[LargeFormat] Enlargers and the New Darkroom

[rstein]

Dear Friends,

     I was idly adjusting my Fujimoto 450 M-D enlarger the other day with a
ball-peen hammer and it broke. They don't make hammers like they used to,
boom boom.

    I was idly adjusting my ideas at the same time. I had noticed a weird
set of discolourations on a large print and had finally traced it down to
the little colour head I had adapted to the 450 M-D. I finally had to admit
that a 6 x 7 Chromega head would not successfully illuminate 4 x 5  for 12 x
16 prints. I had fooled myself for a couple of years but finally, like Daffy
Duck running out over the cliff - I looked down....

    Plan B was swung into place. Put the standard enlarger head back on and
opened the filter drawer. Shoved in a stack of 100mm square Sinar CC filters
and did some test prints. After about 4 testers I had it and completed the
12 x 16 print in good order. The colour balance seemed as good as any I had
done to date and I was encouraged enough to grab the next job envelope and
start printing.

    This morning the open daylight test confirms it - the odd
discolourations are gone and the balance is spot-on. Saved by the bell - the
job was for Valentine's Day.

    Now the question - there always is one, you know. Is there anyone else
out there in LF-land who also prints colour neg or slide using tungsten
illumination and sheet filters? Is it consistent for you? Are there any
pitfalls in the technique that will crop up later?

    If I can get away with this, I can resume my Daffy Duck act out in thin
air.

    Uncle Dick