Black & white enlarger heads & the use of MG filters

Tom Kershaw · May 11, 2010

I print using the colour heads on both my Meopta and DeVere enlargers. However, I note a traditional black & white head is still available for the Meopta and wonder if the use of MG filters offers any benefit aside from printing very low contrast negatives? - my previous experience of using ILFORD MG filters wasn't particularly positive as they were rather well used in a college setting. As a counterbalance, I'm aware of the real benefits of the colour heads in terms of flexibility and calibration etc.

Tom

Ian Grant · May 11, 2010

Tom, I used below the lens Ilford MG filters for years with my old Johnsons V54 & De Vere Cold Cathode head, they always gave excellent results.

There will be slight benefits of a B&W condenser head and MG filters over a colour (or Multigrade) head with low contrast negatives as the light source itself is more contrasty. However it really depends on the design of the head and what type of bulb is used, there was little difference between my Dusrt M601 with a condenser of colour head..

Ian

Tom Kershaw · May 11, 2010

Ian,

The Durst M370 colour I occasionally use for proof sheets and 35mm printing appears to have lower strength filters compared to the Meopta and DeVere so I can well imagine differences between products may be as significant as differences between technologies.

Tom

fschifano · May 11, 2010

The only advantage I see to using variable contrast filters is at the extreme ends of the contrast range afforded by some papers. It may not be possible to achieve the absolute softest and hardest grades available for a given paper. I cannot remember the last time I needed a true grade 0 or grade 5, if ever. In any case, if I did there is always a way to use variable contrast filters with any enlarger. On some, it means using the filters designed for use under the lens with all other filtration dialed out. On others, there may a space where an above the lens filter can be conveniently inserted into the light path. I know that with my Chromega II, I can easily slip a 6 inch filter directly under the light mixing chamber above the negative if needed. Now if you want to argue the relative merits of condenser vs. diffuse light sources, that's another thing altogether. Personally, I don't think there's any advantage to a condenser type lamp house.

ic-racer · May 11, 2010

Condenser heads give more bang-for-the-buck when it comes to lamp wattage and energy use. Since the bulb is smaller, many don't have a fan. Many don't need expensive regulated power supplies and just run on line voltage. Because of these characteristics and the fact they have no dichroic filters, they are cheaper.

If you already have a dichroic head, there would be no reason to get a condenser head, except for as spare or something like that.

fschifano · May 11, 2010

ic-racer said:
Condenser heads give more bang-for-the-buck when it comes to lamp wattage and energy use. Since the bulb is smaller, many don't have a fan. Many don't need expensive regulated power supplies and just run on line voltage. Because of these characteristics and the fact they have no dichroic filters, they are cheaper.

If you already have a dichroic head, there would be no reason to get a condenser head, except for as spare or something like that.

I agree they are cheaper. As you said, if you already have a dichro head there's no real reason to change it out. As far as energy usage, it's really a non-issue. The halogen lamps typically used in dichro lamp houses do put out more light per watt than a more standard tungsten lamp, but the diffusers and filters eat up a lot of that extra light. In the end though, we're talking about something that's not in continuous use, and for the few seconds that it's on, it really doesn't matter.

ic-racer · May 11, 2010

A year ago someone was setting up a point source enlarger to experiment with. Now that will probably give a different look than the others, but my opinion is that it is probably only suited for technical/industrial work. I have not seen any follow up posts on his progress or results.

mike c · May 11, 2010

I thought at one time both Omega and Besseler made a special point light source for there enlargers,I think it was adjustable,to focus more on neg size or lens focal length.

Tom Kershaw · May 11, 2010

Another enlarger head type that is sometimes mentioned is the cold light source, however, I'm unsure how many people actually use these as they seem to have been in fashion at various times but my hunch is that colour heads dominate today.

Tom

Mainecoonmaniac · May 11, 2010

I use a color head which is a diffusion head to print B&W and it works great. I wouldn't waste the money in buying another head. Cold light heads are fine, but they might not be compatible with MG filters since the light is slightly bluish with some heads.

Ian Grant · May 12, 2010

A Cold cathode head has no advantages over a colour head at all, I had no problems with contrast using Multigrade with mine but then I largely control final print contrast at the taking/neg processing stage when high or low contrast prints are required.

These days a colour head has all the benefits of a cold head with the advantages of cheaper bulbs and built in filtration. The tube for my De Vere Cold cathode head was 0ver £90/$140 15 years ago. The other disadvantage is lack of stability until warmed up, particularly with short exposures as they use a fluorescent tube.

Ian

Tom Kershaw · May 12, 2010

Why then do you think that cold cathode heads have been promoted at various points? - there have been various claimed advantages that I've regarded as dubious.

Tom

Ian Grant · May 12, 2010

Cold cathode heads were far easier & cheaper to make than colour heads and pre-date them anyway. The advantages were compared to condenser heads and they were more even lighting, the softer light means dust on negatives etc is less visible on prints, far better with retouched negatives, slightly less apparent grain, better tonality.

I converted my V54 from condenser to cold cathode and there was a difference in image quality etc which matched the claimed advantages. But tehn I found the same when I switched from condensers to a colour head in my Durst M601.

Ian

Black & white enlarger heads & the use of MG filters

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