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  #1  
Old 13th May 2017, 10:53 PM
big paul big paul is offline
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Default ilford multigrade filters love them or hate them

I have been using multi grade filters less and less as I have been printing with Ilford multi grade FB paper without multigrade filters and when it needed a bit more I have been using Ilford ilfobrom FB grade 2 my film is developed in DD-X and I get nice well developed negatives the enlarger is a Devere 504 varicon ,I was using graded papers for as long as I could as it was getting hard to find and expensive ,I must admit I cannot stand using filters so I use them at the last result ,I have been printing to day and not used a filter at all ,some people swear by them and love them ,but if Ilford multigrade paper is supposed to be grade 2 then it can be used without a grade filter ,or dose this only work in a condenser enlarger ,I have only had condenser enlargers ,other than the cathomag I recently bought. I must admit I get just as good results with my cathomag without filters as well,do other people here love or hate multigrade filters ???
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Old 13th May 2017, 11:07 PM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
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I don't worry too much about this, I generally use a #2 filter, and normally only deviate to compensate for very flat negatives. This is with a condenser enlarger. However I just swapped to an LPL 7700, so will be using its inbuilt filtering if necessary, which actually sounds less convenient than just shoving a different filter in the drawer. I have yet to try it though.
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Old 13th May 2017, 11:26 PM
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Bob Bob is offline
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Like many, I use my colour head for filtering - and yes, it is, if anything, a little more fiddly than using filters. I don't have the skills to ensure all my negs are exposed and developed for the conditions to allow me to use only grade 2 paper (although I do try...).

I also like to muck about, trying different contrasts for an image amongst other things but if you have a standard look in mind and have developed the skills, it must save you time.

I hacked my Durst L1200 Lab. head to allow me to switch between full Yellow and Magenta with a switch to make split-grade exposures simpler.

I don't believe the contrast will change between different light sources using an incandescent lamp - but I believe older cold-light heads were often bluer which may move the print to a higher contrast. Ilford multigrade data sheet here (http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/...0201152306.pdf) has something to say on this.
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Old 14th May 2017, 09:26 AM
Adrian Adrian is offline
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I switched from using a colour head to ilford filters.
I much prefer the filters used with my LPL7451 enlarger.
1. Quicker to set up and use
2. Faster exposures
Highly recommended.
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  #5  
Old 14th May 2017, 10:37 AM
marty marty is offline
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That's a good question, I've never thought about it. When I got my enlarger I went the cheaper way and got a condenser one thinking of maybe upgrade at a later time (which I never did). So using the mg filters was simply the way things had (have) to be done. Also at the time I started printing mg paper where popular more than graded so I never even thought of using the latter. Most of the time I print at #2 but yet never occurred to me of doing it without a filter even if I know the paper is possibly a #2 without a filter.
All in all I don't find particularly annoying nor pleasant using mg filters I just do things the way I learned them... What I do find kind of annoying is printing color with cp filters but not having a dichroic head, again is the way things have to be done.

Cheers, M,
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Old 14th May 2017, 11:30 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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I used MG filters with my De Vere cathomag head never a problem, as easy as the colour heads on my Dursts. I used the below the lens sets.

Ian
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  #7  
Old 14th May 2017, 11:41 AM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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I find there's something quite comforting about MG filters;
one is that they are low tech and don't rely on mechanical or electronic wizardry. And secondly, you get full and half grades only so you can do without the infinite choice of grades that colour or variable contrast heads offer.
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Old 14th May 2017, 01:54 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Love them, often my negatives of different subjects differ in contrast etc, and MG filters allow me to print difficult negatives easily, plus sometimes I think that a negative will look better printed on a higher grade and the MG filters allow me to try it out
Richard
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Old 14th May 2017, 04:53 PM
KevinAllan KevinAllan is offline
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I used Ilford filters with my previous enlarger, a Durst M800; I was given two sets of filters, as well as the enlarger and loads of other stuff. Unfortunately the Durst column broke. Soon after I was given a Cromega C700 enlarger with colour head. Sometimes I think it would be simpler to use the Ilford filters, but there is no filter drawer.
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  #10  
Old 14th May 2017, 05:19 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinAllan View Post
I used Ilford filters with my previous enlarger, a Durst M800; I was given two sets of filters, as well as the enlarger and loads of other stuff. Unfortunately the Durst column broke. Soon after I was given a Cromega C700 enlarger with colour head. Sometimes I think it would be simpler to use the Ilford filters, but there is no filter drawer.
You can always use under the lens filters
Richard
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