Color printing: Does the lens make a difference?

[Gary L. Quay]

I've just started Color printing in my darkroom. So far, I like it. However, I've noticed that my colors don't "pop" like on the proof sheets from my local processor (Citizens Photo, Portland, OR). Is this just a matter of my lack of experience in color correction / paper choice (I'm using a Mitsubishi paper), or do newer enlarger lenses have a multicoating like camera lenses that helps with contrast and saturation like modern camera lenses? Needless to say, my enlarger lenses are ancient, but they are fairly sharp.

Thanks!
Gary L. Quay

[Robert Ley]

Gary,
The factors that can affect a color print in processing are:
1) the type and age of the color paper.
2) The technique and chemistry that you use for processing the paper.
3) The lens and the enlarger light source.
I am not familiar with Mitsubishi paper as I use Fuji almost exclusively. If you could give us some info on your technique and procedure for processing it would be helpful.

[Gary L. Quay]

My enlarger is a Bessler 23c with a Dichro head, which was owned last by someone who repairs darkroom equipment for a living. I've made no modifications.

The developer is Arista RA-4 at 90 degrees using a Bessler Uni-drum roller on a motor base. I pour the solution in at 92 degrees, expecting a 2 degree fall before I start it. The instructions say 1 min 10 sec, so I stop the roller at 1 min, and give mysely 10 seconds to pour out the developer and pour in the Blix. then I restart the motor base.

I have an adjustable thermometer that I bought when I owned a small fleet of espresso stands. The technique is placing it into a glass of ice water for ten minutes, then adjusting it to 32 degrees.

The paper is new. I bought it last month. I don't know much about the paper, other than one of my favorite camera stores uses it exclusively, and they say it's high contrast. Sadly, the paper will go off the market next year. I've been told that Kodak makes a high-contrast paper

It prints I've made so far (when I get the color balance right) don't look bad, but I'd like them to look better.

Thanks! I appreciate your time.
--Gary

[Robert Ley]

Gary,
Color processing is fairly dependent on time and temperature. The tighter that you can control these two variables, the more consistent will be your results.
The first thing that I would do is get a good thermometer. I would run a few tests with water and try and get the water coming out after 1:10 to be as close to 90 degrees as possible. You can temper the drum in some warm water 95 degrees or so. this will help to maintain the developer temp, but you will have to experiment on this. DO NOT skimp on the time, give it the full time that the chemistry requires.
Above all be consistent with your processing and you will get good results.
If color printing is something that you think you will like to do in the future, consider getting something like a Jobo CPA or CPP. This processor will allow you to get good consistent results and tight temp control as well as giving you a great way to process your film. I have a CPA2 that I use to process my 4x5 and 120 color negative and B&W film.
I would do all that I could to get my processing in order before I worried about the enlarging lens. You can get some great modern enlarging lenses on Ebay for very cheap prices. The digital revolution has been a boon to us analog guys.
If the Mitsubishi paper is going away, it might be a good idea to either standardize on Fuji or Kodak. I get Fuji-Hunt RA4 chemistry from Uniquephoto.com there prices are good and they ship very quickly.
Your Beseler enlarger is fine, an industry standard for years. I have used a Beseler 45 forever and it is first rate.
Good luck with your color printing and if you have any more questions, feel free to contact me off line.

[Gary L. Quay]

Thank you! I'll give it a try. I've been considering a jobo CPP-2 because I need to be able to get to at least 16 x 20. There's also something called a Jobo Nova Tri-Rapid processor. I don't know much about it, but it looks interesting.

--Gary

[Doug Herta]

Gary,

I use the CPP-2 for RA-4 processing and agree that the variables to keep under control are time and temperature. I have found it helpful to:

-Standardize on a couple films: I stick with NPH (now renamed), NPL, and 160S
-Photograph a Macbeth color chart and (try to) get it to match
-Get Ctein's book "Post Exposure"

[Gary L. Quay]

Gary,

-Photograph a Macbeth color chart and (try to) get it to match
-Get Ctein's book "Post Exposure"

Photographing a color chart hadn't occurred to me. I think that's a great idea. Thanks!

--Gary