I am the proud owner of a brand new AmerGraph ULF-28. The ULF-28 is a Continuous Wave Xenon printing light, designed for photographers printing with both silver and alternative processes. As I understand matters, I am the first person to own this unit, and in exchange for this considerable privilege I intend to work with it extensively over the course of the next few weeks, and eventually do a very thorough review of it for publication.
What I can tell you is this. The AmerGraph ULF-28 is physically similar to the NuArc 26-1k and 26-1ks series. But the difference ends there. The ULF-28 uses a 1200 watt continuous wave Xenon bulb, in contrast to the 1000 watt metal halide bulb of the NuArc 26-1ks. The difference between the two is significant, both in printing speed, in striking ability and in full radiation. First, the continuous wave Xenon light reaches full output almost immediately, so that 10 integrated units is in fact 10 seconds, and 250 integrated units is almost exactly 250 seconds. Second, the continuous wave Xenon bulb will strike up immediately after shut-off. And finally, printing speeds are much faster. My initial tests indicate that the ULF-28 is about 1.5 stops faster in printing speed than the NuArc 26-1k and my bank of BL tubes. This assessment may change with further testing, but that is what I am seeing right now. Also, the ULF-28 has a computer based program system that allows numerous pre-programming (ten in ROM and ten free base) possibilities not available in other light sources.
One of the purposes of the designers was to produce a light source that could be configured to print with both UV sensitive processes and with silver contact printing processes. The configuration involves a light attenuator, placed between the bulb and the sensitive material, to which one can add or subtract ND filters. I will be testing all of this for the review that I plan to do. I think this is an important feature of the unit since I anticipate that more and more people will be contact printing with silver papers in the future than projecti0n printing
More details to come, but my preliminary assessment is that the ULF-28 is one great printer for contact printing.
Sandy
What I can tell you is this. The AmerGraph ULF-28 is physically similar to the NuArc 26-1k and 26-1ks series. But the difference ends there. The ULF-28 uses a 1200 watt continuous wave Xenon bulb, in contrast to the 1000 watt metal halide bulb of the NuArc 26-1ks. The difference between the two is significant, both in printing speed, in striking ability and in full radiation. First, the continuous wave Xenon light reaches full output almost immediately, so that 10 integrated units is in fact 10 seconds, and 250 integrated units is almost exactly 250 seconds. Second, the continuous wave Xenon bulb will strike up immediately after shut-off. And finally, printing speeds are much faster. My initial tests indicate that the ULF-28 is about 1.5 stops faster in printing speed than the NuArc 26-1k and my bank of BL tubes. This assessment may change with further testing, but that is what I am seeing right now. Also, the ULF-28 has a computer based program system that allows numerous pre-programming (ten in ROM and ten free base) possibilities not available in other light sources.
One of the purposes of the designers was to produce a light source that could be configured to print with both UV sensitive processes and with silver contact printing processes. The configuration involves a light attenuator, placed between the bulb and the sensitive material, to which one can add or subtract ND filters. I will be testing all of this for the review that I plan to do. I think this is an important feature of the unit since I anticipate that more and more people will be contact printing with silver papers in the future than projecti0n printing
More details to come, but my preliminary assessment is that the ULF-28 is one great printer for contact printing.
Sandy