Topic: darkroom questions

[formica]

a few enlarger/darkroom questions.

i have a beseler VC67 enlarger. it comes with some sort of filtering system. 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 etc ending at five. the filters change the colour from a cyan tint to a more magenta sort of tint. there's also a lever to bypass the filters and just have white light.  i'm a bit confused as even at filter number zero there is a colour tint. i'm not sure exactly how to use the dial a number system. do i start with zero and go from there as contrast is needed? a friend suggested that those filter systems and the numbers are for the days when the paper used a different numbering system. he said modern papers won't need to follow those numbers. can anyone confirm that this is so?(the minimal paperwork that came with the enlarger said something about just dialing in the number to correspond with kind of paper you are using).

also, the prints i've tried so far tend to be coming out rather muddy. overexposure on my part perhaps? i seem to be getting better contrast with a straight contact print than i'm getting when i use the enlarger proper. i've been using ilford multigrade IV RC deluxe paper as that's about all i've been able to find locally so far.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

                           william

[Roger Thoms]

Those are paper grade filtration numbers for variable contrast paper. Usually start at Grade 2 and go from there. The lever to bypass the filters it for focusing and composing the image. Make sure you flip the lever back afterwards, one of my favorite mistakes. The lever can also be used to bypass the filter you are using graded paper.  Also there are plenty of VC papers being manufactured today.

Roger

[Francois]

If you look inside your pack of VC enlarging paper, there is supposed to be a contrast chart for different enlarger makes. Mine is a Durst with the 0-130 scale. Other models have the 0-200 scale. You have to check those out carefully. Also, adding a filter usually forces you to change exposure (filter factor). With my enlarger's instructions came a chart for filter compensation. Add this to the compensation required by the paper for the grade change and you can get a reliable number which is repeatable (you actually need to multiply).

As for muddy prints, it's not exposure related. Muddiness relates to paper grade. Also, old paper and underdevelopment can be at cause.

As a rule of thumb, the more magenta you dial in, the more contrast you get. The more yellow, the softer the print.

[Roger Thoms]

Francois, the numbers you mention are related to dichroic color heads. The OP has a VC (variable contrast) head. The number he mentions are related to paper grades.

This is from the Beseler website and should relate closely to the Printmaker VC head:

"23CIII Variable Contrast Lamphouse
This lamphouse allows the printer to use variable contrast papers without the need for separate filters. It prints at grages 0 through 5, allowing the choice of continuous intermediate grades to be directly dialed in the light path with the use of internal, additive blue and green dichroic filters.

This lamphouse is pre-calibrated for use with all major brands of VC paper and includes a 6x9cm mixing chamber with built-in UV and IR filtration, allowing for white light focusing and composition. It is interchangeable with the other 23CIII lamphouses."

Roger

[Francois]

I know... but I often forget that mine is a color head since it has only yellow and magenta filtration on it (the cyan comes in separate thick plastic filters that go in a tray). But it does work wonders for VC paper. Maybe I could recalibrate it so it shows grade numbers instead of color correction values

[formica]

thanks for the advice roger and francois. i was all set to give it another go yesterday - only to find i coudln't find where i put my negative carriers.

                           william

[Francois]

From memory, most Besseler have a big lever that lifts up the entire head assembly... If memory serves me well, check the left side.
You just slip the neg carrier there.

[formica]

From memory, most Besseler have a big lever that lifts up the entire head assembly... If memory serves me well, check the left side.
You just slip the neg carrier there.

  oh, i know where to put the negative carriers in the enlarger.  i can't find the negative carriers themselves. where they should be they are not. so i need to figure out where i put them.

           william

[Francois]

  oh, i know where to put the negative carriers in the enlarger.  i can't find the negative carriers themselves. where they should be they are not. so i need to figure out where i put them.

Sadly, I can't find an answer for that... I once looked for a bottle of white glue for about 6 months... then, I got tired of searching, bought another one and decided to store it right next to the bottle I'd been looking for for so long!

Morale of the story, the stuff stays where you put it

[eric rose]

I've made neg carriers out of mat board and masking tape.  Works like a charm.

[Francois]

And they don't scratch your negs at all I should add.

[formica]

I've made neg carriers out of mat board and masking tape.  Works like a charm.

if i can't find mine i'll have to give that a try. there's no danger from the heat of the enlarger and the cardboard of the matboard?

[Francois]

Well, the cardboard will come out a bit toasty warm but it won't catch fire...
If it gets too changed, you can always make a new and better one... designs improve with time.