Enlarging from 8x10

[Brian C. Miller]

Based on the comments in the New Portra 400 Film (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=66601) thread, I'd really like to know how many 8x10 shooters out there actually print enlargements from their film, either from a scan or an enlarger.

[IanG]

Brian, I only enlarge at the moment, 40x30 is about the maximum I can do at present although I've enlarged 5x4 to somewhere around 20ft in the past and would do the same if needed from my 10x8 negatives.

Ian

[BennehBoy]

16x20 for me thus far (but much larger intended). My use of 8x10 has always been more about the look more than what size I can get prints up to/grain - I think I'm somewhere outside the curve on this though.

PS - I also scan to print.

[John Bowen]

I've got the 8x10 conversion for my Beseler enlarger, but have never set it up.....

So far, I've been happy to contact print, but one of these days I may end up with a negative of an AA type of landscape that just screams to be enlarged....

When I want a print larger than 8x10, I pull out the 7x17...

[ljsegil]

16x20 from a scan is my most common print from whichever of my photos I deem (probably mistakenly) to be worth looking at. I believe that with the Epson V750 that the image quality I can get from 8x10 is marginally superior to that of 4x5 or 5x7 (all wet mounted, 8x10 on the bottom of a sheet of ANR glass, not height adjustabe by me anyway, 4x5 and 5x7 on Betterscanning's variable height fluid mount), though the difference is not great. But I do simply get more pleasure (back excluded) shooting 8x10 than the smaller formats, and that counts for something to me. I most commonly do shoot color and will be stocking up on the Portra 400 8x10 while I still can, both for 8x10 use and cut down for 4x10. And I did load my freezer when we did the special order for 5x7 Portra last year. Of note, we tried to arrange a special purchase from Kodak for 8x10 E100VS but could not obtain enough orders to meet Kodak's minimum. If there is interest out there for that product we could try again to achieve the necessary numbers. Special orders with Kodak are possible (see Keith Canham's site for what will be an ongoing repository for potential special buys in odd sizes with the potential of multple emulsion choices from Kodak) but Kodak does not make it easy to achieve their minimum purchase requirements and they do extract their pound of flesh if they do produce the film. But when the need requires, the effort is worth attempting.
Larry

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

I print with a Durst 184 and an Aristo VCL on either 16x20 or 20x24 which are great sizes for B&W's.

[Frank Petronio]

I scan it. 8x10 scans great on a cheap Epson flatbed and you can easily go 30x40 from those (and I have, just not everyday).

[Ben Syverson]

8x10 isn't even breaking a sweat at 30x40... You still won't see grain at 50x60.

[John Kasaian]

I've got an Elwood enlarger. I seldom use it though---8x10 contacts have a look I enjoy.

[BetterSense]

For those that print optically, what kind of paper do you use? How do you process it? Giant BTZS tubes?

[IanG]

For those that print optically, what kind of paper do you use? How do you process it? Giant BTZS tubes?

B&W - usually taped on a board processing either with a sponge or spray (the garden type - all plastic). I buy 40" rolls from Ilford FB or RC.

Ian

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

The best way to process roll paper is to make a 46" long dish or tank in a kind of a V shape 7" wide at the bottom and 12" wide at the top . The roll paper has a natural curl and you can process it by rolling it from one end to the other in a gallon or a gallon and a half of chemicals. You make one dish for developer one for stop bath and one for fix.
Those tanks are best made from waterproof play wood and made water tight with silicone. You can also make them from cheeper material and line them with plastic. In a dish like this you can process paper up to 44" wide and 25' long.

[Mark Woods]

I regularly enlarge my 8x10 negatives with my Besler.

[ic-racer]

Now I projection print my 8x10s at sizes from 5x7" to 16x20". I'm still collecting enough good negatives before I gear up to do some big prints.

[eric black]

I was in Colorado visiting friends and hanging on the wall (it was a big wall) of their place in Snowmass was a 8 foot x 10 foot enlargement of a color shot of aspens that had been divided into 3 vertical panorama prints each a little under 2 1/2 feet wide. The lack of grain leads me to believe that it was an 8x10 enlarged to that size and then divided up and printed on a large format printer. It was mounted to some type of mdf board from what I could tell. As a triptych it worked quite well as each print could indeed stand on its own- if I had walls that could take something like that Id be inspired to get back into 8x10 shooting. for now Ill concentrate on getting a 40" x 100" print out of my 4x10 someday.

[Drew Wiley]

I optically print 8x10 negs onto 30X40 Fuji C paper, and chromes onto Ilfochrome. My color enlarger is custom made, and the processing is done in a custom 30X40 drum unit. Of course, I make smaller prints too.

