focussor; the plastic-bodied Paterson ones are good, the press-metal Japanese ones are less so. I also use a Bausch & Lomb parallax focussor and it works a treat too.

 

[eli griggs]

Seele makes a good point in general.

My non-Leitz, bellows endowed enlargers do need careful attention in the set-up and adjustments from time to time, however, the (undamaged) Leitz enlarger design pretty much eliminates enlarger induced error when set-up.

While it's not necessary for good performance, I am using a 3cm granite baseboard that is not only warp free, but prevents most if not all vibration in the column or head. The lack of bellows is a big plus and the condenser, negative carrier and lens helical do not need alignment adjustments because of careful machining and fitting.

If I were to use a warped or otherwise uneven easel, then I might have a problem but, other than that, this model is pretty much free of typical misalignment issues.

Eli

 

[Tom A]

The grain focussers are great - Omega's version is built like a brick and about as good as it gets.
With the Focomat's you only need it about every 5 years though! Once you have set the auto-focus on it - it stays in place. You use the grain focussing unit to set the initial focus - using the flip in "blue filter" as the paper is more sensitive to blue light - lock the focus in place and do a couple of test prints and correct if needed.
I check the focus once in 3-4 years - usually after a cleaning session (condensors, bellows etc - and also lube for the swingarms). Rarely do I have to correct anything.

 

[Superdan138]

Being a bit of a darkroom " junkie" (which explains 3 current enlargers) I would suggest the best 35mm enlarger made. A Focomat Ic, late version with the tall upright post and a filterdrawer. This is known as a Ic Color. The lens, which should come with the enlarger, is a Focotar-2 50f4.5 .
It will only do 35mm - but nothing before of after has surpassed the quality. You will need a good easel, Saunders Pro 11x14 and if you want to go bigger, the Saunders Pro 16x20. They are both 4 bladed easels on a 1" base for the Focomats auto focussing.
With enlargers, the quality of the end result is dependent on the lens (always get the best) and evenness of illumination - and alignment.
I have used Focomats for 40 years, both the Ic and the IIc's (the latter for 35 and 120 negs. I have also used a variety of enlargers by Beseler 45/s,Omega D6 etc - they are all good, but nothing beats a Ic properly set up for 35mm negs.

I bought an Ic....but it doesn't have the filter area....so the guy I bought it from said to put the filter right under the light bulb....since it wont heat up too much for that short of a period. This would allow the filter to be right after the bulb so it shows up in the print....do you know anywhere to buy a little add on that can make it so I can easily use filters with this setup? I believe my Ic is a b&w one also.....it says Leitz Focomat on it....anymore info would be great....you sound like you are VERY knowledgable on these....

-Daniel

 

[Superdan138]

The grain focussers are great - Omega's version is built like a brick and about as good as it gets.
With the Focomat's you only need it about every 5 years though! Once you have set the auto-focus on it - it stays in place. You use the grain focussing unit to set the initial focus - using the flip in "blue filter" as the paper is more sensitive to blue light - lock the focus in place and do a couple of test prints and correct if needed.
I check the focus once in 3-4 years - usually after a cleaning session (condensors, bellows etc - and also lube for the swingarms). Rarely do I have to correct anything.

I didnt think mine had the auto focus function....does it and I just dont know it....or.....

-Daniel

 

[Tom A]

To use the filters on a non Ic Color (the one without the filter drawer) - you just lift up the lamphousing and drop the filter on top of the condensor in- side the bottom housing. It is easy and quick - BUT as you keep taking the top off - you have to watch for dust settling on the condensor and clean it a bit more often.
The Ic is auto-focus - would have the two paralellogram arms on each side of the housing as well as the chrome crescent shaped cam on the left side.
I am sure that somewhere on the net there is a downloadable version of the manual for setting up a Ic. Once you have done it - it will stay in focus over a range from 5x7" to slightly less than 16x20" sized prints.