Good news for at least some of you amber-safelight-preference B&W printers! As promised, I tested the SuperBrights amber LED S‑11 screw base-type bulb, 7.5-Watt equivalent. https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...globe-bulb-27-lumens/440/#/tab/Specifications
It’s bright and it works for Ilford Warmtone FB. It’s great to know that I don’t have to worry about switching to red lights if my OC filters fade enough to fog.
Now, keep in mind, this paper is about half the speed of Ilford Classic FB, of which latter I have none on-hand. I’ll be interested to hear from someone who tests this bulb with it.
Here is a bit more about how I proceeded and my set-up, shown approximately in the diagram.
For decades, I have had just two, “bullet”-style, 5 .5 -inch round safelights, each with a 15-Watt light bulb and a Kodak OC filter. Both units are attached to the wall as high as my 8’ ceiling allows. As shown, one hangs at the washer end of the sink, approximately 4.7’ from the developer tray and aimed down and outward from the wall to cover the sink area. The other is roughly 4’ above the paper cutter, aimed down but angled about 30 degrees toward the dry mount press, simply out of caution.
I removed the filter from that one and substituted the LED bulb. Though it was certainly brighter, I didn’t fully realize how much until I had had the lights off for a bit while set up the test. It was so bright that I decided to aim it almost horizontally along the (light gray) wall and toward the adjacent wall area above the press. The reflected light was still was much brighter than the OC, so I crossed my fingers.
With only the sink safelight on, and no negative in the enlarger, I tested for exposure threshold of the paper in 1-second increments with a #2 contrast filter, finding 9 seconds to be threshold. I made a test strip of 1- to 12-second exposures, placed it on the enlarging table to the left of the enlarger, covered half the long dimension of the strip (right angle to the exposure steps) with a weighted mounting board, and turned on the LED for a full 8 minutes of exposure, which is about twice as long under the enlarger as I have ever had to keep paper in making a print.
I developed normally. There was zero sign of any darkening anywhere along the uncovered side of the test strip.
The brighter light from the LED, now spread out much more widely, created much better visibility at the enlarger with softer lighting. But every solution creates a new problem, of course. In this case, the light was bright enough to interfere somewhat with viewing a projected negative image when careful burning and dodging are required. And, since the bullet enclosure front was now open, I foresaw dust inevitably collecting inside. I cut an OC filter-sized circle of frosted mylar (or frosted whatever-it-is) that I use for dodging masks, to cover the open front and dim the light. That brought the illumination level closer to, though still a bit above, what I have had.
The remaining issue is that I find all that illumination of the press area, art table, etc.—a visually very busy area—a bit distracting; I not used to seeing it while enlarging. I may try making a collar to cut down the spill in that direction a bit.
The LEDs are so cheap -- ~$3 per -- that I ordered four. I should live so long!
For now I may leave the sink light as-is; perhaps I’ll try the LED in it and bounce it off the ceiling with some diffusion, to even out the lighting, but it could spill over to the enlarging area…
It’s bright and it works for Ilford Warmtone FB. It’s great to know that I don’t have to worry about switching to red lights if my OC filters fade enough to fog.
Now, keep in mind, this paper is about half the speed of Ilford Classic FB, of which latter I have none on-hand. I’ll be interested to hear from someone who tests this bulb with it.
Here is a bit more about how I proceeded and my set-up, shown approximately in the diagram.
For decades, I have had just two, “bullet”-style, 5 .5 -inch round safelights, each with a 15-Watt light bulb and a Kodak OC filter. Both units are attached to the wall as high as my 8’ ceiling allows. As shown, one hangs at the washer end of the sink, approximately 4.7’ from the developer tray and aimed down and outward from the wall to cover the sink area. The other is roughly 4’ above the paper cutter, aimed down but angled about 30 degrees toward the dry mount press, simply out of caution.
I removed the filter from that one and substituted the LED bulb. Though it was certainly brighter, I didn’t fully realize how much until I had had the lights off for a bit while set up the test. It was so bright that I decided to aim it almost horizontally along the (light gray) wall and toward the adjacent wall area above the press. The reflected light was still was much brighter than the OC, so I crossed my fingers.
With only the sink safelight on, and no negative in the enlarger, I tested for exposure threshold of the paper in 1-second increments with a #2 contrast filter, finding 9 seconds to be threshold. I made a test strip of 1- to 12-second exposures, placed it on the enlarging table to the left of the enlarger, covered half the long dimension of the strip (right angle to the exposure steps) with a weighted mounting board, and turned on the LED for a full 8 minutes of exposure, which is about twice as long under the enlarger as I have ever had to keep paper in making a print.
I developed normally. There was zero sign of any darkening anywhere along the uncovered side of the test strip.
The brighter light from the LED, now spread out much more widely, created much better visibility at the enlarger with softer lighting. But every solution creates a new problem, of course. In this case, the light was bright enough to interfere somewhat with viewing a projected negative image when careful burning and dodging are required. And, since the bullet enclosure front was now open, I foresaw dust inevitably collecting inside. I cut an OC filter-sized circle of frosted mylar (or frosted whatever-it-is) that I use for dodging masks, to cover the open front and dim the light. That brought the illumination level closer to, though still a bit above, what I have had.
The remaining issue is that I find all that illumination of the press area, art table, etc.—a visually very busy area—a bit distracting; I not used to seeing it while enlarging. I may try making a collar to cut down the spill in that direction a bit.
The LEDs are so cheap -- ~$3 per -- that I ordered four. I should live so long!
For now I may leave the sink light as-is; perhaps I’ll try the LED in it and bounce it off the ceiling with some diffusion, to even out the lighting, but it could spill over to the enlarging area…
