F Stop Timer

Cor · Feb 27, 2007

I agree with above posts that a f stop timer is a great tool, espec. the teststrip function of the R&H timer. Although I use it less then in the past:

I let made a Test Strip Printer as described in Ralph Lambrechts book, and use that now most often.

Basically a Test Strip Printer let you expose exactly the same "spot" of an image i.e. the most important highlight, say a face. The idea is that you move a piece of photopaper in even steps through the Test Strip Printer, exposing with increasing stops (I use 1/4 stops), so you can realy nail your exposure time.

With F-stop test strip function you expose a piece of photo paper with subsequent stops, so your important highlight gets only one exposure (which may or may not be the rright one).

The Test Strip Printer works a bit slower, but saves time and paper in the long run.

Best,

Cor

jstraw · Feb 27, 2007

Cor said:
I agree with above posts that a f stop timer is a great tool, espec. the teststrip function of the R&H timer. Although I use it less then in the past:

I let made a Test Strip Printer as described in Ralph Lambrechts book, and use that now most often.

Basically a Test Strip Printer let you expose exactly the same "spot" of an image i.e. the most important highlight, say a face. The idea is that you move a piece of photopaper in even steps through the Test Strip Printer, exposing with increasing stops (I use 1/4 stops), so you can realy nail your exposure time.

With F-stop test strip function you expose a piece of photo paper with subsequent stops, so your important highlight gets only one exposure (which may or may not be the rright one).

The Test Strip Printer works a bit slower, but saves time and paper in the long run.

Best,

Cor

According to the manual, there are two test strip modes. One of them does a series of complete exposures that will work perfectly with your test strip printer.

Curt · Feb 27, 2007

Im convinced that I need one now, the savings begins. Do I want the three hundred model or the sixty plus dollar model? What's difference between the Darkroom Automation and the RH timers? The RH is twice the price, is it twice as useful?

FrankB · Feb 28, 2007

I have an RH Designs Stopclock Pro. Because of the price I thought long and hard before I bought it. It came with a money-back guarantee but after my first session with it you'd have had to pry it from my cold dead hand! Its method of use suits me down to the ground and I find the additional features extremely useful. It's easily the best-spent money in my darkroom.

However, I have no experience of the Darkroom Automation timer or your workflow and therefore can't say what will be best for you. Most people will be in the same boat.

The best advice would probably be for you to get hold of the manuals for each unit (I believe both are available for download from the manufacturers' sites), assess the features offered by each and work out which is best for you.

Curt · Feb 28, 2007

I have an RH Designs Stopclock Pro. Because of the price I thought long and hard before I bought it. It came with a money-back guarantee but after my first session with it you'd have had to pry it from my cold dead hand! Its method of use suits me down to the ground and I find the additional features extremely useful. It's easily the best-spent money in my darkroom.

Frank, are you really sure, you like it you sound a little uncommitted?

OK, I will start saving for one, everyone sounds like it is a valuable piece of darkroom equipment. After all what's the use of having a nice enlarger and everything else when a cheap timer makes it difficult to be consistent?

FrankB · Feb 28, 2007

Curt said:
Frank, are you really sure, you like it you sound a little uncommitted?

Why not ask around and see if there's anyone in you area with one that would give you a demo?

Curt · Feb 28, 2007

Jee Frank I was using some dry British humor, I do believe what you and the others have said and think the RH timer is worth the investment. I look forward to getting one as soon as I can.
Thanks
Curt

FrankB · Mar 1, 2007

Curt said:
Jee Frank I was using some dry British humor, I do believe what you and the others have said and think the RH timer is worth the investment. I look forward to getting one as soon as I can.

Yes, I know. I truly didn't mean to imply that you doubt myself or the others, hence the smiley at the start of my message.

(It's so difficult to be understood and to understand when all you have is the written word without facial expression and tone of voice to use as a guide. I think it's the one major failing of Internet forums and email as communication media. However, I should have made my post clearer - Apologies! )

My post was a serious suggestion. If you go for either timer it's a significant outlay and what is right for others (while it's a useful guide) may still not be right for you. There's never any real substitute for a hands-on session, so if you can arrange it then it might be well worth your while.

I'm in a similar situation over other kit. I'm looking for a backpack that will allow me to haul my MF and 135 outfits to a location and back. I've narrowed it down to a couple of models on recommendation and (funnily enough) whilst both packs will hold the gear and do the job, one has more features and is much more expensive than the other!

Parallel situations or what?!

