Diffusion vs. Condenser Enlarger
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- What are the differences between condenser enlargers and diffusion enlargers? This video is going to show the differences by printing the same negative with both types and comparing them side by side. I also developed a negative less and printed that with the condenser to see if that prints more like the diffusion enlarger.
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For 15 years I worked as a professional photo finisher back in the day when one could make a decent living at it before the digital revolution ended “photo labs.” I’m happy to say this UA-cam channel more than any other takes me back to those enjoyable times.
You should also make videos and share your knowledge of the craft!
This is so cool, for someone who doesn't really have time (neither the money) to do these kind of tests, it's just so cool !!
Awesome channel :)
Excellent, informative presentation with nothing wasted, just good information! Cheers!
Thank you for demonstrating the difference. I've just come across diffusion and was confused by it since I've only ever seen condensers. Great demo!
Like I said before, one of the best YT channel. Thank You.
As always, a great comparative test.
This is something I learned in theory long time a go, but I never used a condenser enlargement to verify it. The tips about short development time is new for me.
Regards from Spain.
This was perfect. I’ve been messing around in the darkroom for about a year now and never knew the difference. The only thing I’ve really heard about the two different head types was that one was preferred over the other for larger negatives.
I have been wondering this for so long! Thank you so much for the video.
I have a copy of the Kodak Darkroom Dataguide (1974 version) that actually has a development dial that adjusts dev time for various factors, including whether you're printing on a condenser or diffuser enlarger. Running through the calcs for 35mm Tri-X, you get a dev time of 7.5 mins if using a diffuser enlarger and 5 mins if using a condenser enlarger. The method also adjusts for lens flare and dev tank size. Not sure I ever see myself using it, but I thought it was interesting that Kodak put out something so detailed addressing your question about how much to adjust dev time for the enlarger type.
I should have noted that this was assuming D76 at 68F.
Great video…
I am looking for a new enlarger and had dismissed condenser heads as ‘old fashioned’ but now I might have to get both condenser and diffuser now !
Another brilliant video!
I have a Gnome condenser enlarger with 50mm and 100mm Schneider Componon S lenses.
I expose and develop my negative very carefully to get the best prints I can without contrast filters.
I have been printing with this serup since 1970.
I love condenser enlargers.
I don't use contrast filters
I always wondered! Thank you for that!
Very helpful, thanks!!!
I prefer diffusion because the fact that it masks dust particles/imperfections of the film so much better (which is the bane of film existence for me). Also the convenience of a dichro diffusion enlarger is that I can use the color wheel to alter the contrast super quick
Nicely demonstrated. Before wet darkroom printing imploded in favor of digital and inkjet printers, I think the popularity as shown by sales and new models largely trended toward diffusion heads. My personal experience with both types of enlarger head convinced me that the condenser head somewhat distorts the tonal range from blacks to whites, apart from just increasing overall contrast, but I have no hard data to back that up.
After doing this I feel the contrast change as you move from 00 to 5 with a condenser compared to the diffusion of exponential rather than linear.
Many thanks for your dedication on photochemical processes!
Did you ever try point light source enlargement metod? There is "a lot" of discuss and controversial words about its convinience for sharper prints. It could be very interesting. Keep rockin'!
Great info
Thank you🕶
Great vid.. Thanks.
Very good video, thank you. To my eye, the condenser's 'apparent' sharpness looks better. I have a LPL670XL condenser, and I shoot and develope for box speed and at recommended dev. times. I will try 15% less on dev. time and see how that goes. Again, thank you for this.
Thank you, nice and useful comparison. I print on both type of enlargers. I Love diffuse light for portrait but a lot of times I find it difficult to achieve enough contrast for "landscape"works, I was wondering if it was a problem of my colour head and this video clarify for me. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you!
My goodness that was helpful! I have never been able to find a good side by side comparison but that was great! I don't have much choice at the moment (I use a condenser head) but I do like the look, but oof the dust can be quite a monster this is true. One day I'd like to have a color or LED head though. I have a cold light but I didn't care for it after using it for a while. The lack of a full spectrum light was the biggest issue. It's also BRIGHT so I've half blinded myself a time or two by lighting the head to check the negative.
I had thought of trying to DIY a diffuser and I've heard that, while using an acrylic insert can work, it removes a ton of light and I don't have any available light to spare at the moment.
What model enlarger do you have?
@@TheNakedPhotographer An Omega D2 with the multi-condenser setup. It's a beast in my bathroom-darkroom :) It sits on a table I fashioned above my toilet haha. Will have a proper space soonish but for now it's been working well enough.
Great video! As far as development time, the tech data for Kodak T-Max developers say specifically to reduce development time by 20-30% when printing with a cendenser enlarger.
