Enlarging on Azo is now a reality

[Michael A.Smith]

Tonight Paula and I had the privilege of being the first, besides the inventor, Pat Brady, to test his new light source for enlarging on Azo paper.

Heretofore, Azo has been a paper for contact printing only. It is a slow paper and if one wanted to enlarge on this most beautiful of silver papers, the enlarging times were unduly long--easily getting to 15 minutes to one-half hour with a conventional enlarging head. A few years ago Durst came up with a 5000 Watt bulb so that one could enlarge onto Azo, but the cost is $6,000, I believe, and most folks would have to get their wiring upgraded to carry such a load.

Pat Brady's invention, by comparison, is a dream--no extra wiring, no hot lights, and short exposure times.

His invention is to use a set of four custom-made bulbs that put out light in the near-UV part of the spectrum. The four bulbs insure even coverage of the negatives. By using that part of the spectrum that Azo is most sensitive to, enlarging times are shortened considerably. Paula and I enlarged 4x5 and 2 1/4 negatives. Our exposures ranged from 30 seconds to two minutes and that was with our Super XX film which has a fairly high film base + fog density. With modern films, the exposure times should be less.

The housing for the light fits Beseler and Omega 4x5 enlargers and comes with its own voltage-regulated solid-state power supply. Each of the components is handsomely designed.

Although we will not be enlarging our LF negatives, because of this new light, at some point I look forward to reprinting all of the 35mm work I did during my first year as a photographer.

I understand that the light will be going to a few others to test during the next couple of weeks. After that, it will be at the LF Conference in Monterey in April and, I believe, it will be for sale at that time.

Paula and I think this is a great invention, and we hope it will help increase the sales of Azo as this slow paper will now be able to be used by those who only make enlargements. And that will help keep Azo in production.

[David R Munson]

Any idea what it might retail for?

[Michael A.Smith]

Not doing enlarging, I was under the impression that it would sell for what a cold light head sells for, and I thought that was about $1,000. I understand that the light for enlarging on Azo will be a bit more--that it will sell for "between $1,500 and $2,000." My guess is that the final price will be somewhere near the middle, but that is only my guess.

[Graeme Hird]

Michael,

How well did the negs print? Were you happy with the enlarged prints after contacting printing for so long?

Graeme.

[Michael A.Smith]

The prints were fine in every regard, although they did need one-half contrast grade higher than when they were contact printed. We went up a grade and used a water bath. As a result, if I were making nagatives to be enlarged I would make them with the same contrast range as for contact prints, not with the normal more compressed range one would make for other enlargements. It appears that it is the use of Azo, with its long scale, that is the determining factor here, and not the mere fact that the negative is being enlarged.

I must say that I did not enjoy the process of enlarging as much as I enjoy contact printing, although it seemed to go as smoothly as possible. What I think I didn't like the most was just having an enlarger sitting there. It made the work space less airy. But that is just a personal quirk. I had not used an enlarger since early 1967.

[Graeme Hird]

Thanks for your thoughts Michael.



One day I'll get some AZO from you, but I'll have to convince the wife I NEED a ULF camera first! :-) (I know I could make cute little 5x4 contacts, but I like big prints).



Cheers,
Graeme

[Michael A.Smith]

Then you can get this light head and 20x24 Azo and enlarge onto it.

Or get a box or two of 8x10 Azo and enlarge onto it--or make contact prints on it. You just might like them so much you might forget enlarging altogether. That has happened to others who work in 4x5.

[Tim Curry]

Michael, it sounds as if there are now no limits placed on azo, so perhaps others will get a chance to see what a good black & white print looks like. Sounds like it was worth the wait.

Was the filtration system easy to use?

Was focusing the same as would be expected? Was there another light source for focusing, or did the filter system allow this part of the process?

With the Omega D5-XL dichroic head, is it simply a swap situation where I would be able to remove one head and install the other and just continue working?

And wonderful indeed it is to hear about it on St. Patrick's day.

[George Hart]

Excellent news! Before we all pile in with requests for the new head(s) to be compatible with our enlargers, here's a bid for mine, the humble 6x9 Durst M805!!! It would be good if a set of adapters could be fabricated, like for the Ilford Multigrade head.

[Michael A.Smith]

Was the filtration system easy to use?

There is no filtration. Azo is a graded paper. Although the light comes with a UV filter for placing over the grain magnifier, and another for putting on the filter ring when focussing, so you are not looking directly into UV light.

Was focusing the same as would be expected? Was there another light source for focusing, or did the filter system allow this part of the process?

Focussing was as you would do it with any light source.

With the Omega D5-XL dichroic head, is it simply a swap situation where I would be able to remove one head and install the other and just continue working?

Yes. It will take five minutes the first time you do it and two minutes (at the most) to set up every time thereafter.

And wonderful indeed it is to hear about it on St. Patrick's day.

Yes, Pat was here on St. Patrick's day. If many who enlarge buy this light, I believe it will insure the long-term survival of Azo. So maybe Patrick Brady is the real St. Patrick.

Paula is printing some 35mm negatives right now and it is going smoothly. Exposures are a minute and she is using a lens for enlarging 4x5s. With the proper lens for enlarging 35mm negatives the times would be under 30 seconds. (The lens would be much closer to the paper.) And she is printing a dense negative. The print has those wonderful contact-print tonalities.