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  #11  
Old 14th May 2017, 05:41 PM
John King John King is offline
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Beneath the lens filters add another and UNCOATED surface to get the light to pass through. I use an LPL7700 with a colour head and have never had a problem multigrade printing. I don't need speed, but I do need filters that don't fade and dichric filters fit that bill precisely.

I can also fine tune the contrast by dialing in a figure between those suggested by ilford that will give me even more flexibility. Dichroic filters are 100% flexible, individual filters are not - they have a fixed value. You also have the option of using the yellowand magenta together the exposures remain more or less constant between G1 and G4.
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  #12  
Old 14th May 2017, 08:35 PM
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cliveh cliveh is offline
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I use a Durst Graduate enlarger and a De Vere 203 Dichromat MKII and with both I try to avoid any contrast control if at all possible. If you expose and develop the film to suit the enlarger you are using, contrast control should not be necessary. Simplicity is the key to success.
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  #13  
Old 14th May 2017, 09:36 PM
John King John King is offline
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Originally Posted by cliveh View Post
I use a Durst Graduate enlarger and a De Vere 203 Dichromat MKII and with both I try to avoid any contrast control if at all possible. If you expose and develop the film to suit the enlarger you are using, contrast control should not be necessary. Simplicity is the key to success.

Agreed, I generally manage to print at G2 or at most G3 and of course G2 needs no filtration. Sometimes this poses a problem with prints up to 9.5 x 12 because the LPL MX head is so bright the lens needs to be stopped right down to get reasonable times allowing a bit of dodging or burning.

Whatever I still manage to get what I want.
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  #14  
Old 14th May 2017, 10:11 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is online now
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I use both the Ilford filters, and those fitted to colour heads. I've never found the Ilford 'below the lens' type to cause any noticeable reduction in print quality. If they are handled carefully, which is easy given their intelligent design, they shouldn't end up scratched or damaged. They do seem to fade eventually, but it takes a long time in normal use. They are very quick and easy to use, and I don't see any great advantage in smaller grade increments. I would find it difficult to distinguish a print made at Grade 2 from one at Grade 2.5. They are very convenient for split grade printing.
The colour heads I use are Durst, LPL and Leitz. They all do the job, but are less convenient for split grade work, or if you simply want to burn in an area at a different grade. It's easy, however, with the exception of Leitz, to fit the Ilford holders below the lens if preferred, and keep the colour head for colour prints.
Alex
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  #15  
Old 14th May 2017, 10:50 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alexmuir View Post
I don't see any great advantage in smaller grade increments. I would find it difficult to distinguish a print made at Grade 2 from one at Grade 2.5.
Alex
I have a book somewhere, Alex, that bears out your experience. It shows a print at half grades from 0 to 5 and looking at the prints I could just about distinguish between half grades but any less than a half grade and I would have no chance.

That isn't to say that others can't distinguish prints at less than half grades but half grades are enough for me.

Mike
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  #16  
Old 15th May 2017, 04:00 AM
RichardWarom RichardWarom is offline
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I also find them easy my Kaiser colour head enlarger has a filter drawer and I cut my filters to size to fit snug, where its a bit more tricky is with my Beseler 45 condenser head this has a slot above the condenser and I have not been able to find or make a suitable holder for the filters so have to carefully lay them on top of the glass but it works ok.
Richard
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  #17  
Old 15th May 2017, 06:54 AM
John King John King is offline
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The only time I use a filter that is not from the colour head is when I print B&W onto colour paper. I fit a square of bleached and fixed but unexposed film 120 colour film above the negative carrier which gives me instantly a base filtration to obtain quite superb black without a colour bias on RA4 paper.

Why do I do it - simply because I can. It is also cheaper doing it that way that diluting a quantity of B&W developer (minimum of 100cc) just to make one 12x16 when all I have to do is use the RA4 developer in my NOVA.
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  #18  
Old 16th May 2017, 10:30 AM
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I stopped using multigrade filters when my colour enlarger turned up. It has simplified my work flow and taken away the extra dust collecting surface. Bliss
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  #19  
Old 26th May 2017, 11:52 PM
M Stewart M Stewart is offline
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I used a Vivitar 356 enlarger during my previous printing sessions (from 1982 onwards), and that came as standard with a colour mixing head, which I never used, as it was so much easier to open the side door on the light house, and place a multigrade filter on top of the condenser. I'm now hoping to get a Focomat V35 with Variocontrast head into use, and I expect I'll give the head a try. On the V35 there's no easy way to place an mg filter above the negative.
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  #20  
Old 27th May 2017, 08:13 AM
alexmuir alexmuir is online now
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The V35 is a great enlarger. The colour head works well for multigrade paper. Ilford give specific values for this enlarger. I've never used the multi contrast module. If you want to use Ilford filters, the below lens holder can be attached, but it's not ideal due to the focusing mechanism.
Alex


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