I found it after the video was up.
Usual for me, a day late and a dollar short
I really do love hour videos. So good!
Thanks!
What a welcome comparison! I've been printing on MG papers with a condensor head, but now I got my hands on an 8x10 cold light (diffusion) enlarger. First test on MG paper revealed low contrast prints without any way to use filters. I've now gotten some graded paper to start testing with that. Would you focus on proper film development for a specific paper, and then vary between different grades (I have only 2) of paper, depending on the contrast you want for a specific negative? Or would you start somewhere else?
So usefull, and professional.... many many Thanks !!!
This is a great video because you have convinced me to buy a condenser enlarger. I disagree entirely with your conclusions ;o) It's obvious to me that even in the prints/negs where you've tried to get equivalent results, towards the end of the film, the detail and tonal separation in the highlight areas, with the condenser prints is much superior. This is the sort of look I've been trying to get for years, inspired by Brett Weston, who always used a condenser head. Now I understand.
( sorry, edit : I disagree with your conclusion that it's JUST about overall contrast in the end. It's clear to me that the Callier Effect is reduced )
Superb Video, THANKS !!
from one negative and contrast adjusted for enlarger, the big difference is in the tones of print. Details in dark areas are better in condenser with higher areas washed out somewhat. Details in lights are better in diffusion, darks are more flat lacking contrast.
The whole story changes if you develop the negative for diffusion 10 or 15% longer. the prints from fine grain film look the same if printed from proper enlarger.
Other thing with the condenser is having dust anywhere in the optical path not just on the neg, especially when using small apertures. It's a pain. And if you are doing. 35mm you enlarge that dust too! I'm seriously considering one of the Intrepid mini enlargers just to replace my little condenser setup.
Got a Saunders lpl 4500 coming!
On SPUR's HRX Developing Chart, it says, "If using a condenser developing time should be reduced by 10 to 15%."
Great content as always! Does a contact print exhibit the same characteristics as a negative projection when using a condenser vs diffuser? Any experience with a lightbulb vs condenser vs diffuser? Thank you.
Diffusion is very close to a contact print. A negative that prints well with diffusion will print well as a contact print.
HI like your videos. Have you ever tried a point light source?
i have a Devere colour head on my 504,condenser head and a point light source that i will try this year
thanks for sharing this. Btw. do you use contrast filters below the lens on your Deere, or do you use color filters?
Both, but not at the same time
I have a diffusion enlarger, but I was actually just doing some research on this recently. One thing I'm wondering, is whether the relationship between enlarger height and print exposure time differs between the two enlarger types. (And how each differs in relation to the simple formula that can calculate it based on a magnification change.) My current gut feeling is that diffusion more closely tracks, while condenser deviates a bit more, but I'll need to test more enlargers to be sure.
I haven’t tested it, but my opinion based off prior experience is that light fall off from increased print size is more visually evident with condenser enlargers.
I have Durst M70 condenser enlarger. Its great machine but I really consider switching to Durst Vario head because of the DUST! There is still option to print without glass carriers (which Im about to try). But to fight that dust is very demotivating. Anyone experience the same thing?
I'm considering to start using a Leitz Focomat IIC (condensor) enlarger for color printing. What differences are there to expect between diffusor and condensor prints in color printing? Many thanks for this great channel!
Same issues, increased contrast and more pronounced dust/defects
Do you have a video on these older diffusion and condenser heads against the new LED cold light source replacements? If any significant advantages or not?
While there is a difference in how they are used, which I believe is a combination of green and blue light like the Beseler VC head, the image quality is exactly the same as any diffusion head.
It seems every enlarger i look at with a variable contrast head is a diffuser enlarger and every condenser enlarger only takes contrast filters manually. Can i fit a condenser box to my VC enlarger if i bought one? Cheers
Will you ever do a video on finding the correct development time for your enlarger type?
I’m going to do a Zone system series and a Beyond the Zone System series at some point in the future.
Thank you for this terrific video. I'm wondering how a LED light source would compare to condenser and diffusion light sources. I know you did a previous video with an alternative LED source (Neewer 660 LED video light). I have a Beseler 45V-XL with their 45S Dichro head. I'm considering getting an LED head (i.e. Heiland) and I'm wondering what the differences would be?
condenser is simply a lens behind the negative, in a led system you can have a condenser or diffuser as led is just the light source
Exactly
Love your videos. Maybe you know about low contrast developers for paper (if compare with Ilford Multigrade)... maybe metol based or trisodium phosphate? I try to print slide films on color negative paper with reverse and have a really nice results, but wants to reduce contrast of first step (b&w developing). Can you recommend something?