Cor · Mar 1, 2007

jstraw said:
...
Originally Posted by Cor View Post
I agree with above posts that a f stop timer is a great tool, espec. the teststrip function of the R&H timer. Although I use it less then in the past:

I let made a Test Strip Printer as described in Ralph Lambrechts book, and use that now most often.

Basically a Test Strip Printer let you expose exactly the same "spot" of an image i.e. the most important highlight, say a face. The idea is that you move a piece of photopaper in even steps through the Test Strip Printer, exposing with increasing stops (I use 1/4 stops), so you can realy nail your exposure time.

With F-stop test strip function you expose a piece of photo paper with subsequent stops, so your important highlight gets only one exposure (which may or may not be the rright one).

The Test Strip Printer works a bit slower, but saves time and paper in the long run.

Best,

Cor
>>>
According to the manual, there are two test strip modes. One of them does a series of complete exposures that will work perfectly with your test strip printer.

Hi Michael,
I checked the manual, I believe my Fstop Clock (it's an old model just called F Stop Clock) does not has this option, or I missing something.

What I do is I start with a base exposure, expose a strip of paper, move the paper one step in the test strip printer, add a 1/4 stop onto the base exposure, expose, and so on.

BTW one thing I realy like from the F Stop clock is the possibilty to program various burn steps, it's a extremly usefull function, and a bit "underexposed" in this discussion. (the beauty is also that you can use the same burn settings on a bigger print, or even on anther paper, although there may be some tweaking required, you'll have a nice starting point, once you have nailed down your base exposure)

Best,

Cor

Curt · Mar 1, 2007

Frank, I know, I too didn't want to be misunderstood, I, as usual, over wrote again. By the way, a couple of generations ago my great great grandparents all lived in either England, Scotland, or Ireland. I feel quite comfortable with it and very proud. I haven't worked up the complete family tree so the next search will be across the pond so to speak.

Curt

jstraw · Mar 1, 2007

Sorry Frank, I was referring to the Stop Clock Pro which is the unit I'm preparing to order. The fact that it can do both test strip modes is a big plus for me. I'm also buying a ZoneMaster II which may make test strip methodology moot somewhere down the road.

lee · Mar 1, 2007

I own a Stop Clock Pro. I am unclear was to what you mean when you state that it can do both text strip modes. There is a button function that allows you to make a test strip in the % of F/Stop. You still need to make the test strips. One clue is when you make the test strip start with an exposure over the full strip then cover the paper or strip and make another continue to do this until you completely expose the strip. If this is your understanding then pls forgive me for my not understanding your writings.

lee\c

jstraw · Mar 1, 2007

lee said:
I own a Stop Clock Pro. I am unclear was to what you mean when you state that it can do both text strip modes. There is a button function that allows you to make a test strip in the % of F/Stop. You still need to make the test strips. One clue is when you make the test strip start with an exposure over the full strip then cover the paper or strip and make another continue to do this until you completely expose the strip. If this is your understanding then pls forgive me for my not understanding your writings.

lee\c

It's in the section labeled "Test Strip Mode" on page 19 of this manual:

http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/StopClock_Pro_Vario_UM_v85.pdf

With a series of separate, rather than incremental exposures, one can use a test strip easel such as I made and move the paper under the enlarger to produce a series of exposures of the same area of the image over a range of f-stop densities.

What I do now without an f-stop timer and plan to do the same way with an f-stop timer is to use this method to determine the soft, base exposure. Then I switch easels and do the incremental method using the moving card over the entire print area (on top of the just-determined soft, base exposure) to determine the hard, base exposure.

The StopClockPro will, by switching between two test strip modes, do what requires mental gymnastics currently.

As for still needing to make test strips, that's where the ZoneMaster II comes in. In theory (I know nothing about performance in practice) it's ability to measure different exposure zones is supposed to eliminate the need to make test strips. Whether that plays out is something I'll let people that use the ZoneMaster II address.

lee · Mar 1, 2007

After looking at the RHDesigns website, I think you will would be money ahead to buy the Analyser II instead of a StopClockPro and a ZoneMasterII. You would save aprox 100 English pounds. Roughly175 dollars US. Granted the two different timers handle the exposure in different ways and I think the StopClockPro handles the exposure better and is really a better timer for the way I work. I have no plans for adding a ZoneMasterII to my setup. YMMD. That said, you are free to make any decision you want. The StopClockPro is one of the best pieces of equipment in my darkroom.

