First Printing Session with the Zone VI enlarger

I don't think I'll be going back to the D-2.  I spent the morning experimenting with the new enlarger and was very impressed with the compensating timer which allows changes in exposure down to a .10 of a second or exposure unit and the ability to dial different variables of soft and hard contrast.  It allows me to make test prints much faster and more accurate and to really tweak contrasts and because the timer compensates for changes in light I don't have to rerun a test print when I change contrast controls.    The light is much brighter then it looks I was having to stop down my lens to f-16 and making only 20 second or exposure unit exposures.  I was using a 50mm el-nikkor and enlarging 35mm negs to roughly 5x7 on 8x10 sheets of warm tone ilford paper.  The focus controls are very fine.  So far the only thing I don't like is that the light when lifted up to install the negative carrier doesn't lift up very high so I can't do my spot cleaning of negatives while they are positioned on the negative stage.  Still the light has a gasket around it that really seals up any stray light and any stray bits of dust once you get the negative and carrier clean.  I also don't like that the safe light lacks a electrical outlet to plug in my safelight the way the Omega Gra-Lab timer does so that when the enlarger comes on the safe light automatically shuts off.  Small things that I have to give up for some huge benefits in the controls though more then compensate.