I have a Beseler 23c11 with a color head. Can I get good Black and White prints? Do I need a condenser head instead?

-- Peter (tuttgriggs@aol.com), May 30, 1999

Answers

Peter, At least 75% of the B&W prints are made using a colour head (dichroic) enlarger. When you print on multigrade paper you need filters to vary and control the contrast of the printed image. A colour head provides an infinite selection, and therefore control of this process. There are a few who still prefer a condenser enlarger (for some good reasons), but you will derive great satisfaction and quality with a dichro and MG paper combination.

Mike

-- Mike W. (mbworld@adan.kingston.net), May 30, 1999.

For many years, nearly 20 years, I've been printing my b/w photos with a color head enlarger. As an added note, I've been making high quality b/w prints from color negatives with a color head on my enlarger. Somewhere along the line, I found this color pack: 55 cyan + 25 magenta + Kodak's 2-1/2 variable contrast filter.

-- Joe R (jcrfoto@msn.com), June 04, 1999.

B&W w/dichro head

Peter, I too have a Dual Dichro color head on my 23c and in the instruction manual that I have it tells me just what filtration to use for printing with multi-grade papers. Without the MG paper I just use the enlarger w/no filtration and get superb results.

-- H. David Huffman (craptalk@ix.netcom.com), July 07, 1999.