Short exposure times printing...

[jgcull]

What should that tell me? The negatives look good, but if the exposure times have to be very brief, is the problem with the initial exposure or with developing?

Thanks.

 

[Bruce Osgood]

What should that tell me? The negatives look good, but if the exposure times have to be very brief, is the problem with the initial exposure or with developing?

Thanks.

You don't say what brief is.

In addition to exposure and developing there is the paper you are using.
I'm using Kentmere VCFB WT (Fineart) and making a full negative print from a 4x5 neg to 8 x 10 paper with a filter from grade 1 to 4 takes' 6 seconds.

Then there is the enlarger brightness. And paper developer. If you feel you must shorten exposure time to keep development time to two minutes or so your exposure time may be correct and lessen your development to 1-1/2 minutes.

 

[jgcull]

Sorry. By brief, I mean 3 to maybe 6 seconds. The prints look ok, but it doesn't give enough time to really dodge well, if needed. I don't know what papers I'm using because I keep the black bags but not all the boxes. (Bad practice, I know.) I use Dektol. This roll is TMax 100.

 

[ann]

what fstop, what paper size, we would need much more information to be able to trouble shoot

 

[jgcull]

35mm negs. 5x7 paper. no stops or 1... I mean stopped all the way down.

What I'm asking is, what factors into a shorter print developing time? Is it initial exposure or development? I'm using the same paper I always do. Same enlarger. Same enlarger lens. Same developer.

uhh... enlarger lens. Let me check and make sure the right one is on. 50mm lens, is that right?

 

[Neal]

Dear jgcull,

I infer from your last response that you have access to lenses other than 50mm. I would like to suggest that you try a longer lens.

Neal Wydra

 

[srs5694]

A 5x7-inch print is fairly small, and an exposure in the 3-6 second range isn't what I'd call exceptionally short for such a print. If this is a practical problem because you can't dodge/burn, then I'd suggest you either stop down the lens some more (if you're not already at the minimum aperture) or use a neutral density filter (or use a combination of magenta and yellow filtration on a color enlarger to the same effect).

 

[Jim Noel]

I think 3-6 seconds is an exceptionally short time unless doing a large number of prints of the same image with no dodging or burning.

Solutions:
1. Smaller bulb in the enlarger
2. Rheostat in the power circuit - cheap at Home Depot and the like
3. Neutral density filters in the light path

 

[jgcull]

>>>Smaller bulb in the enlarger<<<

I'll check the bulb. I recently replaced the bulb and after I did, there were new light leaks I've never seen before. Something is different and I haven't figured out what or why. Maybe the light is different somehow, or sitting differently.

I do have an 80mm lens and when I put the 50 in last time I looked at it thinking I'd mixed them up somehow and wondered if I was putting the correct one in. I even checked here and photo.net to be sure I was using the right lens for the right format. Did I mix it up again? I think I did. Sheesh! What's wrong with *me*???

I'll work on those before I ... figure out what a rheostat is.

Thanks!

Janet

 

[Jim Noel]

A rheostat is one method of lowering voltage. You can buy an effective light dimmer at HD or similar stores.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Sounds like the bulb is the only variable you have changed recently. Rheostats are handy though.