Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/05/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 11:39 PM 5/16/96 -0500, you wrote: >I use a condenser light for my enlarger but I heard that for proper Zone >system, cold light was preferable. >I want to hear your opinions. The main thing to remember is to adjust your development for the enlarger. I've gotten good results from both kinds. Leica's enlargesr seem to be a mix of both, though the V-35 is more diffusion. What kind of enlarger are you using? Older cold lights can cause problems with VC paper. The color is way off, but there are filters, and exotic heads that take care of that. Or a newer replacement. Ansel Adams used to talk about "soot and chalk" tonal range with condenser light. I think he's probably right. You certainly don't get the smooth gradations you can get with diffusion, but again, I think development is more important. Others say there isn't a significant difference. Zone system itself has no such requirement. You can use any material and tool you want to get great results. So unless you feel your shadow detail is to "strong" or not enough detail because the black is so strong, maybe you can try to use diffused light. Some condenser enlargers have accessories to diffuse their light. Another thing, is that diffusion light will definitely reduce the dust specks on the print. yet, there isn't a significant loss of sharpness at the same time. I don't know why. ========================== Eric Welch Grants Pass Daily Courier