Where it goes wrong in the darkroom? Images printed not sharp enough with new enlarger lens

silvercloud2323 · Dec 3, 2023

Hi all,

I was printing my India photos for a time and was quite pleased with the result. I have to admit that most of my images are a bit blurry, but not all.
Till i got the occasion to print a print not in my darkroom at home but at a different place. So I could compare with what i was doing.
The thing that struck me first was the sharpness of the print i got to print with a different enlarger and different enlarging lens.

I did some research about the quality of my old lens i used before. It was the "Schneider-Kreuznach Componar-C 50mm/ f3.5 " which is worth 30 euros.
Thought he was the culprit.
So I bought the more expensive Rodenstock 50mm f/2.8 APO-RODAGON, which is one of the best lenses available for this moment.

Since I thought the lens of inferior quality was the culprit ,I expected improvement with the newer lens, to the sharpness and quality of my prints.

But it was not the case... Still the same. Not 100% sharp.

Where could the loss of sharpness be located ,despite having a very good lens on my enlarger??

I use a Durst M605 enlarger and everything looks sharp with my Paterson micro focus finder when i look that the projected image looks sharp

There must be a loss of quality along the procedure.

Paul Howell · Dec 3, 2023

Make a contact sheet, then look at the images with a magifing glass, that will you some indication if the negatives are sharp, you can do the thing with a scanner and LR.

xkaes · Dec 3, 2023

If you lack a loupe, another option is to examine the negative using the enlarging lens as a magnifying glass. Look for something in the negative that should be in focus and has a sharp edge. Does it appear sharp in the negative?

Your 50mm f3.5 should be fine if stopped down to f8. APO glass? That's for color work.

BMbikerider · Dec 3, 2023

I have an Apo Rodagon and yes they are among the best (they should be for the money)! If you can see the grain of the film and the prints still look blurred when they are developed then the negatives are not sharp. Or, (Doubtful) the Rodagon is faulty.

A quick test to check could be made using half a piece of film. Or at least a bit with the negative base sprocket holes are included focus this onto the baseboard and make a print the sprocket holes must be sharp or there is something else amiss. It will confirm or eliminate any fault in the lens

In your enlarger the negative carrier does it have glass or is it glassless? If has glass with a anti-newton ring glass on the top this is OK - if it is on the bottom this will destroy any sharpness.

If it is a glassless carrier it could be that the negative when it is focussed is sharp, but the heat from the lamp can make the negative buckle or'pop'out of focus. I had a terrible problem with my LPL 7700 and this was found to be the heat absorbing filter had dropped out of place, allowing the full heat from the bulb to distort the negative. Replace the heat filter and all was once again goo.

silvercloud2323 · Dec 3, 2023

Paul Howell said:
Make a contact sheet, then look at the images with a magifing glass, that will you some indication if the negatives are sharp, you can do the thing with a scanner and LR.

Contact sheets are small to compare . I have 2 prints to compare already

xkaes · Dec 3, 2023

Do you use a grain focuser?

silvercloud2323 · Dec 3, 2023

xkaes said:
Do you use a grain focuser?

yes the Paterson

DREW WILEY · Dec 3, 2023

Not all grain focus devices are themselves properly calibrated! I learned that fact the hard way long ago. Now I only use the Peak Critical kind.
All your equipment planes have to be aligned. And you will need a carrier with glass on both sides of the negative if you expect consistent sharpness.
Stick with the Apo Rogagon. It's superior for both color and b&w printing. Use it about two stops down for best results (f/5.6 to f/8).

In cold weather, make sure there is no condensation on you lens or carrier glass when printing. Gradually warm up the darkroom in advance.

MattKing · Dec 3, 2023

Vibration of the enlarger and/or the easel will kill sharpness.
As will creeping movement of the enlarger head after focus is achieved.
Where in the range of apertures available to you are you printing?

mshchem · Dec 3, 2023

Rule of thumb, use f-stop 2 below wide open to print. Put a piece of your enlarging paper under the focusing device.

Pieter12 · Dec 3, 2023

Condensor or diffusion head?

xkaes · Dec 3, 2023

silvercloud2323 said:
yes the Paterson

Does it have focusing lines in the eye-piece? Can you see the grain in the negative under the enlarger? Do you focus the image with the lens wide open and then stop it down to expose?

Loren Sattler · Dec 3, 2023

I would suspect the focus magnifier may be out of calibration. When you made prints at the other darkroom, what did you use to focus the negative? Perhaps you could borrow that magnifier and try it in your darkroom? That might tell you something about your problem. I have been through a similar issue some years ago and determined that my inexpensive grain focuser was off. I purchased a couple of different brands on eBay to help figure all that out. You are fortunate to have access to another darkroom to help with the investigation.

Loren Sattler · Dec 3, 2023

When you find a solution please post it here. We will be interested to hear the results.

