Condenser Head, Dichroic Head, Multigrade Head: What's the Real Difference, and When Is the Upgrade Worth It?

Most used enlargers you find on Marketplace or analog forums come fitted with a basic condenser head. Often it's the manufacturer's entry-level model, sometimes in decent shape, sometimes with a bulb that flickers. That's not necessarily a problem: condenser heads produce very good results, and plenty of photographers have printed their entire lives with one. But once you start working with multigrade papers like Ilford MGRC or Foma Variant, the question of filtration comes up. And with it, the idea of swapping out the head for something more convenient.

What this article tries to sort out: does it actually make a meaningful difference, will it work with your enlarger, and does it make economic sense?

What a condenser head does, and what it doesn't

A condenser focuses the lamp's light directionally toward the negative. The result is a print that reads as more contrasty, with well-defined grain and increased sensitivity to dust and scratches. That's the classic darkroom aesthetic, and it's genuinely appreciated for portraits and street work. Not a flaw, just a characteristic.

What a condenser head doesn't do is filter. To work with multigrade paper you need to introduce a filter into the light path. There are two ways to do it: slip a gel filter under the lens (or into a dedicated filter drawer if your head has one), or use a head that incorporates the filtration directly, like a dichroic or dedicated multigrade head.

The distinction between dichroic and multigrade heads is worth spelling out clearly, because the two terms get used interchangeably and they're not quite the same thing.

Dichroic or multigrade: not exactly synonymous

A dichroic head was originally designed for color printing. It contains three dichroic filters (yellow, magenta, cyan) adjusted separately via graduated dials. For black-and-white printing on multigrade paper, you only use the yellow and magenta channels, following a conversion table that Ilford publishes in its technical documentation. It works well, in most cases. The LPL C6700, C7700, and equivalent Kaiser heads are common examples you'll find used, generally somewhere between $80 and $250 depending on condition and the format they support.

A dedicated multigrade head like the Ilford Multigrade 500 (or the 600 variant) works differently: it uses two separate lamps, one blue and one green, whose relative intensities are controlled electronically by a separate control unit. You dial in the grade directly (0 through 5, in 1/10 or 1/2 stop increments depending on the model) without touching separate dials or consulting any chart. It's more direct, more repeatable, and it opens the door to techniques like split-grade printing without having to time two exposures separately.

What it actually changes in the darkroom

With gel filters under the lens, the workflow goes something like this: expose to assess, pull the filter to focus (or compose with it in place if your head has a filter drawer), reset exposure for the grade you want, expose. It's not a disaster, but it's manual and it demands discipline, especially in the dark. A filter dropped on the floor, a gel slightly misaligned, and you've lost time.

With a dichroic or multigrade head, you turn a dial or press a button. The workflow becomes noticeably smoother, especially when testing multiple grades on the same sheet. For split-grade printing (where you expose first at grade 0, then at grade 5 to control highlights and shadows independently), a dichroic or multigrade head simplifies the session considerably.

There's also an advantage that often gets overlooked: dichroic heads are diffusion heads, meaning the light arrives less directionally than through a condenser. That softens the visibility of dust and gives a slightly smoother grain rendering. For portraits or landscapes, many printers prefer that look. For graphically strong reportage work, or when you're chasing maximum apparent sharpness, the condenser still has the edge.

The gel filter option: not as limiting as you'd think

A set of Ilford Multigrade gel filters runs between $30 and $60 depending on the size. It's by far the most economical option, it works on any enlarger, and for the vast majority of everyday printing it gives results comparable to a dichroic head.

The caveat is durability. Gel filters scratch, get dirty, and can warp from the lamp's heat if left too close to the light source. Dichroic filters built into a head essentially don't wear out under normal conditions. Over time, a head pays for itself if you're printing regularly.

Compatibility by enlarger model

This is often where upgrade plans get complicated. Here's what the community has established through experience:

LPL 670 / 670XL / C7700: among the most versatile and best-supported used enlargers out there. They accept both condenser and color dichroic heads, which are often available separately on the used market. This is one of the rare cases where the upgrade involves no mechanical modification, just swapping the head.

Durst Laborator 138 / M670 / M707: excellent medium-format enlargers, but Durst's color heads (the CLS 500, for example) don't swap with other brands. You need Durst parts for a Durst enlarger. They're still findable, but sometimes it takes patience.

Beseler 23C / 45MX: very common in North America. Beseler made their own color heads (the "Dichro" head), and some third-party dichroic heads fit them as well. The Photrio community has good documentation on compatibility for these models.

Omega / Vivitar (Chromega): the Omega D2 and related enlargers accept a range of heads, including the Chromega B dichroic. Plenty of used options available in the US, fewer elsewhere.

Generic or budget enlargers (Krokus, basic Meopta, etc.): head upgrades were rarely part of the design. You work with gel filters, or you move to a different enlarger.

The economics

Rough numbers:

If you're printing occasionally, gel filters do the job cleanly. A dichroic head starts making sense if you print regularly, if you're doing split-grade work, or if you already have a compatible enlarger where the head swap is a factory-intended option. The Ilford Multigrade 500 is appealing for its precision and repeatability, but it's an investment that really justifies itself if you're printing in volume or working to nail intermediate grades with real consistency.

Going further

If you're considering an upgrade, three concrete starting points:

The Ilford Multigrade Under-the-Lens Filter Kit is still the most accessible way to try grade-based printing before committing to a new head. The complete kit (grades 00 through 5) gives you a clear sense of what the technique actually offers, without touching your enlarger.

The LPL C6700 or C7700 with dichroic head is the best-documented, most versatile pairing for anyone looking for a complete used enlarger with integrated filtration. Good-condition units show up regularly on used forums and eBay.

The Kaiser 4471 Multigrade head (for Kaiser System V enlargers) is worth considering for medium format work, with a direct grade-selection dial and even diffusion. It turns up at reasonable prices on European platforms, so if you're patient it's a credible option.

Sources

• dpreview.com — forum thread
• photrio.com — Buying used enlargers: what to check & avoid
• photrio.com — Dichro head vs multigrade filters
• photrio.com — LPL C6700 dichroic for B&W prints
• darkroomdave.com — Ilford MG500 operating manual
• searing.photography — Ilford Multigrade 500H
• jollinger.com — LPL enlargers
• labo-argentique.com — Agrandisseur photo argentique : bien choisir