Since the OP wants to transfer all the info from a 4x5 negative to an 8x10 negative, is he after as close of a match as possible (same curve and density as the original, with no loss in resolution (if that is the correct usage of the word)? Or are there changes happening that allows the 8x10 negative to be reproduced in a different process requiring a different density range? For example a 4x5 neg that makes a great silver gelatin print, and the enlarged 8x10 is used for platinum printing. Some of these changes might drop out some detail in shadows or highlights if not handled carefully.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
Will a shotgun kill a duck? Same kind of question. It depends on certain variables including aim. A contact print holds subtle tonality better, while an enlargement allows you actually see more of the detail present, esp when the original is fairly small. Printing from a masked original lets you have your cake and eat it too in certain cases. I certainly know how to make high-quality enlarged negs, but whenever possible, prefer to generate internegs and interpositives via contact.
Has anyone ever made 8X10 prints from 8X10 negatives with an enlarger? Once I started doing that, I never made contact prints again. There may be a very sight difference in image quality, but the trade-off of not having to handle the negative for each test or print, the ease of dodging and burning, the freedom from Newton Rings make it well worthwhile.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
The other thing to remember is a contact print might look sharp, but not necessarily is...
Due to the necessity that the neg is against paper, diffused light normally used to expose it tends to "spread" around points on neg that can soften the shadow mask the neg provides... A harder light leaves a harder shadow in these places, so sharper...
The reason it is no big deal is that these "edges" are so small to the naked eye that we don't notice the degrading effect...
Enlarged images usually have a harder directional light that leaves a harder shadow on the material, so can have a better acutance... The effect was exploited when softer edged materials needed to be "sharpened" before digital technology...
A lens can be sharper under some different conditions... A key term here would be "point spread function"...
Steve K
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