Re: [Leica] Split printing - was Focomat V35 enlarger

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

Roy Zartarian wrote:
> 
> It's good to know that I'm not the only one doing the blue-and-green
> shuffle while printing.  Generally, my comments on the approach bring
> confused looks.
> 
> I too use the Zone VI cold light head and mount carefully handled CC
> filters (tricolor blue and CC50G) under the lens.  I mounted the gels
> into the frames of an old Ilford multigrade filter set.
> 
> What is really nice about this process is the ability to alter
> contrast selectively by burning through through the blue filter. An
> in-focus subject printed just a tad harder really stands out against
> a soft background.
> 
> Roy
> 
I switched first the 5 and 0 ilford filters and then the blue and green
filters you describe. Seemed like their might have been an advantage to
justify the cost of the blue filter which cost enough I thought at the
time to buy a whole new head. After much deliberation, on the phone with
Aristo designer owner? Allen Johnson and checking out a few of them on
site here, I got the Aristo. Its also half the price of any other
"variable". I had been using a regular aristo before for twenty years
and I have a Beselar 5/7 from the fifties with one built in. But I think
any enlarger that lets you switch quickly between the highest and lowest
contrast settings would work. On the Aristo its the flip of a switch on
the baseboard powercontroll unit, not on the head. (great for bursitis
of the shoulder).
I would use any enlarger that would accept this head until proven otherwise.
Mark Rabiner