> Why does exposure supposedly change when filtering for VC papers and it > doesn't > change with VC head? Does it really change?
Frantisek, It changes with the Saunders enlargers because they have ND filters that change as you change the filtration. The way the Saunders dichro-type enlargers work is that inside the head you have a quartz bulb (like a slide projector bulb) firing sideways through a hole into a large light-mixing box lined with white material similar to styrofoam that has a translucent white plastic diffuser panel on the bottom (above the negative). At the hole through which the light passes, there are three glass filters on a complicated mechanism that causes each one to cover more or less of the hole as you dial the VC filtration dial. With minimal magenta or yellow filtration, the ND filter covers more of the hole; as you add colored filtration, the ND filter gradually moves aside. It's all carefully calibrated, of course. It really works well and it's an absolute pleasure to use. I do agree that using an enlarger meter is a good way to get to a "first print" very efficiently. For those in the U.S. and Europe, JOBO makes a good one. I never use mine, however, because after all these years I can simply look at a negative and get to a decent workprint on the first try without using the meter. --Mike * * * "You never know when the shot of a lifetime will appear before you. You do have a say in what kind of film is in your camera when it happens." (Mark Roberts) * * * Find out about Mike Johnston's unique photography newsletter, "The 37th Frame," at http://www.37thframe.com. - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
