How do I use an Ilford EM-10

[Rick A]

I've been printing B&W's for over 40 years, and have always used test strips. Recently I picked up an EM-10 thinking I could streamline my process. Now i guess I need to get some help with how to fully utilize it.
Thanks in advance for any pointers I know I'll be getting.
Rick

 

[Jerevan]

I don't have one of these but look in the manual here:

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2006821125512773.pdf

 

[Rick A]

I don't have one of these but look in the manual here:

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2006821125512773.pdf

I have the manual, however, it doesnt really go in depth of the full potential of what it's designed for. I think that there's more involved than just indexing a box of paper.

 

[glbeas]

It's just a comparator. At it's simplest youmake a test print and pick a shade to duplicate, light the lightest grey. Meter that before the neg is pulled out of the enlarger and the next neg pick where you want the tone and set the aperture to get a green light on the EM-10 and print for the same time. If you do it right you will get a very similar tone where you metered. The trick is to know your paper well enough to read the high and low values of the neg and pick a contrast and time determined by experimentation to get a preferred result.
In practice I was always taking notes and reading different tones to fill in the gaps for each contrast grade or each contrast filter (reading through the filter for exposure time). You have to learn your papers response well to get good results.

 

[erikg]

I've found it especially useful when making prints of different sizes from the same neg. You just keep matching the same area. Saves a lot of time.

 

[MattKing]

I attach a link to the very first APUG thread that I ever subscribed to:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

It is very helpful.

Matt

 

[Stan160]

Interesting thread Matt. I have an EM10 in a box somewhere, an impulse buy that I've never really got around to using.

Anyone know if the graph referenced in the first post, with the link http://fox.vis.pl/filmy/ilford/em10graph.pdf, is available elsewhere? It looks like the site no longer exists.

Ian

 

[doughowk]

From a Sensitometry textbook:
Paper Grade for Log Exposure Range of Negative
#0 -> 1.4-1.6
#1 -> 1.2-1.4
#2 -> 1.0-1.2
#3 -> 0.8-1.0
#4 -> 0.6-0.8

I use both a densitometer and EM-10, which depending on process used; and they have cut down on number of working prints needed to get to a fine print. With the EM-10 I usually just measure the shadow area with detail, get a good print, take notes, then use same paper for other negs. With the densitometer, I determine both min & max, compare both range & max density to a successful print to get a working print, then fine tune.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

A graph of one sample of an EM-10. You will have to do your own testing with a step tablet. Sample-sample variation with these meters can be very large.

http://nolindan.com/UsenetStuff/em10graph001.jpg

 

[dancqu]

How I Use the EM-10

I establish correct exposure with a small print.
I meter then a small but uniform area and make
note of that area. Going larger, correct exposure
is simply a matter of matching that reading of the
same area. Matching is done by opening the lens.
Tweaking may be done by time adjustment.

I have calibrated my meter against a step wedge.
That's another story. The meter is not calibrated
nor is it linear in it's response.

If some outfit were to offer a very compact,
pointy, linear, calibrated, LED unit for under
$100 I'd buy.

Is calibration possible in EV units? Haven't
thought it through. Dan

 

[MattKing]

I establish correct exposure with a small print.
I meter then a small but uniform area and make
note of that area. Going larger, correct exposure
is simply a matter of matching that reading of the
same area. Matching is done by opening the lens.
Tweaking may be done by time adjustment.

I have calibrated my meter against a step wedge.
That's another story. The meter is not calibrated
nor is it linear in it's response.

If some outfit were to offer a very compact,
pointy, linear, calibrated, LED unit for under
$100 I'd buy.

