Now that I have digital capability, I am abandoning 35mm B&W film and plan to use B&W strictly in MF and LF. I currently have a condenser head but an Arista Cold light head is available for my Omega. The question is,

I've gotten use to using MG VI FB paper with the condenser head and the VC filters. How will my printing procedures change with a cold head and VC? Will I be able to obtain the same range of contrast grades with the cold light? Any thing else I should be aware of before I order the Arista?

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@att.net), April 16, 2001

Answers

If you get an Arista Cold Light Head, make sure you get the tube suitable for VC printing. I don't remember the tube number, but it has blue and green phosphors in the same tube. Without this, it will be difficult to get low contrast ranges.

I haven't used this approach, but did have a Zone VI dual-tube cold light head, and was completely satisfied with the contrast range on MG IV RC. I didn't use MG FB with this setup, but other FB papers were fine with it, also. I would expect similar results with the dual phosphor single tube Arista head using filters.

What will likely change is the filter number you use to get the same effect in the print, since the color balance of the light source will be different. Whether that's higher or lower depends on the blue/green intensity ratios, but you'll probably figure it out quickly.

I am, however, curious as to why you want to make the change. Are you unsatisfied with the condensor prints? I'm not particularly biased towards one light source or the other, though I think diffused light is a little easier to use (emphasis on "little").

-- Charlie Strack (charlie_strack@sti.com), April 16, 2001.