Any update to the densitometer question? i.e. which one?

[JWMster]

Last thread reviewed on the subject posted that the Heiland densitometer is "the one". Xrite used has a nice price.
Xrite's stuff seems expensive... and old.

Then there's the case that we can get by without using a step wedge ... my default course.

Should I follow down the rathole, or stick with the stepwedge? If the rathole, then which one? FWIW, I'm a digital printer... which means I scan (yipes!) in order to print. I still think that density of the negative matters, but maybe not as critically for a wet print. Does this change anything?

Thanks for dealing with what I am sure is the zillionth time someone's asked the question.

 

[Bill Burk]

Oh shoot. If you scan the step wedge, and a negative at the same settings you can interpolate the densities of the negative.

 

[Alan9940]

To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what you're asking here... I don't know anything about the prices of used X-rite densitometers, but a few years ago I picked up a beautiful Gretag D200-II with several aperture, calibration scale, and manual all in its original hardshell case for something like $150. Being a loose practitioner of the Zone System for B&W photography, I had wanted a densitometer for many years, but couldn't afford one back when they were more commonly available and used in daily production. Nowadays, though, you should be able to find a nice unit for a decent price. I wouldn't worry too much about the name one it...just make sure it works and you can calibrate it. For the record, after testing many films over the years I've never used a step wedge.

 

[ProfessorC1983]

Oh shoot. If you scan the step wedge, and a negative at the same settings you can interpolate the densities of the negative.

This is exactly what I do, and I find it to be even more accurate and easier than using a manual densitometer. I have written a script to reduce the RAW TIFF scan to unique colors across ~1mm blocks, then compare those colors to my scan of the calibrated Stouffer wedge, convert to the corresponding logD, and can automatically compute the Dmin, Dmax and DR of every negative without having to hunt-and-peck with the dropper tool. Works great.