First Printing session with my new StopClock Vario (Zone VI) Timer

[michael9793]

I find this timer to be as many have said before, one of the most important items I have in the darkroom, other than electricity.
I have used it to print contact prints but this is my first time using the split grade mode on it. First, after finding the soft exposure I needed I did what it said to do and that is to set the hard to the same exposure and then put it into split mode. I exposed my paper which at this point should be Gr.2 by the book. My prints first came out I feel slightly more contrasty that Gr.2 but that is okay. Second, my soft seems to advance one to two 1/4 grades more when matched to my test strip. This seem to be consistant from print to print. SO All I do is find which one I like and go down two. Adjusting for contast and exposure is so suttle and very nice. This make my printing session much easier and more perdictable.

 

[jeroldharter]

I have the same timer, but it is an RH Designs timer, not a Zone VI.

I agree that the timer has competely changed my thought process for the better.

 

[michael9793]

I sorry for misleading you. it is a RH dDesign timer but for the zoneVI vario enlarger with a plug to go into the head to the sensor with watches the strength of the light and compensates for the strength of the light by speeding up the time or slowing it down

 

[Matthew Gorringe]

Hi Michael,
was it easy for you to calibrate the timer and are you using a gel to adjust the colour of the head to VC work?

I'm think of getting one of these in the near future for a setup similar to yours and would appreciate any other thoughts you might have.

 

[lee]

does it matter if it is a grade two or three and one third if the print is what you aimed for?

lee\c

 

[michael9793]

Hi Michael,
was it easy for you to calibrate the timer and are you using a gel to adjust the colour of the head to VC work?

I'm think of getting one of these in the near future for a setup similar to yours and would appreciate any other thoughts you might have.

No.
the green and blue are from what I understand the postive colors for sensitivity and the magenta and yellow are the negative colors. so you want more contrast you use blue and magenta and low contrast is yellow and green. Don't quote me on this I have to bring this up through a lot of gray matter and it could be backwards.

mike

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Not really, unless you need to redo the 'same' print in some time. Then it helps to know what the actual contrat was.

 

[haris]

Hi Michael,
was it easy for you to calibrate the timer and are you using a gel to adjust the colour of the head to VC work?

I'm think of getting one of these in the near future for a setup similar to yours and would appreciate any other thoughts you might have.

Mattg, check at RHdesigns for information (www.rhdesigns.co.uk), I think I read that theire timers/exposure meters are already in factory precalibrated for some papers. If you don'y like results of theire calibration, you can calibrate as you like.

 

[michael9793]

I'm not to sure what caligation that is necessary. you are using a f/stop exposure. and if you use the split technque, you don't really need to know the paper grade. they kind of inidcated it for you. But if the contrast is slightly too much you adjust for that one way. If the exposure is too light or dark you adjust differently for that. If it is so important that you know the grade, BEWARE, you may have a hard time getting use to exposing using f/stops not seconds.Were talking 1/24th of a f/stop in some situations. I will tell you it is much more controlable than anything I have ever used.

Mike
Lee am I pretty much on here? Is that how you see it?

 

[Robert Budding]

I sorry for misleading you. it is a RH dDesign timer but for the zoneVI vario enlarger with a plug to go into the head to the sensor with watches the strength of the light and compensates for the strength of the light by speeding up the time or slowing it down

It's easy to confuse brands when the lights are out!

 

[Saganich]

I'll second the StopClock Vario for the aristo or zone heads. The combination of sensor and f-stop timing launched my printing control through the roof.

I recently added a Zone Master (which needs calibration for paper) and this little thing cut my printing session in half. I pre plan all my print exposures without mixing chemicals, then go into the darkroom days later and make perfect working prints without wasting a single sheet.

Chris