What's a good way to clean dust off enlarger condensers?

gone · May 30, 2021

I decided to at least clean my enlarger's condensers until I can find a diffuser enlarger. However, I'm running into a real dust issue here in the desert, where there is essentially no humidity and what seems to be a static charge to almost everything, so that if I clean the condensers of dust it has it back on there in no time flat. Any ideas, other than running a humidifier? I'm actually having trouble just wiping the condensers clean of dust, period.

ChristopherCoy · May 30, 2021

What about a table top air purifier with a filter on it next to the enlarger? Or canned air? Or if all else fails...

MattKing · May 30, 2021

Dust on the condensers won't image, unless you have a condenser setup that places a flat surface of a condenser lens against the negative.
So I wonder why you care?

gone · May 30, 2021

That's the first I've heard that it doesn't show up on a neg. It would seem that it would be best to keep the light path clear, because whatever is in it is going to be, you know, enlarged on the print.

Paul Howell · May 30, 2021

I live the desert, past 35 years, I just clean my condensers with lens cleaner and microfiber cloth. My darkroom is in a double bath, I run the shower for while to humidify the air to settle the dust, keep an air filter running when I'm not using it, and keep the door close. Still, you will become an expert spotter. If you don't have one look on Ebay to find a spotting kit.

Leidolf · May 30, 2021

Blow me!

ChristopherCoy · May 30, 2021

Leidolf said:
Blow me!

ic-racer · May 30, 2021

The dust you are seeing in the prints is more likely on the negative or the glass of the negative carrier.

MattKing · May 30, 2021

momus said:
That's the first I've heard that it doesn't show up on a neg. It would seem that it would be best to keep the light path clear, because whatever is in it is going to be, you know, enlarged on the print.

In most cases those surfaces are a long way away from the negative, and the depth of field/depth of focus at the negative is quite shallow. Nothing on the surface of the condensers will be at all close to being enough in focus as to be visible in your results.
If you have enough dust and crud it might cut down on light levels, and if you really have a lot of dust and crud you might add some additional diffraction, but if things were that bad the condensers would look terrible.
It is a bit like dust on the front of a camera lens. Except in the case of ultra wide angle lenses and small formats, the surface of the front of the lens is so far way from the plane of focus as to make it impossible to image the dust.
Dust will add diffusion due to flare, but it seems that you actually are looking for a bit of that.
The one condenser surface to pay attention to is the one right above the negative. You won't see the dust while it is on the condenser, but it could fall to the negative, where you will see it.
If you want to demonstrate for yourself how invisible something on the condenser is, put something temporarily there, take out the negative, and see how much you have to rack out the focusing of the enlarger in order to have an image appear of your addition. Depending on the condensers, and your choice of location, you may find it impossible to see any evidence of that addition, no matter how you adjust the focus.

kobaltus · Jun 5, 2021

MattKing said:
Dust on the condensers won't image, unless you have a condenser setup that places a flat surface of a condenser lens against the negative.
So I wonder why you care?

I have about ten condenser enlargers and in all of them a flat surface lay against the negative. In some of them, the distance between condenser and neg. is just few millimeters. So the dust on condenser could impact image.

Randy Stewart · Jun 6, 2021

momus said:
That's the first I've heard that it doesn't show up on a neg. It would seem that it would be best to keep the light path clear, because whatever is in it is going to be, you know, enlarged on the print.

The condensers just focus the light source before it passes through the negative carrier, so dust on the condenser surfaces would not focus in the same plane as the negative image. You'd have to have a lot of dust up there to impede the light source itself. If the lowest condenser surface rests on the negative or is so close as to focus in the same plane, then I suggest the following. Remove and clean all condensers first. Ground the enlarger. Use an enlarger cover to keep air from circulating through it; a big trash bag should do. At start of printing session, give the bottom of that condenser a shot of canned air to blow any small stuff loose. The only common enlargers (35mm and MF) I've used with condensers do not rest a condenser surface on or next to the negative carrier, being Durst and Beseler. Small Omegas, like the B-22, do however.

Hilo · Jun 11, 2021

I can only speak for Focomats Ic and IIc, the Valoy II and the Durst L1000. A student asked my help because she was getting results with her Focomat Ic that lacked contrast. When I opened the enlarger I first could not see anything wrong with its condenser. But when I ran my finger over the top of the glass a clear stripe appeared. There was so much fine dust, 30 years or so, and it was hard to notice. So yes, it makes sense to check out your condensers and to clean them.

I prepare a low bucket with half warm water and some dishwashing soap. I only use a small and totally soft sponge to clean glass and metal holder. Then I rinse with half warm water and shake off the water as much as possible. Then I use clean cloth (pieces of an old t-shirt) to get rid of any water . . . The double glassed condenser of the Focomat IIc, I have to take apart. Be careful! It is not difficult, but concentrate until you're finished.

The water and dishwashing soap was what I learned from a friend repairer, for Leitz. The condensers of the Durst L1000 are happy with this as well.

M Carter · Jun 11, 2021

I dunno about condenser dust showing in the images, but I do break down my MXT and give it a good cleaning for dust a few times a year. I take the condenser case and lamp housing outside and blow it all out.

I wear latex gloves to handle those huge condenser lenses, since they're heavy and slippery, it's "don't-drop-'em" insurance, just set them on a clean towel and clean with windex. There's no special coating requiring lens cleaner.

I do a lot of masking with glass carriers, so my dust control regimen can get fairly extreme, but well worth the time.

gone · Jun 11, 2021

Boy, you would think this would be easy to resolve, but it wasn't. I'm still not 100% sure if dust would show on the print, but dust could drop onto the neg....and has. When you consider there's both sides of the negative, both sides of the enlarger lens, and also the condensers, there's a lot of opportunity for dust.

I finally had to keep a room humidifier going and do a Merry Maid type clean up of the print area completely (which does no good anyway, as doors open and shut, the A/C blows stuff in, etc). Before the humidifier, it was just crazy in this arid desert. I would wipe the dust off w/ a sable brush, and more than I wiped off would fly right back on due to the static build up. That, or the dust would pretend to come off, but would only move into areas that were harder to get to.

Vaughn · Jun 11, 2021

I cleaned and adjusted 20 or so condenser enlargers for 24 years of heavy student use. Beselers and D5-XLs. All had flat surface of the bottom conderser against the negative and anything on that flat surface directly above the negative causes major problems on the print...usually softly focused. Dust or objects on the top flat surface of the condensers also can cause problems with vague areas of uneveness.

I cleaned all four surfaces a couple times a year, and when problems on the prints show up. Run your focus all the way up and down (enlarger on without neg in the neg carrier) to see if anything comes into focus. If you see something, time to clean.

The D5-XLs needed more attention as there is a third top condenser that is removed and moved around depending on the format -- a source of dust.

What's a good way to clean dust off enlarger condensers?

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