Colorstar 3000 - Article by Frances Schultz

[Eric Rose]

I have a PDF of an article written by Frances Schultz for Darkroom User magazine in 1997 covering using the Colorstar 3000. I had a Colorstar but never really used it. Heck might still have it somewhere lol. Anyway I thought I would share this article with you just in case you have a Colorstar and might find this interesting.

If you want a copy just PM me with your email address and I will send it to you.

Eric

ps. Tried to attach the article to this post but I guess it was to big.

 

[pentaxuser]

It is a good article Eric but of course for it to make sense you have to have the Colorstar and I feel that without the instruction manual you might struggle. However by itself the manual is frankly difficult to read and understand fully. The Colorstar is a great machine but compared to the likes of the Paterson Analyser it is much more complicated and takes a bit of practice.

pentaxuser

 

[Eric Rose]

Probably one good reason why I never gave it a try.

 

[Mick Fagan]

It is a good article Eric but of course for it to make sense you have to have the Colorstar and I feel that without the instruction manual you might struggle. However by itself the manual is frankly difficult to read and understand fully. The Colorstar is a great machine but compared to the likes of the Paterson Analyser it is much more complicated and takes a bit of practice.

pentaxuser

Could you elaborate on how the Lici based Colorstar colour anlysers are more complicated than the Paterson analyser?

I really find this very hard to believe. I have owned some interesting colour analysers, as well as having access to some of the best colour analysers money could ever buy in an industrial colour lab working environment. Apart from video colour analysers, I have yet to see anything as simple and as accurate as the various Lici Colorstar colour analysers.

Mick.

 

[pentaxuser]

Personally, Mick, I even found the correct sequence of pressing the buttons on the Lici difficult. and to this day I am unsure of when to use the different probes i.e. actually recognising when a negative will not give me the correct colour balance with the "reduce to grey" filter covering the lens as with the Paterson. The manual is rather poor on this.

Once set up with the perfect print the Paterson is more intuitive and easier to use but of course can be fooled by a negative that has a predominance of one colour which the Lici can overcome by several spot readings.

Incidentally I never could get to the exact figure of .55 density when doing the neutral grey test but as Frances says "close is good enough" . In the same way, I suppose that one flickering light only on the three light "Y" is neither here nor there.

I think I am saying is that in the vast majority of negatives the Paterson will give a very acceptable print with a lot less "messing about" but yes on occasions a second or third print re-balanced by eye and experience will be required whereas correct use of the Lici will nail it first time

I think the problem with the Lici is that as an occasional colour printer, I had to re-read the manual each time and still felt unsure if I was doing things correctly whereas after a gap of several years I feel I could use the Paterson almost instantly.

It may just be a case of needing more frequent practice with the Lici to "pattern" the brain into doing the right thing. It is an analyser where I would have given my right arm for an experienced Lici user by my side whereas I managed the Paterson on my own.

It may be that if I start colour printing again I could do with an experienced user such as yourself when I hit a problem. If you have the time and no objection I'd appreciate an exchange of PMs should a problem arise.

pentaxuser

 

[Mick Fagan]

Thanks for the explanation.

One does need to be in the groove, so to speak. So if you are not practicing by reasonable bouts of regular colour printing, then, as you say, it becomes a bit hard.

Mick.

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks for the explanation.

One does need to be in the groove, so to speak. So if you are not practicing by reasonable bouts of regular colour printing, then, as you say, it becomes a bit hard.

Mick.

That sums it up well, Mick. I was almost going to add to my explanation above, an analogy with the RH Designs B&W Analyser Pro. I have this beast but have yet to use it. When I read the instructions it is clearly a little more complicated than using a simpler analyser such as the Philips PDT and again it will be practice that counts.

There is no doubt that once fully familiar with the Analyser Pro or Lici Colorstar both have advantages over the Philips and Paterson for B&W and colour respectively.

pentaxuser