VC filtration settings & filter factors for V35 w/ colour module

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I just took delivery of a V35 with a colour module, but without an instruction manual. Reading up on the variable contrast literature, from Ilford, Steve Anchell (The Variable Contrast Printing Manual), Rudolph Seck (Leica Darkroom Practice), and a number of old threads here, I'm confused which settings I should be using. After a 14 year layoff from the darkroom, I could use all the help this forum's members are willing to offer.

Anchell indicates that Leitz/Leica enlargers follow the Durst standard, but then he states that there were 2 Durst standards - 130M and 170M. Yet the colour module on the V35 goes to 200M. Memories of Spinal Tap, where the guitarist's amp volume dial went to 11? :)

Each author has a different recommendation for filter settings. Some include filter factors, others don't.

For example, Seck has listings for Ilford Multigrade II: Grade Filter Factor 0 120Y 3 1 60Y 2 2 30Y 1.6 3 0 1 4 30M 1.7 5 200M 3

Anchell lists Ilford's recommendations for Multigrade IV RC, but without mention of filter factors: Grade Durst 170M Durst 130M 0 90Y 70Y 1 55Y 40Y 2 0 0 3 45M 30M 4 100M 75M 5 170M 130M

On Durst's website they provide the following numbers for Ilford Multigrade IV, no filter factor: Grade Durst 170M Durst 130M 0 88Y 6M 100Y 5M 1 64Y 12M 75Y 10M 2 45Y 24M 52Y 20M 3 24Y 42M 34Y 45M 4 10Y 69M 17Y 76M 5 130M 170M

On the Jobo website, they recommend these settings for Ilford Multigrade IV, no filter factor: Grade Durst 170M Durst 130M 0 84Y 10M 121Y 22M 1 64Y 19M 95Y 26M 2 42Y 44M 64Y 37M 3 23Y 61M 40Y 50M 4 12Y 77M 16Y 74M 5 170M 130M

And finally, Sheridan Zantis posted these numbers in a recent thread, again according to Ilford, also no filter factor: Grade 1 55Y 2 0 3 45M 4 100M 5 200M

Here are my questions:

(1) Which of the 2 Durst 'standards' does the V35 follow? (2) Of the 5 guides, can they all be right? For the same paper (except Seck) the numbers are similar for certain grades, but vastly different on others. (3) How do filter factors come into play? Is this something I need to be concerned with? If so, how?

Thanks in advance everyone.

-- Stuart Dorman (stuart.dorman@us.pwcglobal.com), March 24, 2002

Answers

Oh crap, I forgot that without the appropriate HTML code, the forum software wouldn't take my tabular formatting. Sorry this makes the numbers kind of difficult to read.

For Seck the sequence of numbers is: Grade, Filtration, Filter Factor. For Anchell, Durst and Jobo the sequence is: Grade, Filtration for Durst 170M, Filtration for Durst 130M.

-- Stuart Dorman (stuart.dorman@us.pwcglobal.com), March 24, 2002.


Hello Stuart...From an official Ilford printout 2001:Use of color heads. ... By adjusting the yellow and magenta filtration on color heads,it is possible to obtain a wide contrast with MULTIGRADE papers.

However,the maximum contrast will be slightly lower as the filters used in color heads are optimised for use with color paper and not with variable contrast paper.

Leitz V35 enlargers are mentioned separately in the single color filter settings table.

Leitz uses the Durst,not Kodak,filtration type in color enlargers.

Single Color Filter Settings. From the table below,read off the approximate filtration needed for each contrast step.However,as the yellow and magenta filters have not been arranged to equalise exposures,new exposure times will have to be recalculated when the contrast is changed.While these figures are a useful guide,the actual filtration needed for a particular enlarger can only be determined by trial.

Stuart,Ilford has two Durst Max. settings 170M and 130M and re;V35 Enlarger refers to the Durst (max 170M) type. Settings as follows:

00 150Y, 0 90Y,1/2 70Y,1 55Y,11/2 30Y,2 0,21/2 20M,3 45M,31/2 65M,4 100M,41/2 140M,5 170M* (* For the V35 enlarger use the magenta setting 200M as an approximate equivalent to filter 5.)

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), March 24, 2002.


Thank you Sheridan. Also, off list I received a couple of responses directing me to the following url: infomaniak

The answers there tie up very closely to Sheridan's recommendations.

I guess this is a good starting point. Time for me to experiment.

-- Stuart Dorman (stuart.dorman@us.pwcglobal.com), March 24, 2002.


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