Pieter12 · Dec 3, 2023

A focusing magnifier either works or it doesn’t. Simple, is the grain in focus? If not the eyepiece needs to be adjusted so the reference line or lines is sharp. I suspect your home set up is a diffusion head an my even be out of alignment compared to another leather that is properly aligned and might have a condenser head, which is inherently sharper.

silvercloud2323 · Dec 3, 2023

Pieter12 said:
A focusing magnifier either works or it doesn’t. Simple, is the grain in focus? If not the eyepiece needs to be adjusted so the reference line or lines is sharp. I suspect your home set up is a diffusion head an my even be out of alignment compared to another leather that is properly aligned and might have a condenser head, which is inherently sharper.

I don't know if i use a diffuser head or a condenser head. How to figure that out. My enlarger is the durst M605. Could both be used in this enlarger Durst M605??

silvercloud2323 · Dec 3, 2023

silvercloud2323 said:
I don't know if i use a diffuser head or a condenser head. How to figure that out. My enlarger is the durst M605.

Loren Sattler said:
When you find a solution please post it here. We will be interested to hear the results.

I will

Pieter12 · Dec 3, 2023

silvercloud2323 said:
I don't know if i use a diffuser head or a condenser head. How to figure that out. My enlarger is the durst M605. Could both be used in this enlarger Durst M605??

Unless you have a color head, I believe the Durst 605 is a condenser enlarger.

silvercloud2323 · Dec 4, 2023

Pieter12 said:
Unless you have a color head, I believe the Durst 605 is a condenser enlarger.

I do have a color head. So does that mean i use diffuser enlarger. And can color head have a condenser ?

eli griggs · Dec 4, 2023

Diffusers vs. Condenser heads are liked by some darkroom photographers because of the 'softer' images they make, as the very sharp condenser enlarger will show ever bit of dust, minor scratches, etc, which some folks just don't want to deal with or see.

silvercloud2323 · Dec 4, 2023

silvercloud2323 said:
I don't know if i use a diffuser head or a condenser head. How to figure that out. My enlarger is the durst M605.

i checked ChatGPT

The Durst M605 enlarger can use both a diffuser head and a condenser head. The type of head used depends on the specific model of the enlarger:

Please note that the heads may be interchangeable 2. It’s always best to check the specifications of your specific model to ensure compatibility.

Philippe-Georges · Dec 4, 2023

Jus a few questions and thoughts to consider (but not necessarily the cause of your problem):

If, in any case, there is an Anti Newton glass in the negative carrier, is it mounted on top, and not below?
If, in any case, it is a glassless negative carrier, does the negative is held flat, and not 'bulged' [convex (I suppose I don't know the correct word in English)]?
Is possible that the negative is bulging (plopping?), after focussing or during exposure, due to temperature fluctuations caused by the heat of the enlarger's lamp?
Are the negative carrier plane, the lens mount plane and the paper/easel plane parallel?

koraks · Dec 4, 2023

Sharpness is a subjective aspect. @silvercloud2323 it would help if you managed to upload an example (scan or good digital photo) of one of your unsharp prints. Be sure to include a size reference (e.g. a ruler) in the photo so the scale is obvious.

Also, please confirm you've tested with at least two negatives, at least one of which you've determined in other ways is actually a really sharp image to begin with. You can assess the sharpness of a negative e.g. by scanning the it with a good scanner, or examining it with a very strong loupe/microscope.

Nitroplait · Dec 4, 2023

When I first build a darkroom as a teenager in my parents basement, I couldn't afford all the bits a pieces, and I managed without a focusfinder for half a year. Yet I still succeeded in making sharp prints.
My eyesight has deteriorated with time but it should still be fairly easy to confirm if your focus finder is in calibration if you have a loupe in the 4-10X range at hand.
Focus like usual and use the loupe to double check if you have grain sharpness in the projected image.

The Diffuser/Condenser discussion is a matter of preference, not of the ability of the enlarger to produce a sharp image. But it is of course possible that you strongly like one over the other and mistake their differences as sharpness.

A recommendable approach would be to take a couple of reference negatives and print in both scenarios, and perhaps scan some representative details for us to comment on.
It would certainly be easier to have something more tangible to comment on.

Hilo · Dec 4, 2023

This sounds like either the enlarger was put together incorrectly, or whatever steps you do after focusing lead to incorrect focus.

Because the other enlarger gives you fine images, you need to analyse the steps with each enlarger. Are there any differences?

And, generally we open the lens when using the grain focuser. Then we close the lens 2 stops. Possibly it goes wrong when you close your lens.

Where it goes wrong in the darkroom? Images printed not sharp enough with new enlarger lens

silvercloud2323

Paul Howell

xkaes

BMbikerider

silvercloud2323

xkaes

silvercloud2323

DREW WILEY

MattKing

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mshchem

Pieter12

xkaes

Loren Sattler

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Pieter12

silvercloud2323

silvercloud2323

Pieter12

silvercloud2323

eli griggs

silvercloud2323

Philippe-Georges

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Where it goes wrong in the darkroom? Images printed not sharp enough with new enlarger lens

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