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Ilford head 500 setup

Rmaydana

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hello, help or tips for calibrating ilford head 500, use it to make split degree prints. the time unit has intensities for the green filter, what intensity do you recommend to use. whoever is using an ilford head, if you can share the configuration. gracias.
 

koraks

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I used to. I don't recall ever having calibrated anything (I didn't have a probe to go with it). Just dial in contrast on the panel, set time and there you go. I very rarely used the consecutive exposure functionality since I didn't (still don't) do a lot of split grade printing, but it worked OK.

the time unit has intensities for the green filter

Doesn't sound familiar to me. Mine allowed to set the contrast grade, which affected blue and green together. No filters adjusted; the exposure of the blue and green channels was varied by dimming both bulbs as I recall.

If you want to make split grade prints, just follow any of the many tutorials out there. For instance, start with making a grade 0 test strip, then a second strip exposed to the time you established for grade 0 and the the grade 5 increments on top of that. Choose the one that appeals to you, do a full sheet, burn & dodge the next sheet as desired.

Whether you use grade 0 and grade 5 or some other combination (e.g. grade 1 & 4) doesn't really matter. The process is the same.

The exposure times you determine based on paper choice, enlargement, lens aperture, negative density etc. I never worried about any of this and just printed the test strips, changing times if I didn't see what I liked.

What exactly is your question? It's not entirely clear to me where you're getting stuck. Have you already tried it?
 

Lachlan Young

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Doesn't sound familiar to me. Mine allowed to set the contrast grade, which affected blue and green together. No filters adjusted; the exposure of the blue and green channels was varied by dimming both bulbs as I recal

See section 3.7 in the manual. Normally it's set for balanced lamps - it's there to compensate for imbalances of output, can't say that was something that was really ever an issue with the ones I've worked with. It really only matters if you are doing things like running an HLZ head or an adapted MG400 head off the controller that supports the HLZ.
 

ic-racer

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In Section 4.6 of the manual for the Ilford 500 head I had, one is asked to make a #5 print. Then then make multiple #0 prints with each of the seven 'calibration' settings. Then choose the 'calibration' setting where the mid tones of the two prints matched.

The seven 'calibration' settings alter the relative intensity of the green light (#2) only.
 
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ic-racer

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If you don't want to have both lights on at the same time and want to use two separate exposures for the grades, you could program memory #1 time for grade 5 and memory time #2 for grade 0.

If you are going to print this way, the calibration mentioned above is not needed.

 
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Rmaydana

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Thank you for responding, yes you are correct, that the times are determined in choice of paper and grade. I was inquiring about the controls that have to the timer unit. below explain the manual.
 
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Rmaydana

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Thank you, for the moment it was not a problem, only that having several intensities of configuration for the green filter, I had the concern of consulting... It is added that it is an equipment with its years, only the experience of the group can advise me.
 
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Rmaydana

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Thank you, I don't know how to thank you for the advice you have shared.
Take into consideration what is mentioned in the manual, which is that I have version C and in the explanation it corresponds to the CPM. Anyway, I'll do the test with grade 5, which is all blue.
and with grade 0 considering the levels of multigrade C from 1 to 7
Thank you.