10s exposures at f22 on 6x6 negs

[DWThomas]

Would raising the height help ?

No. If the projected image is the same area, the intensity will be at least approximately the same. The old "square law" business does not apply.

 

[MattKing]

There is no such thing as a perfect filter, and the dichroic filters will absorb some small amount of light of all colours. It is for that reason that I suggest dialing in an equal amount of cyan filtration too.

 

[summicron1]

10 seconds at f 22 sounds like a very very bright bulb. my dichroic enlarger -- a fuji -- has a "dim/bright" switch which allows me to use less power to the bulb. Or, possible to buy a less-bright bulb?

 

[M Carter]

Two things-

ND works just fine for me. You can just rest a camera filter in the red-safety-filter-holder-thingie.

For short dodging times, a footswitch timer is a godsend. If your timer has a footswitch jack, you can rewire it to accept a 1/4" TS jack (guitar plug) and get a momentary switch for musical instruments for about $15 on Amazon or at any Guitar Center.

For really specific burns, I use duplex paper (white on top, black on the bottom), slide a red gel over the hole in the card, and get it aligned when the timer starts, then with my thumb just slide the gel out of the way. I use an audible timer so I just count the burn time in my head.

 

[Eric Rose]

I should mention I use a 135mm lens for my MF negs. Not the usual 80mm. Gives me more room under the lens for burning and dodging as well as longer exposure times. Oh ya and a foot switch.

 

[MattKing]

as well as longer exposure times

Eric:
Bet you it doesn't.
Unless of course you are taking advantage of its smaller minimum apertures. Or your two lenses have markedly different transmission characteristics (due to haze, coating efficiency or similar factors).
Light intensity at the easel is a function of the magnification of the negative. Whether you achieve that magnification with a short lens and a moderate negative to paper distance, or a long lens and a longer negative to paper distance, it shouldn't make a difference to your exposure time.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I keep a Series 7 two stop neutral density filter for smaller prints with the Saunders 4550 I have. I just take off the lens and rest it on top of the lens then remount the lens. You could pick up a Kodak ND gel filter and cut it the size of the neg carrier then just place it on top. That would be the best solution.

I like having exposures of 12-15 seconds through each filter (I split print). Doesn't always work out that way though.

 

[Peter Schrager]

No one mentioned this but I print on foma 131 paper and my exposures run in the low 30 second range because it's a slow paper

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

No one mentioned this but I print on foma 131 paper and my exposures run in the low 30 second range because it's a slow paper

That's a good point. I think the Ilford RC paper the OP uses is very fast. I notice tremendous difference in paper exposure time between regular Ilford MG and the Warm-tone (fiber).

 

[JPJackson]

That's a good point. I think the Ilford RC paper the OP uses is very fast. I notice tremendous difference in paper exposure time between regular Ilford MG and the Warm-tone (fiber).

+1

 

[HiHoSilver]

Actually, you only need to dial in equal amounts of yellow and magenta. This will remove blue and green light from your system giving you a longer exposure, but pass the full amount of red light, which your paper isn't sensitive to, but will make the image a bit brighter for viewing (although redder...).

FWIW, I like exposure times about 30 seconds; 10 seconds is way to short for me if I have to do any manipulations.

Best,

Doremus

That's the issue for me, Doremus. 'Just getting back to a darkroom & don't have the manipulation moves down yet, much less any speed at it.

All, hard to say thanks enough.

 

[HiHoSilver]

Thomas, JP, Peter - is there an economical paper - appropriate for a noob to learn, make all his mistakes on? I would think resin would be better for its washing speed until I get better at it.