Enlarging Timers, What do you use?

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I've used both a Gralab and a Time-o-lite. Both are mechanical and I greatly prefer the Time-o-lite. I prefer it to the point that I own three. Two professionals and one master. The master is the newest, but I use the oldest professional as it has the footswitch outlet (which is invaluable).

I never liked the Gralab. I felt it was much more suited for film development or timing alternative processes. Also, the lower end time-o-lites (the plastic ones) felt cheap and were a bit more difficult to adjust. They still worked fine in the end.

I've never really felt like my timer has limited me. Do you really need 1/10th a second? I'm sure it must be nice for.. flashing or duplicating negatives but I still get by.. I see these nice epoi timers on ebay and wonder if maybe I should get with the times (no pun intended).

On a side-note, I remember reading that Clyde Butcher himself uses a professional time-o-light and prefers mechanical to electronic. Also cell phones and other electronic gizmos are not permitted on his darkroom tours apparently. And he doesn't use those black plastic bags for paper! He just keeps the sheets in the box, loose!! Blasphemy! I wish I could recall the article, I believe it was on largeformatphotography.info..

What timers do you like and why?

 

[ben-s]

I've only used 2 timers, the first is an electronic one I built, which worked quite nicely. I gave it a foot switch and .5 sec resolution.
The timer I'm using now is a mechanical Hauck TU20.
I don't know which I prefer, both have useful features - the Hauck is simpler to set, but I did like the foot switch on my homemade unit.

 

[jeroldharter]

I have used a GraLab 300, 451, and 900 as well as a Jobo Colorline 5000, Time-O-Lite, Jobo Multitronic, and RH Designs StopClock Pro.

Far and away, the RH Designs is the winner for B&W enlarging. The f-stop timing, dry-down compensation, split contrast mode, two channels, memory for burning sequences, etc. are invaluable. I could not go back to a regular, linear timer. It would drive me nuts at this point and take me much longer to produce a good print. I think you will find a lot of people who are passionate about those timers because they really allow for creativity and skills to develop more quickly. I rapidly became a much better printer after I learned how to use that timer. I could get along with a different enlarger or light source, other types of darkroom equipment but my timer would be one of the last things I would give up. Although less essential, their flasher is nice too.

 

[Bob F.]

Originally, a metronome, a switch for the enlarger lamp and a piece of card to start/stop exposures and now the built-in timer of my AC1200 enlarger. Quite a jump between the two, but if the AC1200 control unit failed I'd go back to the metronome (built-in to my guitar tuner) rather than use a normal in-line timer (or possibly splash out on a RH Designs timer).

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Jim Noel]

I have used at least a dozen different timers over the years. The best for me is a metronome. I figure if it was good enough for Ansel it is good enough for me.

 

[MattKing]

I use a Beseler 67 enlarger with a colour head. I regularly have problems with my exposure times being awkwardly short. Even with extra neutral density added in, I'm often dealing with exposure times less than 10 seconds.

To achieve any fine adjustments, especially when split contrast printing, a digital timer offering 0.1 second adjustments is very handy.

Matt

 

[galyons]

I have used mechanical and digital timers, Time o Lights to Gralab 450. I have been using the StopClock Pro for a few years now. Would never consider going back.

Cheers,
Geary

 

[Neil Poulsen]

I use a Graylab 300 for general purpose stuff. I have a Zone VI developer compensating timer for film and sometimes paper, and I have the Zone VI compensating enlarging timer for my enlarger.

Fortunately, I ordered an extra Zone VI sensor that I can use with any enlarger before they discontinued the timer. I'd like to have another, but of course, they're no longer available.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

RH Designs Stop Clock Pro - a recent convert but absolutely hooked

Would never go back

Expensive - but worth every penny

Didn't realise how much hesstle a conventional timer was until I was rather reluctantly persuaded to buy the RH timer

After the first hour in the darkroom with it I knew it was money well spent

Printing is sooo much easier with it - spend more time thinking about the tones of the print and almost no time thinking about the timing

Marvelous peice of kit

Martin

 

[tbm]

RH's Stop Clock Pro here, too. One of the greatest inventions in the world!!!!

 

[Monophoto]

For enlarging, Ivuse an antique GE X-ray timer - something that I bought (used) when I frst set up a darkroom more than 30 years ago.

For processing, I use a Gralab 300 that I purchased at a photo flea market for $5.

It ain't brain surgery - you don't need fancy tools.

 

[vdoak]

an electronic metronome for enlarging, for everything else an electronic egg timer. Both were dirt cheap and work as well as anything else I've used.

 

[steckmeyer]

Darkroom Automation f stop timer and enlarger meter. $350 all in. I've been using both since November and will never use anything else. Once you calibrate your enlarger you will save the price of the meter and timer in paper.

 

[juanito]

a gralab 451

 

[BradS]

Cranky old Time-O-Light for the enlarger and a Gra-Lab 171 (or, 172?) for film processing. I don't think I paid more than $15 for either of them (used). They get the job done and I figure I have better things to spend money on.

 

[J Ollinger]

I've used a simple Time-o-Lite for years, and still use it on the Vivitar. When I got the Omega D5, I put a Chromegatrol on it. Before that, I had a home-brew electronic timer that was nice but a PITA to set.

I have a Gralab 300, and like most people, find it far better as a process timer than for an elarger. I usually just set it for 59 minutes and let it count down, and reset it each hour as needed.

 

[Paul Howell]

Heath Kit I built in the 70s, GE interval timer with my cold light, and 2 Gray labs for film and paper, one at each of my Sink.

 

[panastasia]

I use a Graylab 300 for general purpose stuff. I have a Zone VI developer compensating timer for film and sometimes paper, and I have the Zone VI compensating enlarging timer for my enlarger.
QUOTE]

Same here, but I use the developer compensating timer for all film/paper development - always.

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon,

I use a Gralab 300, purchased new in the 1970's and still going strong, for printing. For film processing, I use a clock on the wall, backed up by a simple kitchen timer, in case I suffer a brain cramp and forget exactly when I started!

Konical

 

[kraker]

Since my first day in the darkroom I've used a Philips PDT 024, a combined light meter and enlarger timer. Well, maybe not from the first day. I guess my first prints were just made by way of counting something that may or may not have been seconds.

Anyway, yesterday my Stopclock Pro arrived. Did some "dry runs" outside the darkroom to get a feeling of how to operate it, and I'm certain of two things: this will take some getting used to, but this will be a revolution. It may complicate things at first, but it'll make them easier in the end.

Some have said the Stopclock Pro is the best thing since sliced bread. I'm not sure yet, but it very well may be. Besides, I think sliced bread is highly overrated .

 

[selenium96]

I have a GraLab 450 hooked up to my enlarger and for film and paper souping I use an old Time-O-Lite EZC-73. The buzzer on the Time-O-Lite is so loud it can double as a fire alarm.

 

[manfromh]

I use a fairly old russian one called Sura-2 (i think). Its digital and works great.

 

[Anscojohn]

Like Paul Howell, I have a Heathkit. Added the foot switch. Has worked well for many years.

 

[Ole]

Another metronome user here. That's one of the few areas where I agree with Ansel Adams...


For me it has an added advantage now that I'm using a CFL bulb: The light stays on the whole time, so exposure is controlled by the lens cap!

 

[Marco Buonocore]

I use a Darkroom Automations fstop timer - one of the older models, without the memory. Alongside my Rolleiflex TLR, it's the most wonderful piece of equipment I've got. I've had it for a year and a half, now and I couldn't be happier with it. I'd like to get the enlarging meter as well; one day!