APPENDIX M Condenser and Diffusion Enlargers

 

The function of an enlarging light source is to provide enough light to cast the shadow of the negative onto the printing paper. Condenser and diffusion enlargers differ in terms of the quantity and the quality of the light they present to the negative.

The light from a condenser enlarger is usually provided by a tungsten bulb. The light from this bulb is focused on the negative through a series of large lenses called condensers. This focused light strikes the film in very straight, or collimated, rays.

The effect of a diffusion enlarger is much different. The light source is usually a fluorescent tube patterned into a grid. These tubes give off very little heat and thus are nicknamed cold ...

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