Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/11/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jerry-- There is one exception to that rule: when you are enlarging a portrait of a woman, especially if it's your wife. Then a a few discrete seconds of wrinkled celophane beneath the enlarging lens is magic. Bob > Mark > > Absolutely correct in every way! I was going to respond with essentially > the same words as yours. I learned very early on, NEVER diffuse in > enlarging. (unless you are enlarging a transparency onto direct positive > paper). > > Jerry > > Mark Rabiner wrote: > > > sam wrote: > > > > > > You LUGers frightened me into being less than forthright. I jump in my > > > seat every time someone writes "Don't put junk in front of Leica glass" > > > (meaning a $59 B&W double-coated glass filter). So intimidated was I > > > that I omitted the specs of the photo in question. Not from dishonesty, > > > but from fear. The truth is much worse than any UV filter in front of > > > Leica glass: > > > > > > Camera: M6 > > > Lens: 75mm CV > > > > > > (Not too bad yet, but...) > > > > > > Ilford Multigrade #4, pearl surface. > > > > > > Kodak Diffusing Disc #1 (circa 1912) used over the El-Nikkor enlarging > > > lens). > > > > > > Print was flatbed scanned to obtain an image for the net. > > > > > > The #1 disc really only lowers contrast; starting with disc #2 real > > > diffusing begins to take place. > > > > > > Sam S > > > > > > > With the 75 you'll probably miss your focus if you shoot wide open > > anyway and you'll get all the softness you need! And plenty of Bokeh > > with vital nutrients! > > > > Sam, diffusion of the enlarger spreads the darks into the lights. > > When you have it in front of your camera lens it spreads the whites out > > which is a nice happy thing although pretty much not in style. > > Having the darks spreading is like the evil stuff is coming out of the > > cracks. Bad vibes. Has a negative feeling to it. Plus you loose your > > grain structure. Not good. It's not often done and most printers would > > advise to avoid it. You could pretty much call it a No No. As Maxwell > > Smart would say. But I did it once on a rough forehead of a girls > > portrait with a slightly dirty piece of saran wrap on a cloths hanger. > > For about a third of the total time of the exposure. > > But people have told me stuff like that and I've told them all to go > > screw themselves! > > > > I've replaced enlarger lenses which had gotten ever so slightly cloudy > > on the inside with a new fresh one (Nikons do that) and boy what a > > difference! Most would recommend the highest clarity possible in an > > enlarger lens. Ansel said if you don't dust off your lens you loose a > > grade of contrast! I'd call that a stretch. In an early photo series The > > Print book. > > > > Again if you really feel you need diffusion most would advise doing it > > in camera NOT enlarger. > > > > Mark Rabiner > > > > Portland, Oregon USA > > http://www.rabinergroup.com > > -- > > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html