[pure-silver] Re: Weak Blacks

Eric Neilsen wrote:

Jean, Did you test your Dmax and contrast of your VI against anything else?
Several years back in was my pleasure to print with both a VI and an Aristo
VC head mounted on an Omega with a Metrolux II timer. The Aristo was by far
the better light source in terms of contrast range; both flatter prints and
prints with more contrast. To that end, I'd also suggest that anyone with an
older set of filters to also try them against a new set. You might just find
that you are really operating a 1/2 to a stop or more short of your papers
maximum range.


I did not. First, while I do it, I hate running tests.
Second, when I got the Zone VI head I do not believe Aristo made one like it, though they certainly do now. In any case, I probably would still have gotten the Zone VI for the reason that they had the lamps stabilized by photocells looking at the tubes.
The two problems I have with the Zone VI head is that it is too dim, necessitating about double the exposure time I got with an Aristo D2-HI on graded papers, requiring me to use my enlarger lens almost wide open (opens only to f/5.6 which may not be ideal. F/8 seems good though, but I cannot use their overall brightness control know: I must leave it at max all the time. Not a big deal.
The green tube does not stabilize well. I do not know if this is a defect in the circuitry of what. I cannot tell if the unit has a heater for the tubes or not. If I plug the unit in and turn on the main switch and let it run like that for 1/2 hour or so, the blue tube will stabilize if I turn the tubes on for a few seconds, but the green tube requires 10 or 15 minutes before the stabilizer takes effect. If I then make a print, and process it through starting the wash step, the green tube will cool off and not stabilize, even if I turn both lights on max for focusing the next print. I must spend a minute or so to get it to stabilize again. This is a disappointment.
As far as contrast is concerned, I get enough. I was sorry I could not see the difference (unless I engage in wishful thinking) between grade 4 and grade 5, but in photographing since 1974, I have only one negative that needs grade 5. I photographed it to print well on grade 2 paper, and it does print OK like that. But it is a boring image that way. I printed it on some Grade 5 or 6 Agfa Brovira and that was much better. What I should do is make a contact print on Ortholith film and contact that again to get a negative. Then I would not need such hard paper.
So the Zone VI head is good enough for me, but I am prepared to believe that the Aristo VC head could be better than the Zone VI. 

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