I recently acquired a Durst 184 8x10 enlarger with the Durst color head and had several questions as I get started with it.

Surely you can print B&W with this head? If I use polycontrast papers, I would think that you might be able to emulate the effects of the colored filters to change paper grade. Any recommendations? Is the light source even and bright enough?

Has anyone out there heard of Escovat enlarger lenses that were made in West Germany? Is there a resolution test target for enlarger lenses or do you just start printing and find out if they work for you? Thanks in advance.

-- Michael Kadillak (m.kadillak@attbi.net), January 18, 2002

Answers

"Surely you can print B&W with this head? If I use polycontrast papers, I would think that you might be able to emulate the effects of the colored filters to change paper grade.......Is the light source even and bright enough?"
Yes, yes, and yes.
These questions have been covered countless times in this forum already.

As for the lens - never heard of it. Make a couple of prints with it, and if you're satisfied with the results, then the lens is good enough. If not, just take a deep breath, dig deep, buy a Schneider Componon-S and have done with it.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), January 18, 2002.

Michael, Ctein's suggestion of using a graphic arts fine half-tone transfer as a "negative" worked great for me. While not quantitative, it is certainly qualitative and makes comparisons between lenses on resolution, contrast, and color fringing easy - even between two specimens of the same lens model.

-- Chauncey Walden (CLWalden@worldnet.att.net), January 18, 2002.

The 184 is a great enlarger-I have used many of them through the years and yes, utilizing the color filters you have great control over contrast utilizing Poly-Paper. How big do you plan to print? The head tilts and I have used this enlarger to go to much larger than 30x40 prints in the past, although it's pretty much a pain to square it up. Does your head have the alarms for blown bulbs? I highly recommend it if it doesn't. More than likely you do have the alarm.

Don't know the answer to the question about the lens. Never heard of that one, but the fact that it is West German is a good sign. I think you have a lot of testing/fieldwork ahead of you, but it will be worth it and you will never be disappointed in the Durst enlarger.

As to the responder citing ctein I would say learn your enlarger and lens. If it gives you the results you are searching for then you have been successful. I am not a huge believer in all of the lens testing crap. I look at sharpness and contrast in the final image. If it works, it works! If not, technique sharpness is in order. So far as I am concerned the finest enlarging lenses I have used--Rodenstock, Schneider--worked extremely well for me. For 35 mm the finest lens I EVER saw was the 60 mm Nikor, but I'm not sure it is still made.

Having said all of that, it is from past experience. Some pretty hard experience, come to think of it! Now ALL of my work is digital. Learn to incorporate analog photography with digital. It is the future!

-- fred (fdeaton@knology.net), January 19, 2002.