[Richard M. Coda]

I have done 16x20s in the darkroom. I plan on some 30x40ish inkjets in the near future.

[Neal Chaves]

I have a Beseler 45MCRX I reworked myself to take an 8X10 Aristo cold light head. Most of the time I make 11X14s from 8X10 negatives. I have made some 16X20s and 20X24s, processed and washed in trays. I also make many 8X10s (1:1) and no longer make contact prints, as the enlarger eliminates the need to handle the negative for each print. They look as good as a contact to the naked eye. I use my 250 f6.7 Fujinon W as an enlarging lens. I adapted the enlarger to take the 4X5 Crown Graphic boards in which my lenses are mounted.

[Gary L. Quay]

I make contact prints for now, but I'm building an 8x10 enlarger that I'd like to use for mural sized prints.

--Gary

[Bob Chambers]

There is a Durst 8x10 enlarger for $1 on Detroit C----list. Somebody should grab this(I would but I already have an Elwood.)

[bob carnie]

I hand print murals on a 11x14 Devere and 8x10 Durst.
I print murals on a Lambda 76 and huge mongo prints on a Cannon 1PF9000

I am in the mood to up size my mural capabilities to 48x96 from enlargers, but need to build a new darkroom for this, hopefully next year.

Thanks to Dave Wooten and Donna Miller , I have a 8x10 studio camera and a 8x10 view camera to make negs. Using them both now and have the need to make some monster prints.

[BetterSense]

What do yall do with these monster prints? Do you have a steady supply of customers lined up to buy them? It seems like just making them for personal satisfaction or storing them in inventory hoping for a buyer is right out. Do you display them at art shows and sell prints that way?

[eric black]

What do yall do with these monster prints? Do you have a steady supply of customers lined up to buy them? It seems like just making them for personal satisfaction or storing them in inventory hoping for a buyer is right out. Do you display them at art shows and sell prints that way?

I can't speak to the 8x10 monsters, never had an order for one- for 4x5 and 4x10 monster prints of 40 inches x 50 or 100 inches, it typically a print made from a customers order (ie on demand printing-no inventory kept) Obviously sales of prints this size are a rarity, but I typically average around 1 biggee a year.

[bob carnie]

We sell them, not steady supply but customers.
We display them as well.

What do yall do with these monster prints? Do you have a steady supply of customers lined up to buy them? It seems like just making them for personal satisfaction or storing them in inventory hoping for a buyer is right out. Do you display them at art shows and sell prints that way?

[mcfactor]

Up to now I had just been making 8x10 contacts (both ra-4 and silver gelatin) but I just gained access to an 8x10 enlarger and am very excited to start using it!

[John Berry]

There is a Durst 8x10 enlarger for $1 on Detroit C----list. Somebody should grab this(I would but I already have an Elwood.) I know what you mean, guy offered me a corvette but I already had a pinto.

[Bob Chambers]

My Elwood and I take that as an insult, it's much bigger and heavier than a Pinto! Its more like a Model A Ford sedan and it's in my basement and working perfectly.

[Mark Woods]

If it works, don't fix it. ;-)

[Vaughn]

Alt processes usually -- occasional silver gelatin contact prints

[Philippe Grunchec]

I use an 810 DeVere, but I'm a little upset because it can't enlarge the whole negative (the black borders of the film): does someone have the same problem? I use a 240 G-Claron/

[John Berry]

My Elwood and I take that as an insult, it's much bigger and heavier than a Pinto! Its more like a Model A Ford sedan and it's in my basement and working perfectly. Just yankin' yer chain. I'm sure EW would scoff at the both of us.

[ic-racer]

I use an 810 DeVere, but I'm a little upset because it can't enlarge the whole negative (the black borders of the film): does someone have the same problem? I use a 240 G-Claron/

A longer lens will make the mixing box image larger in relation to the negative. I assume you have a big enough negative carrier to show the edges.

The Durst 1840 with Laraneg or Negateil negative carriers will show all, but just barely. The negative has to be perfectly centered on the glass carrier.

[Philippe Grunchec]

You are right, the carrier is a little bit tight! May be I could have it filed? I'd like the advice of other DeVere users!

[L&Scape]

I drum scan my 8x10" slides and let a pro shop make 32X40" enlargements on aluminium. Sometimes 16x20" is better.

[Seymour]

I use a DeVere 8x10 verticle enlarger, and make color prints with the Colex 32 tabletop processor (no longer being sold). Colenta (Germany) however still sells their Studioline series (Mediaphot is the distributor in the U.S.) in sizes 14" to 32", all dry to dry and small tank volumes. If you can afford it, this is the way to go.