LPL (Omega) 6600 Enlarger Using Multigrade Filters

I am sorry if these questions have been asked before. I have searched the forum and I have not found an answer.

I am going to set up a darkroom again. Although I have been using film recently I have not yet gone back to printing. It has been many years since I printed anything.

I have been searching through my "junk" bedroom and I have found my enlarger amongst other things including a Durst enlarger timer. It is an LPL 6600 condenser enlarger (I believe marketed as Omega in the USA). Tonight I gave the enlarger a thorough clean and dusting and all is working.

When I was last using a darkroom I used graded papers, usually just grade 2. I cannot really recall using multigrade papers but I obviously did because I found an Ilford grade 2 filter sitting on the condenser.

Now I find that graded papers are somewhat scarce so to be pragmatic about it I will have to use variable contrast papers. My enlarger does not really have a filter drawer. (at least not what I would think a filter drawer is). It does have a hatch in the lamp house and a tray that slides out that is designed for a filter but it is not a slot to put a filter in. It is a metal tray with a piece of heat absorbing glass mounted in it. I believe (I no longer have the instructions) the idea is to cut a filter to fit (3 inch x 3 inch) and place it below the heat absorbing glass (which can be removed by moving a clip). This seems like a very tedious way to use filters. It appears that last time I used the enlarger I just put the filter resting on the condenser instead.

Unless I am prepared to focus the image with a filter in place (difficult). I would have to take the filter out and put it back in again for every image. It is much easier to focus with white light.

Does anyone have an enlarger like this and what do you do? This enlarger has a swivel red filter below the lens. Could I use the Ilford below lens filters instead of above lens and how do they mount? Could the below lens filters be used with the swivel mount? This would be far more convenient. The Ilford below lens filters are over £50 for a set so I am reluctant to buy them to find they are unsuitable or give inferior image quality compared to the above lens ones.

Thanks in advance, Stephen

I did a lot of work using an enlarger having the filter above the negative, there was a small drawer for the glass piece as you describe, I cut Ilford filters to fit the drawer. I like the fact that the filter is not between the negative and the paper, no concerns about optical quality. I didn't find it a nuisance to open the drawer and change filters. Focusing with the filter in place is not difficult. If you prefer there are (were) below the lens filter sets made by Ilford, check their website, if they are no longer made it is likely they can be found on ebay inexpensively. The ones I have seen have an arrangement of three screws that attaches the filter holder to the bottom rim of the enlarging lens. Ilford makes fine multicontrast papers, I think you will be happy with the print quality.

@tedr1 Thank you. I will investigate further in the morning. Perhaps it is easier than I think. I never really worked out the filter thing the first time round! Sounds better to use above the lens filters really.

Yes, given the choice I prefer filter above the lens, when mounted below, on the lens, the filter holder hangs down and may get in the way of the focus finder or hinged easel.

I think a lot depends on how much time will be spent at the enlarger. At that time, using filters above the lens in a drawer, I was printing a few hours a week and quite happy with the arrangement. However someone printing a few hours a day might find the filter drawer method tiresome, then it is time to switch to a head with filtration built in and a knob to turn, LPL make some nice ones, they have the variable contrast constant exposure system which is really easy to use.

@tedr1 Yes. I looked this morning and found that the Ilford filters will slide under the heat absorbing glass tray without much fuss but a bit fiddly. I am not very keen on composing/focussing a dim magenta image but to be constantly taking the filter out to compose would be too much.

There is a variable contrast constant exposure head (LPL vc 6700) that is a straight swap onto my enlarger but I haven't found any in the UK. I will see how I go.

Using variable contrast filters under the lens is better than fussing with filter drawers in the enlarger head or tweaking colour head controls.

Clean under-the-lens filters do not hurt picture sharpness at all. I've confirmed this exhaustively over thousands of grain-sharp enlargements.

Manipulating the enlarger head to change filters risks moving it ever so slightly. In split grade work this will mean that "hard" and "soft" images won't register perfectly at grain level. Changing under-the-lens filters is in comparison a quick and gentle process with minimal chances of enlarger shake.