Entry-level combination SW enlargements

Olivinyl · 2012-04-09T13:37:40+00:00

Hallo zusammen Ich habe die Möglichkeit von einem guten Bekannten sein Fotolabor zum Erstellen von SW Abzügen zu benutzen. Es ist alles vorhanden. Durst Ve...

Olivinyl

Hello everyone, A good friend of mine has offered to let me use his darkroom to make black-and-white prints. Everything is there: a Durst enlarger, various lenses, film masks for different formats, trays, tweezers, and so on. Just one thing is missing: paper and developer. Adofix and STP stop bath are available for black-and-white negative development. Which PE paper and which paper developer would you recommend for a beginner? The last time I did any enlargements was in the photography club at secondary school, and that was back in 1990/1991! We used Tetenal Dokumol and Agfa PE paper there. I can’t remember exactly which paper it was. That combination was probably absolutely ‘foolproof’, so perfect for a school lab ;-) So that’s the sort of combination I’m looking for to get back into it! Best wishes, Oliver

MirkoBoeddecker

Hi Oliver, With MCP (like your Agfa), the prints come out well and are easy to handle. With cheaper papers (e.g. Easy Print), you can also get good results, but it takes a bit more fiddling around. So often, the difference in purchase price is offset by higher material consumption. It just depends on what you can afford and how valuable your free time is. You do get a better product for more money. As for chemicals, I’d definitely go for tried-and-tested ones. So Neutol/Adotol, Eukobrom, N113/Adotol Konstant, or something similar? You can always try the more expensive developers later on. STP and Adofix are perfectly fine. Best regards, Mirko

Olivinyl

Hello everyone, and thanks for your reply, Mirko. The equipment has arrived and has been thoroughly tested. The owner also included a packet of Calbe 300 and N113. There were also two old/new boxes of AGFA paper. These are considerably older than the Durst. 1x Brovira Brillant 9x9 BEH 1 W Extra Hard and 9x13 Brovira BEH 1 Extra Hard. The 9x9 paper is definitely from the 1950s and the 9x13 from the 1960s. I’ve tested the 9x13 and it actually still works!!! The 100 x 9x9 box is still unopened. There were also 2 packs of paper from Argenta Munich in 18x24 type NN114. The paper had already curled up at the edges in the box, but with an exposure time of over 2 minutes, you could even conjure up a sepia-toned image on the paper... Only at the edge of the paper was the emulsion already damaged. I specifically chose a few images that go well with the old paper... For these renewed attempts since 1990, the results really aren’t bad. Let’s see what’s possible with new, fresh, non-stacked PE paper. Now for the questions: Is the opened Adotol NE concentrate just as stable and durable as Adonal/Rodinal concentrate? If I don’t filter the Variopapier Easy and MCP during exposure, do I still get a gradient of 2? Does ADOX’s MCP paper also tolerate yellow-green Duka light like the Easy Print? What about Fomaspeed N312 medium-speed? At the moment I only have yellow-green and orange Duka light, and that works quite well. I can still clearly remember the school photography club days when the red Duka light simulated contrast and the pictures usually looked rather flat in daylight. That’s why we used to write down the times for each print, so that we could improve the print and repeat the process. Best regards, Oliver

michael-kielgmxnet

Hello Oliver, Modern multi-contrast papers absolutely require red Duka light. As they are also sensitised in the green spectrum, yellow-green light inevitably leads to fogging. To start with, the cheapest solution would be any LED bicycle rear light, or you could fit a lamp with red Osram Decospot LEDs. I wouldn’t assume that Adotol NE concentrate has the same shelf life as Rodinal. Once opened, it will last perhaps one to two years, assuming optimal conditions. N113 has a much longer shelf life, at least as long as it remains in powder form. The solution also keeps for a year. Incidentally, I’d get rid of the Calbe A300; it might still work, but it’s rather impractical due to the long fixing times. A modern rapid fixer is much better. The Multikontrast papers all have a gradient of 2 without a filter. However, exposing without a filter at all is rather impractical, as you then have to shorten the exposure time (compared to using a filter).

pittyman

Is the opened Adotol NE concentrate just as stable and durable as Adonal/Rodinal concentrate? Just give it a go! Take 50ml of concentrate and top it up to 500ml (1+9). With reasonably adequate exposure, the image will appear on PE paper after 20–30 seconds at the latest. If I don’t use a filter when exposing the Easy and MCP Vario papers, won’t I still achieve a gradient of 2? That should be sufficient in most cases, but on the ADOX website you’ll find the key information on the respective paper regarding filtering and exposure. Does ADOX’s MCP paper also tolerate yellow-green Duka light like the Easy Print? Have a read through this thread! In most cases, the paper’s packaging will include a note regarding the type of lighting. PE and baryta differ significantly in this respect. To be absolutely sure, simply test the paper in question and you can then be confident that no fogging will occur. As long as you don’t use a different paper or change anything about your Duka lighting, you won’t need to repeat the test. Enjoy Dirk

MirkoBoeddecker

Does ADOX’s MCP paper also tolerate yellow-green Duka light, like Easy Print?

No. Neither EasyPrint nor MCP nor any other variable-contrast paper in the world is compatible with yellow-green DUKA light. Yellow-green lamps are intended exclusively for FIXED-GRADATION PAPERS. The standard for multigrade papers is sensitisation to green for soft contrast and to blue for hard contrast. Best regards, Mirko

Olivinyl

Hello everyone. Now I’m in the clear. I’ll make sure I’ve got some red light sorted. I’ll be ordering some MCP, fixer and developer in the near future. Then I’ll light up the DUKA in red and do a veil test. It’s good to know that an opened bottle of Adotol NE concentrate lasts at least a year. Thanks Best regards, Oliver

Xenar

Hi Oliver, On the recommendation of another analogue forum, I’ve bought the Osram Decospot LED 80003 red (230V, available with a plug-in or E14 screw base) . I carried out the veil test using ADOX MCP and Ilford MG IV under indirect lighting: it works a treat. Best regards, Volker

Olivinyl

Hello Oliver, On the recommendation of another analogue photography forum, I bought the Osram Decospot LED 80003 red (230V, available with a plug-in or E14 screw-in fitting) . I carried out the veil test using ADOX MCP and Ilford MG IV under indirect lighting: it works a treat. Regards, Volker

I’d already done some research and bought this bulb from Osram. Thanks for another review. I’ve also been given a Hama reticle focuser. I’ve already tried it out in a ‘dry run’. Let’s see how the prints look when focused by eye compared to using the reticle focuser. EDIT: Right, I’ve been ‘donated’ a stack of Ilford Multigrade MG IV in 10x15 and have ordered Adofix and Adotol NE from the host. Then I can spend a few hours in the ‘darkroom’ this weekend and practise a bit. Once I’ve got the hang of it, I’ll reorder some ADOX MCP.

By the way, I’d get rid of the Calbe A300; it might still work, but it’s rather impractical due to the long fixing times. A modern rapid fixer is much better.

I’ve already prepared the A300 in full (1 sachet to 1000 ml) and used it as a fixer. It really did give up the ghost quite quickly. I fixed about 30 sheets of 9×13 and 3 sheets of 18×24 with it, and then fixing a strip of film (not Tmax) as a test took over 15 minutes! Best regards, Oliver