Many enlargers and contact light sources are unable to print on multicontrast paper in more than a single grade.why one would want to use the instead of multigrade papers?
I can imagine!! Especially with only to grades…They do tend to encourage extra care in film choice, exposure and development.
That is a quite interesting point. It does make a lot of sense!Fixed grade paper combined with the desire to always print on #2 paper was the impetus for the Zone System - rather than control contrast with the paper the contrast was controlled by changes to film exposure and development..
Can you elaborate on this, thanks? It sounds as if enlargers cannot take advantage of MG paper's ability to deliver grades including half grades from 00 to 5. I thought that both colour heads with Y and M and non colour heads with the likes of Ilford MG filters are able to deliver multigradesMany enlargers and contact light sources are unable to print on multicontrast paper in more than a single grade.
Many enlargers and contact light sources are unable to print on multicontrast paper in more than a single grade.
When graded papers were available from grade 1 to 6 (some brands topped at 4 others all the way to 6) you could print softer or harder then with VC. I have a few packets of graded FB, grade 3 which is all I can find, .
Paul Howell's post about fluorescent tube based Cold Light enlarger light sources (and contact printers) references the most common source for the problem.No doubt ic-racer will elaborate on his quote to cover my questions. I am especially interested in those enlargers and contact print ligth sources that cannot replicate more than one grade. On the surface and for anyone wondering about buying an enlarger this was a worrying statement
Pretty much any 'white light' enlarger or contact printer prints only about #2 grade with MG paper. Coloring the light for multigrade printing can be very challenging on some enlargers.Can you elaborate on this, thanks? It sounds as if enlargers cannot take advantage of MG paper's ability to deliver grades including half grades from 00 to 5. I thought that both colour heads with Y and M and non colour heads with the likes of Ilford MG filters are able to deliver multigrades
Are there specific enlargers and contact light sources that do not work this way and if so which ones are they?
Thanks
pentaxuser
Paul Howell's post about fluorescent tube based Cold Light enlarger light sources (and contact printers) references the most common source for the problem.
For a while, they were very popular, as they provided a real alternative to the then much more common condenser heads. There aren't a lot of them out there now.
Some of the early attempts to use LED lights also gave unpredictable results with variable contrast papers.
My experiment with replacing the halogen bulb in my LPL 7700 enlarger with an LED replacement resulted in "unusual" contrast behaviors, along with overly long print times.
Pretty much any 'white light' enlarger or contact printer prints only about #2 grade with MG paper. Coloring the light for multigrade printing can be very challenging on some enlargers.
Not really. Fluorescent may not be a pretty spectrum, but sufficiently continuous for filtering with G & B filters.I think the conundrum lies in fluorescent and LED light sources
I was referring to the physical challenges of filtering the light. For example, obtaining a filter and placing it in the light path. Easier written than done in some cases.Not that I love getting overly pedantic or anything...
If it is really "white light" then it is, by definition, eminently filterable to any color spectrum you wish..
All in all, I cannot really think of any enlarger light source that cannot be made to work satisfactorily with multigrade.
Here is a good example. One is not just going to go out and buy a filter holder for this lens. Then one must obtain the filters of appropriate size. Lamp-house filters are also a possibility, but a set of 12x12" filters is about $480.
A formerly "normal" (and now more and more exotic and rare) white light incandescent bulb works fine.So attempting to summarise ic-racer's replies and other contributions( thanks all) I am left unsure if a normal white light bulb such as the likes of an incandescent often found in b&w enlargers is not a suitable light source for getting prints at the range of grades that MG paper and filters are said to provide.
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