Re: [Leica] Focomat V35 enlarger

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

Eric Welch wrote:
> 
> >If it turned out the focomats could use a variety of other peoples
> >lightheads it would present an issue for me to further check them out.
> >(could be said better?)
> 
> Why? What's wrong with Leica's "head." I saw tests that showed it's the
> most evenly illuminated enlarger around. Less than 1/10 stop falloff form
> edge to center. It's solid as a rock, and changing form b&W, to VC, to
> Color is easy as a snap.
> 
> The main reason I would want another head would be one of the automatic
> digital heads that don't use the old style filters but flashing lights or
> whatever. Or because I want to do medium or large format.
> 
> Eric Welch
> St. Joseph, MO
> http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch
> 
> You're only young once; you can be immature forever.

My own personal and perhaps not common take on this might be the fact
that I've gotten really enamored with this whole split printing
approach... two consecutive exposures, one for the highest contrast, one
for the lowest. With the Aristo it is a blue softlight for the high and
the green for the low; you just flip a switch. I've been doing it for
several years but am unaware how much this technique is catching on in
the outside world. Sexton apparently isn't doing it as I see those
magazine articles he is always doing. It would be great if I could hear
from someone out their who has switched to this inspiring or head
turning approach. I would recommend it to the darkroom workers out there
who are getting frustrated with the mystique of the whole process and
want something more controllable.