This is
the most important tool in the darkroom after the enlarging lens. With this in mind you need to consider the following:
1. The number of negative sizes you may
wish to print. It is a good idea to get a multi format enlarger even if you are
only going to use 35mm.
2. The most appropriate lens size and
quality.
3. What type of negative illumination.
Diffuser or Condenser.
4. The maximum size of print you are
likely to make.
5. Whether you may want to do colour at
a later date. Colour headed enlargers can be used with multigrade papers.
As mentioned
in “3” the type of negative illumination you choose is worth a lot of consideration - there are positive and negative points to both.
Here are some of the pros and cons:
Diffuser
enlarger:
 |
| Diffuser light box |
This type of
enlarger design is used with colour and multigrade heads. The light travels
through a mixing box and semitransparent screen above the negative. To
counteract the drop off in light, these enlargers use a powerful quartz-iodide
bulb. This multi directional light
passes through the negative and down to the paper. The affect of this will
produce a gentler, softer quality to the
light, producing a less contrasty grade for grade photograph. As a
result damaged and flawed negatives lose or soften some of their faults.
There are
tonal differences between diffuser and condenser produced photographs because
of the way light passes around the silver particle's. This is negated when
using Chromogenic monochrome and colour films as they rely on dyes to capture
the light.
Condenser
enlarger:
 |
| Condenser light box |
Uses a
plano-convex lens which spreads a bright hard illumination evenly across the negative. Supplied from a
opal tungsten lamp. The harshness of this light produces a contrast enhancement
that appears to make fine detail more
exaggerated. This crisp appearance to the photograph has the negative affect of
bringing into sharp focus the grain, any scratches, flaws and dust from the
negative, meaning more time spent on retouching. These enlargers are subject to
the Callier affect this is where the highlights in the negative scatter the
light more than the shadow areas creating the increase in contrast.
