Film densitometer alternative

[Paul Ozzello]

Can any other tool be used to measure film density besides an xrite or heiland densitometer ($$$) ?

a spotmeter ?

 

[radiant]

Scanner will do.

edit: sorry wrong article, here is the correct one: https://www.scotty-elmslie.com/uplo...tical_guide_to_film_characteristic_curves.pdf

 

[FotoD]

a spotmeter ?

Yes. Search for that naked guy in a darkroom on YouTube. He put a +10 close-up filter on the spotmeter and measured the film on a light table. He seemed happy with it.

Edit:
Found it.

 

[ProfessorC1983]

I use a scanner set to 16-bit RAW mode, with a calibrated step wedge for comparison and the method described here: https://sites.google.com/site/negfix/scan_dens

 

[beemermark]

Old school but newspaper print if you can find it. Print is black and paper is white. Makes an excellent densitometer -

 

[takilmaboxer]

For years I use a Zone VI spot meter to measure film densities, and it worked well. Alas the spot meter died and the faulty part was an integrated circuit that had been discontinued long ago, and I can't afford a new meter. Fortunately I had calibrated all my normal film/developer combinations and I still use the same ones.

 

[Paul Ozzello]

Those are some great suggestions , I’m going to try the scanning method with my v550 and compare it with the spot meter method

 

[tom williams]

Can any other tool be used to measure film density besides an xrite or heiland densitometer ($$$) ?

a spotmeter ?

The auction sites have relatively cheap used densitometers - cheaper than $$$ anyway. I recently picked up a used Tobias TBX-U for $100 (+$43 tax and shipping) that works well. I was careful to buy from a highly rated seller who accepted returns, something I feel reduces the risk in buying through an auction. I also made an offer significantly lower than the "Buy Now" price ... can't hurt to try.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Enlarging meter/easel densitometers are available from several firms. Current manufacturers are RH Designs and Darkroom Automation.

 

[Bill Burk]

Those are some great suggestions , I’m going to try the scanning method with my v550 and compare it with the spot meter method

Buy a Stouffer scale T2115 the plain one is very cheap. You could get calibrated version but not critical. Then, you can see if the scanner reading of your negatives is comparable to known densities. VueScan has a ‘densitometer reading’ mode.

 

[albada]

I have the enlarger meter from darkroomautomation.com . Here's how to use it as a transmission densitometer, if you have an enlarger:

1. Put the negative in your enlarger, and turn it on.
2. Place the meter on the easel, under a spot of clear negative, and press the delta button to zero the meter.
3. Move the meter to a spot you want to measure, and the display tells you the density (in stops).​

If you want density as a logarithm (the traditional units), multiply the reading by 0.301.
I'm happy with it.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Can any other tool be used to measure film density besides an xrite or heiland densitometer ($$$) ?

a spotmeter ?

a spotmeter does work in a pinch if you knowhow to calibrate it nd understand the math of densities and EVs. But you can't top the convenience of a 'real' densitometer.

 

[Paul Ozzello]

Buy a Stouffer scale T2115 the plain one is very cheap. You could get calibrated version but not critical. Then, you can see if the scanner reading of your negatives is comparable to known densities. VueScan has a ‘densitometer reading’ mode.

Thanks for the tip !

 

[Paul Ozzello]

The auction sites have relatively cheap used densitometers - cheaper than $$$ anyway. I recently picked up a used Tobias TBX-U for $100 (+$43 tax and shipping) that works well. I was careful to buy from a highly rated seller who accepted returns, something I feel reduces the risk in buying through an auction. I also made an offer significantly lower than the "Buy Now" price ... can't hurt to try.

This leads me to my next question. If I actually wanted to spend on a good densitometer which one would you recommend ? Ideally I’d like to have a color one so that I could also calibrate c-41. Are those x-rites like the 361 still serviceable and can they be properly calibrated ?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Before I had a densitometre, I used my 1 degree digital spot metre. It was enough to get me in the rink...er, ballpark. I made a mask with black thin cardstock so that the metre was influenced only the light from the area I wanted to read.

 

[Bill Burk]

Has anyone considered using a color analyzer such as Beseler PM series as a densitometer?

The scale is the same, any of them would do it.

 

[ic-racer]

Has anyone considered using a color analyzer such as Beseler PM series as a densitometer?

The scale is the same, any of them would do it.

I was gifted some color analyzers many years ago. I use the "White" channel as my enlarger "Exposure Meter." The ones I have are "NULL METERS" so not as good for use as densitometers. Maybe the ones that are not NULL METERS will convert better. The measuring probe could make a nice negative holder.

 

[Bill Burk]

Notice how the top scale is logarithmic divisions of .05 ? And notice how the bottom scale in seconds aligns arithmetically, 2 seconds across from 0.3 and 4 seconds across from 0.6.

Yup, it’s just an easel densitometer with the right scale but without density markings.

 

[maltfalc]

a multimeter set to meter amperage and a photodiode.

 

[knj]

I believe “Beyond the Zone System” by Phil Davis had instructions on using/adapting a spotmeter for use in densitometry.

 

[Bill Burk]

Enlarging meter/easel densitometers are available from several firms. Current manufacturers are RH Designs and Darkroom Automation.

Yours looks like a very good choice, small enough not to command prime space in the darkroom.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I believe “Beyond the Zone System” by Phil Davis had instructions on using/adapting a spotmeter for use in densitometry.

It did but, it wasn]t an easy DIY project nd needed a hard to get close-up filter.

 

[lantau]

If you can find an X-rite Colormunki photo for a reasonable price you can not only profile your computer screens with it, but also hook it up to an Android phone (not iPhone, Apple prevents that) and buy a $100 third party app to use it as a spectrophotometer. With a light plate you can use it as a somewhat clunky densitometer. It can do colour densitometry in all Status modes. And you can record the spectrum of any illumination. That will tell you CRI, colour temp, etc.

I'm experimenting with it and it seems I'm in the 'ballpark' with my Status M readings of C41 control strips. I also have a Heiland b/w spectrometer and some Kodak colour filters from an ancient Kodak densi. But these don't seem to be Status M. Of course I checked their spectrum with the Colormunki.

I only found a small US company, which may still offer a Status M densitometer. I think I found a price eventually and you won't call the Heiland expensive anymore after seeing that. After all the Heiland was created with the intend of being affordable. I balked at buying one for a long time and eventually gifted it to myself last Xmas.

 

[bnxvs]

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/luxmeter-modules-comparison-for-diy.174219/

 

[Bill Burk]

This leads me to my next question. If I actually wanted to spend on a good densitometer which one would you recommend ? Ideally I’d like to have a color one so that I could also calibrate c-41. Are those x-rites like the 361 still serviceable and can they be properly calibrated ?

Do you mean for color printing C-41 or film developing C-41? For printing, I have my eye on a Beseler PM2M there’s three on eBay right now. It can do easel densitometry and C-41 printing color balance. Any analyzer with color filter units can be used as a densitometer but only a few have density scale printed on the dial