Have you done a safelight test.
Same developer as in the same bottle? Or a new bottle of the same type?
If it's lifeless, go a higher grade, is my general way of working. Took a while to train myself out of the "must get moar shaddow deeetails!" that I picked up from digital forums and go for more contrast...
Maybe light leaks reflected from the enlarger, or in the darkroom? If the safelight fogs the paper when pointed directly at it, that is a little worrisome too. You are getting deep blacks but the highlights are not bright?
the only vriable I havn't touched is the paper it's allways been arista EDU RC VC. I'm not really getting deep blacks or bright highlights, I can get one or the other, or I can get neither one.
here are some flatbed scans of a negative I made for a depth of field assignment. the first is the one that was turned in printed in the schools darkroom. this was 7 seconds at f16 with a grade 2.5 filter and developed 1 min. the second was done a few hours ago in my home darkroom, 5 seconds at f11 with a grade 5 filter and developed 1 min. you can see there is a significant difference in contrast. I really hope the problem is with the bulb, I plan on replacing the lamp with a duel dichro once I get a bulb for it. the only other thing I can think of is that my developer is more diluted than what was provided at school. I don't know how it was done at school but I had mine at 1:1.
7 seconds at f/16 and 5 seconds at f/11 for exposures suggests rather thin negatives does it not?
Kodak dektol, diluted 1:1 from stock solution.I'm curious what type of paper developer you're using, and why 1:1.
Dale
When I did my safelight test I exposed half the sheet to the enlarger just to get a mask then exposed the sheet to the safelight in 5 sections in 2 minute increments. The results were no effect on the unexposed side, it came out white. On the exposed side it started fogging in the 8-10 min section.It is fogged paper - this result with grade 5 filter - it must be fogged paper. Simple test - one piece of paper in total darkness directly in fixer, then turn on safe light, expose another piece of paper to safe light like 1-2 minutes (no enlarger, just safe light) - and develop, stop fix this exposed paper. Compare those 2 papers.
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