For whatever difference it makes, I make test strips with nearly every print. I use a whole sheet of paper and I too start with the yellow or green filter. When I am satisfied with that exposure I make another one using that time on a separate piece of paper and then switch to channel 2 and put the StopClock in test mode and make another test with the blue filter on top of the green exposure. That should give me both times I need for split printing. I generally mark the paper with a ball point pen to help me see where I have my cover for the strip.

lee\c

jstraw · Mar 1, 2007

lee said:
After looking at the RHDesigns website, I think you will would be money ahead to buy the Analyser II instead of a StopClockPro and a ZoneMasterII. You would save aprox 100 English pounds. Roughly175 dollars US. Granted the two different timers handle the exposure in different ways and I think the StopClockPro handles the exposure better and is really a better timer for the way I work. I have no plans for adding a ZoneMasterII to my setup. YMMD. That said, you are free to make any decision you want. The StopClockPro is one of the best pieces of equipment in my darkroom.

I've read all the manuals and played 20-questions with Richard and determined that SCP and ZII together have the feature set that I want...and in the long run, saving 100 pounds isn't worth sacrificing the features to me.

lee said:
For whatever difference it makes, I make test strips with nearly every print. I use a whole sheet of paper and I too start with the yellow or green filter. When I am satisfied with that exposure I make another one using that time on a separate piece of paper and then switch to channel 2 and put the StopClock in test mode and make another test with the blue filter on top of the green exposure. That should give me both times I need for split printing. I generally mark the paper with a ball point pen to help me see where I have my cover for the strip.

lee\c

The only thing you and I do differently is that on my soft test strip, every exposure is for the same print area where the relevant highlight has been identified.

Nicholas Lindan · Mar 1, 2007

There seems to be some misunderstanding on the positioning of Darkroom Automation’s products.

Our competitors in darkroom timers are Beseler, Omega, GraLab, Time-O-Lite, etc.. The timer was created to provide an f-Stop unit for the same or less money than a regular seconds-only timer. It’s the second cheapest digital enlarging timer of any sort. Among its competition it is the highest quality timer any sort.

It’s a darkroom timer - plain and simple.

jstraw · Mar 1, 2007

Nicholas Lindan said:
There seems to be some misunderstanding on the positioning of Darkroom Automations products.

Our competitors in darkroom timers are Beseler, Omega, GraLab, Time-O-Lite, etc.. The timer was created to provide an f-Stop unit for the same or less money than a regular seconds-only timer. Its the second cheapest digital enlarging timer of any sort. Among its competition it is the highest quality timer any sort.

Its a darkroom timer - plain and simple.

Ah, so it's a mistake to compare one f-stop timer to the other f-stop timer that's on the market. Silly me. :rolleyes:

Curt · Mar 1, 2007

There seems to be some misunderstanding on the positioning of Darkroom Automations products.

Our competitors in darkroom timers are Beseler, Omega, GraLab, Time-O-Lite, etc.. The timer was created to provide an f-Stop unit for the same or less money than a regular seconds-only timer. Its the second cheapest digital enlarging timer of any sort. Among its competition it is the highest quality timer any sort.

Its a darkroom timer - plain and simple.

The problem is: it's not that simple!

Wow rereading and rereading it a couple of times I come to the conclusion tht the solution to the solution that the solution I came to was an RH timer!

Marco Buonocore · Mar 1, 2007

I recently got my hands on one of the Darkroom Automation fstop timers, and am really thrilled with it. I've only had it for 2 days, but have probably printed for more than 20 hours with it. I don't usually get giddy about equipment, but it has been a revelation.

I think of all the hours wasted with my old time-o-lite and fstop chart, and it's boggling.

To anyone who's not already using the fstop method of printing, you really should try it. It's makes it so much easier to visualise the end result when building up a print with dodging and burning.

To those who use the fstop method, but with a chart and an analog timer, you should consider treating yourself to one of the digital timers on the market. The ease of use is amazing - you'll be flying through prints, I'm sure of it.

Whether it's RH Designs, Darkroom Automation, or whomever - they're fantastic tools. I showed my new timer to my father, who used to print alot in the 50's and 60's, and he was amazed. I ran him through a few prints, and he couldn't believe how efficient everything was. He then moaned about his old Gralab 300 for about 10 minutes.

I've got all next week set aside for printing a show I've got in May, so it will be a great test of the timer. Perhaps I'll post up more thoughts on the timer once I'm better aquainted with it. As it stands, I'm a very happy customer.

F Stop Timer

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