Copyright 1994-2001 Paul Light all rights reserved
This question was added April 30, 2001.
Q. What enlarger would you recommend?
A. I have been asked numerous times to recommend enlargers. I used two old
enlargers-an Omega D2 and an Omega B22 with Schneider Componon lenses. I
have no complaints about either of them. One enlarger I have seen that I
am very impressed by is the Saunders 670 MXL. It cost $800. I think this
is a good enlarger for people working in 35mm or 120 and for both black
and white and color work. If I were to replace my Omega B22, this is the
enlarger I would buy.
Section 1: Enlargers
Q1. How much must I spend on an enlarger?
A. Omega and Beseler, two of the most reputable enlarger manufacturers
both make very basic enlargers for about $150. These may not be adequate
for all of your darkroom needs, because they sometimes have columns that
are not rigid enough to make 16x20 or larger prints, although they are
rigid enough for smaller prints. They make very nice, basic 8x10 black and
white or color prints.
Q2. What about used enlargers? Any brand and model that you would
recommend?
A. If you are buying a used enlarger have a camera repair person check
the alignment as well for any excessive wear from misuse before making
your purchase. There are often good Omega and Beseler used enlargers on
the market. Some popular enlargers that often available as used equipment
include the Omega B22, Omega DII and Beseler 23C.
Q3. I've read your FAQ and wonder if you have any recommendations on any
particular features or parts that I should consider when choosing an
enlarger?
A. To me the most important feature of the enlarger is the column. It
should be so rigid that it will not shake while exposing paper. Most 4x5
enlargers are very rigid and also print 35mm and 120 film. Enlargers
don't wear out as quickly cameras. Spend a little extra on it - it could
be a lifetime investment. Another important thing to think about when
buying an enlarger is the lens. Buy the sharpest lens you can afford.
I'd personally compromise on the enlarger before the lens. Good lenses
and good enlargers are expensive, but they are the heart of your darkroom
and should be where most of the money is spent when setting up a new
darkroom.
Q4. Can you use a black and white enlarger to make color prints?
A. Yes. To make color prints with a black and white condenser head type
enlarger you put color filters in the filter drawer instead of contrast
filters. For optimum results it is better to use a color enlarger. With
a color enlarger you have a dichroic head which has two advantages. It is
easier to adjust your filtration and the diffused light diffuses the dust
on the film reducing the amount of spotting needed. Both will produce
exhibit quality prints.
Q5. Do you need a special enlarger to make prints that are bigger than
8x10?
A. Yes. When choosing an enlarger that can make prints larger than
8x10, it is important that the enlarger has a larger baseboard to
accommodate the larger easel. Also you need a longer column to separate
the distance between the film and the paper. For really big prints you
may want to choose an enlarger where you can rotate the head to project
the image onto a wall or a rotating column to project an image onto the
floor. It is also important that an enlarger for big prints be really
rigid. Thin columns and warped baseboards have a greater chance of
ruining a big print from the enlarger moving slightly while exposing
paper.
Q6. I want to do only B/W at home and I'm not quite sure what kind of
enlarger I should get. I think there are condenser types, diffuser types
and dichroic types. Which one will be suitable for B/W? Somebody told me
that with dichroic one I don't have to hassle with filters to use
variable-grade papers. Do you think I should get the condenser type?
I also read from the book that the condenser type will produce sharper
images than the diffusion type. Is there big difference?
A. A dichroic enlarger is supposedly less sharp than a condenser enlarger
although I've never noticed any significant difference. I use condenser
enlargers, because I got them for a good price. If I were to go out today
and by a new enlarger I would choose the dichroic head, because the softer
light doesn't show dust as much, meaning less spotting time. Dichroic
heads generally have built in filters in the head, which is very nice, and
condensers generally do not.
Section 2: Papers
Q1. What are good basic papers to use for someone who is new to printing?