I did a video a couple months ago showing a low contrast developer: ua-cam.com/video/ui8-8g2cbAg/v-deo.html
@@TheNakedPhotographer thanks. I will re-view it
Great video! I have been using a condnenser and the dust is an extreme nuisance. Spotting is a pain. Scratches require nose grease. Sometimes I need to mount my negative 2-3 times before I manage to eliminate dust at least from critical areas (like faces, eyes, lips). Can you recommend a diffuser type enlarger for printing up to 6x6 (but not larger)?
If you are in Europe/Asia I would look for a Durst M601 or similar
@@TheNakedPhotographer Thank you!
Thank you. My question is on development time. When I began a very long time ago, chemistry etc. Was not as it is today. I had a condenser enlarger and fiber paper which was the regular paper for the early 70s. It was customary to watch the print in the development very carefully and pull it at just the right moment otherwise it could continue and end up black. Today’s resin paper times out at 90sec. So all that said, can you clarify shortening development time by the suggested percentage? Also what exposure, paper and chemistry was the test based around? The diffuser enlarger looks very much worth a try.
I wouldn’t shorten the print development time. I shortened the film development time to compensate for the condenser’s increased contrast
Yes, about half a minute after I sent I realized we were talking film development, opps
I was just wondering why i was failing to make a good contrast value in my black and white prints using my durst m605 color head and then you come with the answer...XD
Develop your film longer
@@TheNakedPhotographer film? Or print?
Film
What size of a negative did you use? How much does the film format effect the difference between the two light sources? One would think the difference would be smaller the bigger the negative as the greater the enlargement factor the more the "softness" of the light is visible on the print but is it so?
I’ve done this demonstration with both 35mm and 4x5 in the past. Both demonstrated the Callier effect about the same.
Ok, thanks.
I’ve been using condenser enlargers for a few years now and I’m just learning that I should be developing my negatives for slightly less time...
Only if you feel your prints are higher contrast than you would like. If you regularly use a 1 filter, develop for less time.
Thank you for your video! I was wondering, is it possible to use colour CMY filters as multigrade filters for b&w printing? I have a kit of the color ones and if they work I would save the money of the multigrade filters
Yes, Ilford has a document that recommends which color filter to use according to what contrast you want: www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Contrast-control-for-Ilford-Multigrade.pdf
Interesting, but to a certain extent you sort of missed your chance to show that 'if' you'd given an extra second (or whatever) to the diffusion enlarger you would have (maybe) had a more interesting comparison.
What type of enlarger can i use to print a color picture? diffusion or condenser?
And which is the enlarger 2 in1 of them i mean you can print colored picture and black and white thanks a lot!
I use a color enlarger for both. Color enlargers are typically diffusion design. You can use a condenser enlarger for color but will need separate color filters. Freestyle Photo sells a set.
@@TheNakedPhotographer thanks a lot
Could You please name few good enlargers for 4x5" (for a begginer and not too expensive)? :)
“Good 4x5 enlargers” AND “cheap” may not be compatible, but I will name a few different models. Understand that the US market and the EU market will have different brands available. Typical US models would be the Beseler 45 series and Omega D series. The Omega D2 is perhaps the most common. For the EU, Durst is common, as is DeVere. Saunders and LPL I think can be found in the EU. I don’t know specific models or ease of use with any of these as I haven’t seen any other than the DeVere 405.
@@TheNakedPhotographer thank You very much! I'm from Poland, so I will look for one rather in the EU.
Durst , Homrich , Múller & Wetzig , Meopta , Ahel , Intrepid, Fujimoto.
@@TheNakedPhotographer
You really need to develop your film to work with the enlarger light source you use. Basic stuff. I know he’s trying to show the difference but without developing your film to your light source this isn’t a good comparison. Also cold light diffusion and halogen diffusion have a different look as well.
Did you watch the whole video? Did you not see the entire section where I developed a second roll with less time to compensate for the change in light source?
@@TheNakedPhotographer yes I did. I guess you missed the point 🙄
Maybe you failed to make one
@@TheNakedPhotographer read my comment again. You simply gloss over by “compensating your dev time. It takes more than that. As for my background I’ve been printing for nearly 35 years and on a D2V my current are a Saunders VCCE XL and a Beseler 8 x 10 with Alan Ross conversion. I’ve also authored master printing class articles in Photo Techniques magazine and my work has been I major gallium Santa Fe, LA an Paris as well as having lectured and taught classes. Like I said you missed the point. 🙄
I also lecture, teach university classes, hold a Masters in Photography, have articles published, exhibit my work around the world, and have printed professionally for years. This is a short video to introduce the topic to beginners, not a PhD thesis on the Callier effect.
Thanks, very helpful!