F stop printing

mshchem · Sep 24, 2022

When I got out my copies of Way Beyond Monochrome, I recognized the chart, I remembered that I have a copy in my darkroom for reference.
My enlargers are, Beseler closed loop setups, use their own control boxes, and a couple of lovely Zone VI VC enlargers that came to me with the Metrolux II timers. The Metrolux timers lack logarithmic time but I have an app on my phone that calculates new times in stops.
I've used 1/2 stop test strips for decades.
Interesting thing about the Metrolux, Metered Light timers, these count in units of light from a photocell installed in the lamp. If you are using the soft end of contrast the "seconds" stretch out, hard end the beat quickens. As you change the intensity of the lamps it changes as well. These timers make cold lights a lot easier to use.

albada · Sep 25, 2022

mshchem said:
Interesting thing about the Metrolux, Metered Light timers, these count in units of light from a photocell installed in the lamp. If you are using the soft end of contrast the "seconds" stretch out, hard end the beat quickens. As you change the intensity of the lamps it changes as well. These timers make cold lights a lot easier to use.

Zone VI sold a metered process timer that stretched/compressed seconds based on developer-temperature measured with a probe.
But this is the first time I've heard of scaling seconds of exposure based on measured light-intensity. Clever!

mshchem · Sep 25, 2022

albada said:
Zone VI sold a metered process timer that stretched/compressed seconds based on developer-temperature measured with a probe.
But this is the first time I've heard of scaling seconds of exposure based on measured light-intensity. Clever!

I have the Zone VI development timer. I use it for printing, works well. Zone VI had a compensating timer for their cold light heads but I prefer the Metrolux solution. I would like to try the rh designs Vario compensating timer but the cost is a factor.

albada · Sep 25, 2022

mshchem said:
I have the Zone VI development timer. I use it for printing, works well. Zone VI had a compensating timer for their cold light heads but I prefer the Metrolux solution. I would like to try the rh designs Vario compensating timer but the cost is a factor.

Think about replacing your cold light with Heiland's LED lamp for about US$1400. Then you won't feel bad about spending US$500 for the Vario.

Pieter12 · Sep 25, 2022

mshchem said:
I have the Zone VI development timer. I use it for printing, works well. Zone VI had a compensating timer for their cold light heads but I prefer the Metrolux solution. I would like to try the rh designs Vario compensating timer but the cost is a factor.

Must be for film, because paper really doesn’t need much compensation for temperature.

Bill Burk · Sep 25, 2022

Pieter12 said:
Must be for film, because paper really doesn’t need much compensation for temperature.

I use software CompnTemp for print and film development.

I don't have to worry whether a test strip developed for 3 minutes at 68-degrees F earlier in the day will match a print developed for 3 minutes at 72-degrees F in the afternoon. Because with the setup, the 3 minutes will be 2 1/2 minutes real time.

mshchem · Sep 25, 2022

albada said:
Think about replacing your cold light with Heiland's LED lamp for about US$1400. Then you won't feel bad about spending US$500 for the Vario.

One of the Zone VI enlargers is an 8x10. I can't imagine what an LED source would cost???

I'm taking your advice, I just ordered the Vario timer. When my wife finds out I'm blaming the Internet

Pieter12 · Sep 25, 2022

Bill Burk said:
I use software CompnTemp for print and film development.

I don't have to worry whether a test strip developed for 3 minutes at 68-degrees F earlier in the day will match a print developed for 3 minutes at 72-degrees F in the afternoon. Because with the setup, the 3 minutes will be 2 1/2 minutes real time.

You must be making color prints. Black and white paper develops to completion, 5º would make no difference in development time. In my darkroom, 10º doesn't make much of a difference, except maybe giving me slightly deeper blacks at above 75º.

Pieter12 · Sep 25, 2022

mshchem said:
One of the Zone VI enlargers is an 8x10. I can't imagine what an LED source would cost???

I'm taking your advice, I just ordered the Vario timer. When my wife finds out I'm blaming the Internet

Once you add the controller and depending on the hardware to fit your enlarger, the Heiland costs $2800 and up. And they do make an 8x10 LED starting around $5K.

mshchem · Sep 25, 2022

Bill Burk said:
I use software CompnTemp for print and film development.

I don't have to worry whether a test strip developed for 3 minutes at 68-degrees F earlier in the day will match a print developed for 3 minutes at 72-degrees F in the afternoon. Because with the setup, the 3 minutes will be 2 1/2 minutes real time.

Fiber base paper is where I get very concerned about, temperature and time. Even the latest RC papers are sensitive to temperature fluctuations. I get some pretty cool temperatures even in summer months when the AC is blasting.

I wasn't aware of the CompnTemp software.

F stop printing

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