Is calibration possible in EV units? Haven't
thought it through. Dan

Dan:

I don't know whether it is linear, but you might consider the meter on Nicholas Linden's Darkroom Automation site (APUG sponsor):

Darkroom Automation Enlarging Meter

Matt

 

[Lee L]

Dan:

I don't know whether it is linear, but you might consider the meter on Nicholas Linden's Darkroom Automation site (APUG sponsor):

Darkroom Automation Enlarging Meter

Matt

Strongly seconded. The DA Enlarging Meter is calibrated and very nicely linear. It displays in 1/100 stops and is extremely consistent and stable (orders of magnitude more stable than my Beseler Analite 500). It's not pointy, and the sensor sits a bit above the paper, but the instructions mention that, and suggest accomodations for it. It also does comparative readings, so you can set one reading and read directly how many stops +/- it differs from another reading.

Lee

 

[pantelis51]

So, we meter the range from highlights and shadows with EM10 and we calculate the contrast filter(?) If it is small number eg. 10-30 we use smaller contrast filter or larger? I dont have densitometer to calibrate my EM10. :/

 

[Neal]

Dear pantelis51,

As you will probably make final adjustments anyway you don't need a high level of precision. An approximate way to calibrate is to find a nice even area in a print and measure the meter reading at each lens f/stop. A step closer to real calibration would be to purchase a transmission projection step wedge from Stouffer. There are calibrated ones available.

http://www.stouffer.net/Photo.htm

Neal Wydra

 

[Denis R]

simple

1. make a good print with a middle f-stop
when working to find a good print, do NOT adjust the f-stop, only adjust the time
the time value will be the paper time calibration that is used for every print on that paper
2. with ALL extra lights OFF adjust the dial on the EM-10 until it is illuminating the GREEN LED when the sensor is in a "mid gray" spot
3. to make different print, whether changing size or negative, simply aim sensor to a similar "mid gray" spot and adjust f-stop to turn on the GREEN LED

when results are printed, compare "test prints" before making final prints

this method should take no more than 4 "test prints"
1) middle f-stop 2) +1 f-stop 3) -1 f-stop 4) final check before printing several

with practice, fewer "bad calls" are made so that the first time is right

each paper will have it's own paper time calibration

 

[jacques]

I establish correct exposure with a small print.
I meter then a small but uniform area and make
note of that area. Going larger, correct exposure
is simply a matter of matching that reading of the
same area. Matching is done by opening the lens.
Tweaking may be done by time adjustment.

I have calibrated my meter against a step wedge.
That's another story. The meter is not calibrated
nor is it linear in it's response.

If some outfit were to offer a very compact,
pointy, linear, calibrated, LED unit for under
$100 I'd buy.

Is calibration possible in EV units? Haven't
thought it through. Dan

When you say "Matching is done by opening the lens. Tweaking may be done by time adjustment."

Do you leave the paper on the easel or with just the negative?
Thank you
Jacques

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Do you leave the paper on the easel or with just the negative?

?????

The EM-10 was designed for Ilfochrome printers. It is meant to allow you to find the optimum filtration and exposure by making small prints before committing to the expense of making a large print. By 'calibrating' the meter to an 18% grey tone on the print it is possible to use the meter to adjust the lens aperture to a starting exposure for any slide that has a bit of 18% grey in it. The color balance of a color print will shift if the exposure time changes, so the B&W practice of keeping the lens at optimum aperture and using the time to adjust exposure can't be used.

Most B&W printers use it to adjust the aperture when making magnification changes.

1. Find the optimum exposure and contrast grade by making a small print - use the lens stopped down so that when you open it up for the final print it will be at around the optimum aperture.
2. Meter a uniform area of the image at the original magnification by zeroing the meter.
3. Change the magnification and re-focus.
4. Move the meter so that it reads the same area of the projected image.
5. Adjust the lens aperture to zero the meter; use the same exposure time as you used for the small print.

The metering is done without any paper on the easel. Turn the safelights off when metering.

Often the larger print will need an adjustment to exposure or contrast to make it look right. Small exposure adjustments are most easily done by changing the exposure time - in B&W there is no color balance to worry about.

However, most printers just change the exposure time. This is discussed in the sticky thread in the enlarging forum: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Or you can use a good enlarging meter to determine the exposure time directly.

 

[jacques]

Thank you for the information.
Jacques