A. For black and white negatives I use Ilford Multigrade IV RC paper.
For color I use Fujicolor Super FA G Professional Type P paper. I am
very pleased with both of these papers. They are very easy to use and I
use them for most of my printing. Unfortunately the Fuji paper is
presently difficult or maybe even impossible to purchase in the United
States. One somewhat similar paper is Kodak Supra paper.
Q2. What is an archival print?
A. An archival print is a black and white or color print that is printed
on a type of paper and/or processed in a special manner so that the print
will last a very long time. This is especially suitable for photographs
for art collections, historical records and family photographs that are
being saved for future generations. Prints not processed to archival
standards will only last about 20 years in theory. Hopefully the theory
has some flaws, because a lot of photographers are working exclusively
with printing materials that have a bad track record for permanence so
far. Archival processing is discussed in tremendous detail in the book
"The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs-Henry Wilhelm and Carol
Brower."
Archival photographic theorists say that fiber based prints and tricolor
carbon pigment prints may last 100 years or more.
Q3. What papers are not archival?
A. Most papers are not archival. If a paper is designated RC (this
stands for resin coated), you can safely assume it is not archival and
cannot be made archival. Many people using RC paper feel that if the
print is processed properly and stored carefully it will last a very long
time. It is certainly faster and easier to work with RC paper and may be
worth the risk. I have made thousands of RC prints, but I do not expect
them to last even 50 years. I have processed them and stored them
carefully just in case they really do last for many years. To make an
archival print in black and white is not too difficult. In color it is
very complex and for all practical purposes impossible in a home darkroom.
To make a black and white archival print you must use fiber-based paper.
Fiber-based paper is not difficult to use, although it is a bit tricky to
get it to dry flat. You will have no trouble finding whatever RC paper
you use in a fiber-based paper if you contact a large camera store. In
the event that you cannot find a store that carries the fiber-based paper
you are looking for, there are several large mail order stores in New York
and Chicago that will have it. There is more than one way to process a
print archivally. At present I think the method worked out by Ilford (800
262 2650) is best. It is straight forward and efficient. Once you have
made an archival print, it is important that it be stored archivally. A
good source for archival storage supplies is Light Impressions (800 828
6216).
Making your own color archival prints is a bit more complex, quite a bit
more expensive and more time consuming than making a conventional color
print. Archival color prints use a modified version of the classic
tricolor carbon pigment printing process. I really don't think it is a
great idea to make these yourself unless you have already invested over
$10,000 in your darkroom and/or have experience in making laser scanned
separations. UltraStable prints are made using this process. To the best
of my knowledge these materials are only directly available from
UltraStable Color Systems (408 335 2169). EverColor is another similar
method of making tricolor carbon pigment prints, although they are a lab.
I do not think they will sell you materials to do it yourself. EverColor
Corporation can be reached at 916 939 9300.
Contrary to popular opinion dye transfer prints and Cibachrome prints are
not archival. However they are a good choice for moderate term stability
type of prints. They stay a very long time, but are no match in terms of
stability for contemporary tricolor carbon pigment prints.
Section 3: Other Darkroom Information
Q1. Why not just send everything out to a lab?
A. To set up a darkroom is not that expensive and is very rewarding. You
can make 8x10 prints for a lot less than sending them out to a lab and
best of all have complete control of the quality of the print.
Q2. How does changing f stops vs. changing the print exposure time
change the appearance of the print?
A. Generally it should have no effect. However some lower quality
lenses are visibly less sharp at some f stop settings. Also if you use
unusually long printing times some enlarger shake may occur.
Q3. How do you get a long gray range in a print?
A. With existing negatives use a low contrast filter or low contrast
paper and do lots of burning and dodging.
You can also control contrast range beginning with the exposure by
exposing for significant shadows and film development by developing for
significant highlights. A good system to keep contrast in control is the
Zone System.
You can also use low contrast developers, such as Hutchings PMK Pyro
developer.
And if none of these solutions appeal to you try shooting 10 minutes
before sunset and 10 minutes after sunset and then develop and print your
film as you normally do.
