Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/04

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Aristo enlarger light sources
From: "Lee, Jonathan" <Jonathan.Lee@hrcc.on.ca>
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 15:56:45 -0400

Like Mark, I love the Aristo VC head. Like Mark, I don't believe the common
statement that diffusion heads give better tonality, I figure that a
condensor head increases contrast by about 1/2 a grade, but if you take this
into account I can't tell the difference between condensor and diffusion
enalrgements. However, diffusion heads are more forgiving of physical
imperfections in the negative: in my experience condensors accentuate
longitudnal scratches in the film while diffusers hide them.

Jonathan Lee
- -----Original Message-----
From: Mark Rabiner [mailto:mrabiner@concentric.net]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 1999 2:44 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Aristo enlarger light sources


Jegerken@aol.com wrote:
> 
> I am considering going from a tungsten condenser to a cold light source in
my 23C. Does anyone have experience with Aristo products?
> Thanks,
> Jim Gerken

I have been a big pusher of the Aristo newer VC cold light head on the lug
over
a year and a half. I've had the VC head with its two individually controlled
lights for 3 years before that I used their regular cold light heads since
before that in the mid '80s. In the late softies I bought, still own a 5x7
Beseler enlarger with built in cold light that I don't believe I've
mentioned
here on the list that I used for the years before that but needs to be
converted
to quickstart (Have a heater put in). I'd guess Allen Johnson at Aristo was
the
source behind that enlarger for Beseler. He still often answers the Phone at
Aristo. I have a long conversation with him about once per decade. Three so
far.
If your questions get too specific I'll answer them off list as to not bore
everybody as they've heard much on this from me already. Needless to say I'd
strongly recommend them.
But not because I believe they reduce spotting or produce a better tonality.
I've done direct comparison testing and found both those issues to be false.
The
big issue for me is first neg popping and second with the new VC the ease of
split printing, you just flip a switch: and that's a whole different
ballgame!
But there is a varible switch on it too.
Mark Rabiner