Short Enlarging Times

[NDKodak]

I keep getting very short enlargimg times, always 3-4 seconds at F/11. Negatives look resonable. Other moving to F/16 is there anything I might have overlooked? Using a Beseler 23C with color head.

 

[miha]

What's your print size?

 

[NDKodak]

Right now 8 by 10.

 

[miha]

With colour head, you can dial in Cyan which will block some of the light but have no effect on the contrast.

 

[NDKodak]

I will look at that. I almost wonder if the enlarger bulb isn't to bright.

 

[miha]

I have never tried a Beseler, but my Kaiser semi-condenser unit with a 100w 12v halogen lamp would require longer times at given aperture and print size.

 

[wildbill]

put a piece (or two) of this or another density in the light path:http://www.filmtools.com/31-lee-s210.html

 

[pentaxuser]

Any of the suggestions already given will work but I can't help d feeling that at the print size and aperture you quote there is no way the correct exposure should be so short. So, yes, have a look at the bulb and if you can get a lower wattage then swap. This will avoid having to use " work arounds"

At 5x7 print size you'd be down to about 2 secs and even at 3-4 secs you cannot possibly do any dodging

pentaxuser

 

[Gerald C Koch]

On a color head just add equal amounts of all three filters which is equivalent to a neutral density filter. For example 30Y+30M+30C.

 

[ic-racer]

Cyan filter blocks red and the paper is insensitive to red; it looks dimmer to your eye but it should have no effect as far as the paper is concerned.

 

[Karl A]

What about trying a slower paper? A lot of regular RC papers seem pretty fast, but there are other options, such as warm tone, which should be slower? Of course if you like the paper you are using, don't change it, but the paper could be a factor too?

 

[miha]

Cyan filter blocks red and the paper is insensitive to red; it looks dimmer to your eye but it should have no effect as far as the paper is concerned.

Makes sense as Cyan in minus red only which has no effect on a blue sensitive paper.

To OP: have you checked your lens, does the apperure close when you turn the apperture ring?

 

[polyglot]

Print bigger

Extra cyan does practically nothing as stated above, but dialing in more of both magenta and yellow will slow the exposure and allow you to keep the same contrast. You can also put an ND filter on the enlarger lens or sometimes in the enlarger (e.g. if it has a filter drawer).

And don't be afraid of the f/16; the diffraction should not be visible to the eye in an 8x10 print and you can verify that yourself pretty easily.

 

[Chris Douglas]

Are you using the older color head with the power supply, or the solid state s version? I am using the s version, with 81M and 71Y of filtration for grade 2 on arista paper ( I might have those backwards). This gives me an exposure of 15 seconds when going from 35mm to 8 x 10. Lens is about f5.6. Also, I use the condensor for B&W. I assume you are using B&W. When I tried the condensor with RA-4, I had exposure times of 5 to 7 seconds, and too much contrast, so I use the diffuser with RA-4.

 

[L Gebhardt]

I have a two stop ND filter that I put under the lens when the speeds get too short. A polarizer works just as well.