Q4. How about a more complete idea of what is needed for a home
darkroom? Equipment like trays, tanks, safelights, washers, plumbing.
A. This would vary a lot depending on your budget. If you have a big
budget any camera store can solve this problem for you easily. However,
if you are someone standing around with a new enlarger and no more money
to spend - here are some recommendations. For trays use anything that
holds liquids, including plastic food storage containers, paint trays, old
record player covers -anything that holds liquids. If possible, it should
be the size of your printing paper. These trays should not be used for
other things once used for photography. Chemical deposits on trays from
photographic chemicals can be hazardous to your health Work in black and
white. A color darkroom is more expensive to both set up and maintain.
Use a 7 1/2 watt red bulb as a safelight. Use your bathroom for a
darkroom. It's an easy room to seal light out of. Put a strong, rigid
board across your bath tub as a table for your enlarger and trays and when
you are done printing, remove the board and wash your prints in a tray in
the bath tub. For frequent use of a bathroom as a darkroom ventilation is
critical. Fumes from photographic chemicals can be hazardous to your
health.
Q5. What would you recommend for a safelight for a black and white
darkroom?
A. If you want to use a safelight that offers more options than a 7 1/2
watt red bulb does one good option is the Thomas sodium vapor safelight.
It cost about $215-$260 and will make a home darkroom bright enough to
read in. There are also a number of safelights between these two that
cost $25 to $75. These safelights include several manufactured by Premier
and Kodak. Where there is a choice of filter you should use an OC (Light
Amber) filter. Premier safelights are designed for table or wall
mounting. Kodak safelights are designed for socket mounting. Calumet
Photographic (800 225 8638) also sells 48" fluorescent safelight sleeves.
These fit over any 40 watt fluorescent tube and are $30 per sleeve.
Q6. Are there enlargers that have built in AC/DC converters?
A. I'm not aware of any. This problem can be easily corrected by
purchasing an AC/DC electrical converter kit containing several adapters
plugs. These are about $10 in the United States.
Q7. What considerations should be made when choosing an enlarger lens?
A. Sharpness is the most important issue. Your enlarger lens should be
as sharp as your camera lens. I have been very pleased with Schneider
Componon-S lenses. With some lenses your lens should be longer than your
normal lens for the given format, otherwise the image will be soft around
the edges. If you can find a lens that is shorter than your normal lens
and is not soft around the edges , you will not have to raise the enlarger
head nearly as high when making 16"x20" or larger prints. Lenses that
have very wide aperture settings offer the advantage of making it easier
to print very dense negatives as well as make focusing easier with 16"x20"
or larger prints.
Q.8 What is the ideal black and white film and developer combination to
get professional quality negatives?
A. A good starting point is Kodak Tri-X and Kodak D-76. This film and
developer are widely available throughout the world. If you are in a
location that does not have one or both of these supplies make the
following substitutions. Choose a film that has a film speed of 400 and a
liquid general use black and white film developer. Do not substitute
black and white paper developer for film developer. Try to use film by
one of the major film manufacturers. Two very good substitute films for
Kodak Tri-X are Ilford HP5 and Fuji Neopan 400. Some good substitutes for
Kodak D-76 include Kodak HC-110, Edwal FG-7, Sprint Film Developer and
Ilford Ilfotec HC. This is by no means a complete list of substitute
films and developers.
Tri-X and D-76 are only a starting point. You get your best results when
you fine tune your film speed and development procedure. The only way to
do this is to use the same film and developer over and over, readjusting
your film speed and development time, until you find you have perfect
shadows and perfect highlights. Shadows are controlled primarily by your
choice of film speed and highlights by your choice of developer. The film
speed and development times suggested by the manufacturer are only a
starting point. What film and developer you use is secondary to fine
tuning a combination to produce predictable results.
