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Old 15th January 2010, 07:37 AM
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Default Magnifax 4 Meograde head filter problem

Until summer last year I had printed using split grade for a long time with my Magnifax 4 and meograde VC head. However since starting to do more standard printing with a single grade I'd begun to notice problems getting good contrast at most of the normal grades 2-4. I visually compared the colour for each grade against the equivalent Ilford under the lens filter and noticed considerably more magenta in the latter except for grade 5 where the Meopta appeared to jump considerably. This would explain the problems I was having so I decided to also do a test and as expected the Ilford filters gave a steady progression from 0-5 in balanced steps with 2-4 having much more punch than the Magnifax's built in filtration.

Has anyone else noticed this issue with either the Meograde or other VC enlarger heads and is it due to age or other problems with the filters themselves?

I'm happy to use the Ilford filters now as to be honest there is less chance of disturbing the head when changing them over.

Thanks

Steve
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Old 15th January 2010, 05:09 PM
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Steve - have a word with Roy at RK Photographics, they advertise on this site.
They are the UK importers of Meoptas and Roy is a font of knowledge.

Good Luck
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Old 15th January 2010, 06:04 PM
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Thanks Andrew, I'll drop him a message.

Steve
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Old 15th January 2010, 08:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve O View Post

Has anyone else noticed this issue with either the Meograde or other VC enlarger heads and is it due to age or other problems with the filters themselves?
Thanks

Steve
Hi Steve.

I use the Meopta Magnifax 4a with the Meograde head. I am afraid that as I have not used the Ilford filters, I have nothing to compare the results I get with my enlarger. But in answer to your question 'is it an age thing?' I would say not, as here is a little snippet from there color 3 head instruction manual

"The interference filters manufactured by the vacuum technique are colourfast, heat resistant, and their life is practically unlimited"

I remember the Meograde head being described in the same way and it was one of the deciding factors in my buying the enlarger.

I hope this helps

Stoo
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Old 15th January 2010, 09:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve O View Post
Until summer last year I had printed using split grade for a long time with my Magnifax 4 and meograde VC head. However since starting to do more standard printing with a single grade I'd begun to notice problems getting good contrast at most of the normal grades 2-4. I visually compared the colour for each grade against the equivalent Ilford under the lens filter and noticed considerably more magenta in the latter except for grade 5 where the Meopta appeared to jump considerably. This would explain the problems I was having so I decided to also do a test and as expected the Ilford filters gave a steady progression from 0-5 in balanced steps with 2-4 having much more punch than the Magnifax's built in filtration.

Has anyone else noticed this issue with either the Meograde or other VC enlarger heads and is it due to age or other problems with the filters themselves?

I'm happy to use the Ilford filters now as to be honest there is less chance of disturbing the head when changing them over.

Thanks

Steve
If I remember correctly, the magnifax enlargers have a polystyrene light mixing box. That box yellows with age which gives you a yellow cast which will reduce contrast. Check its internal colour. If its not a nice bright white you are in trouble.

Zinc Oxide paint would restore whiteness but you need to be careful because if its transport is some volatile spray it would eat the polystyrene. Artists zinc oxide might be best if necessary. Or line the mixing box with silver foil if necessary. The polystyrene does give a nice diffuse light though.
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Old 15th January 2010, 09:12 PM
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dichroic filters are not supposed to fade.
That doesn't mean the mechanism which dials them in or out is particulalrly well calibrated to anything. But I would check the internal colour of your mixing box first.
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Last edited by Argentum; 15th January 2010 at 09:19 PM.
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Old 15th January 2010, 09:25 PM
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ilford G4 and up filters require double exposure time from those lower down. You can't do a direct comparison with dichroic filter colour.

Ilfords figures for Y+M for non durst enlargers are not very accurate in my experience, so the speed point is different than for ilford filters so again you can't make a direct comparison from viewing colour on baseboard.
The only worthwhile test is whether the magnifax has a 5 grade range and if it has then you can calibrate it.
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Old 15th January 2010, 10:33 PM
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It may have been opemus I was thinking of but either way I think it was one with a colour head that had the polystyrene mixing box. If yours is a condensor setup then it would be different from the one I used.
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Old 15th January 2010, 10:56 PM
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Thanks for the information, I'll have a look at the mixing chamber tomorrow, it's the 6x9 if I remember correctly. If it turns out to be 'yellowed' I may get the 6x6 as they're not too expensive and that's my standard neg size these days.
I've had it around 5 years now so it may be something that's happened gradually but as I said in the original post there is quite a visual difference between the colour of the Meograde head and the Ilford filters in the commonly used 2-4 bracket. For the Ilford filters it's simply a case of doubling exposures for grades 4-5.

Steve
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Old 16th January 2010, 12:26 AM
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the ilford filters have neutral density built into them so that they speed match. Your dichroic filters do it by cancelling out yellow or magenta by over adding the opposite one to get give a net neutral density. The resultant brightness and printing times are different so you can not make any kind of accurate comparison by looking at colour on baseboard since G2 with ilford filter would require different compared to G2 Y+M from your VC head. One of them would look lighter than the other because of neutral density differences.
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