Q.9 I just got into printing my own B/W's. The only way I've found to
determine how long I should expose my paper is to play with different
exposure times. Also I've learned that the farther away from the paper the
enlarger head is, the longer I must expose the paper to get the proper
results. So basically I'll cut a 5X7 sheet into smaller sheets and do
tests to see what comes out best (which is getting costly) My question is:
Is there a more scientific method for determining how long I should expose
my paper?
A. Two alternatives are a print exposure meter and a test printer sheet.
Ilford makes the print exposure meter. It is called an Ilford EM-10
print exposure meter. The second alternative is a Jobo Testprinter plastic
sheet. Both items will speed up your printing.
Q.10 What is the best way to control the temperature of the chemicals?
A. The best way to control temperature in a darkroom is by insulating each
chemical with warm water. The least expensive way to do this to take each
chemical tray and place it in a larger tray. Then partially fill the
larger tray with hot water. This will temporarily warm up the inner
smaller tray that contains the chemical. There are devices to regulate
the temperature. My favorite are the processors made by Jobo. They are
outside the budget of most photographers, but they do work very well.
Q.11 All my prints are coming out muddy. What am I doing wrong?
A. Possibilities of why your prints may be muddy are
* Your darkroom may not be dark enough.
* Your developer is being stored improperly and losing it's strength.
Some good ways to troubleshoot this are as follows. Take a negative you
are trying to print and have a professional lab print it as a 5"x7". If
it is muddy, your film developer is not working properly. If the lab
print looks fine and you've heated up your chemicals to the right
temperature in your darkroom and the prints are still muddy, look for
light leaks in the darkroom and in the container that you store your paper
in. If this is fine, investigate your print developer.
Q.12 You mention the importance of darkroom ventilation, but I was
wondering if you might have some specific suggestions. I just set up a
permanent darkroom in a closet that is approx. 4 X 5 feet in size. There
are no outside walls for a window AC unit, and it does get warm and stuffy
in there after 30-45 minutes. I'm in S. Louisiana, so cooling and
ventilation go hand-in-hand. Would you know of any AC/vent unit that would
keep a tiny darkroom cool?
A. I don't think the air conditioner is the problem. It's the duct work. I
don't have a solution for the heat, but here are some possible solutions
for the ventilation. The gases you are dealing with are sulfur dioxide,
acetic acid and ammonia. Have a heating and air conditioning company place
a duct in your wall that goes to the roof or an outside wall. They can
cover the holes at each end with grills and put a fan at one end to suck
out the gases. A minor partial solution would be to get a gas mask
designed specifically for darkroom use. This might get uncomfortable
quickly. Also an air filtration unit might help a little bit. The Cachet
Echo-Aire 8000 is one such unit and is about $150. It is available from
large camera stores.
I teach photography at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, MA, New
School University in New York City and Thomas Edison State College in
Trenton, NJ. I have been teaching photography since 1972 and have spent
thousands of hours in my darkroom. The answers to the above the questions
reflect my own views and may or may not be shared by other photographers
or teachers. Thank you for your questions. I will continue to post
expanded versions of this FAQ as I receive questions. This FAQ was updated
on April 30, 2001.
although I stopped working in my darkroom in 1999, I did not stop from any
dislike of the darkroom. It was simply business. Selling prints to
corporate collectors and museums is the smallest part of my business. The
amount of time and money I put into is minimal, because it generates so
little income. I saw and continue to see digital printing as a more cost
efficient means of running an exhibit photography business. Sales have
been better and production time has been lowered since I initiated this
plan. The learning curve for this new technology has been disappointingly
steep, but has started to flatten out. I hope to generate enough income
with digital print sales to some day do a mix of Epson printing, Platinum
printing, POP printing, traditional black and white silver printing and
traditional color printing. I dont think the traditional darkroom will
disappear. The cost of materials will rise and the choices of equipment
will diminish, but I look at the rise of interest in antique printing
processes and the subsequent sales of these prints and conclude that the
traditional darkroom is not about to die.
--
Paul Light
lightwav@tiac.net
http://www.tiac.net/users/lightwav |
