Light up filter dials safe?

pentaxuser · Sep 3, 2018

Drew, clearly the big stuff like a 5x7 and possibly the different configuration of the dials make your experience with such large wattage enlargers quite different and I appreciate that.

There is a joke here: Mrs Wiley tells her neighbour: "I worry about the time Drew spends in the darkroom" The neighbour who is concerned asks if this is to do with exposure to chemicals. "No" says Mrs Wiley, "it's to do with the way the electricity bill rises"

"Is it that expensive then?" asks the neighbour. "Well, put it like this" says Mrs Wiley," Drew gets invited to the top table at the annual Christmas lunch of our power provider"

Humour is the best medicine.

pentaxuser

RalphLambrecht · Sep 3, 2018

DREW WILEY said:
Why? We're not talking about the exposing light, but the slightly lit-up control panel on the colorhead, or in other cases, tethered to the head with a feedback cable. Fresh film is sometimes used under an enlarger just like printing paper. You might want to make enlarged duplicate negatives or interpositives, for instance. And Ralph - I HAVE tested for it ! No guesses here. RA4 paper is fairly sensitive to stray light. Fogging is best detected on the white borders of the paper - ironic, but it's where accidental exposure is easiest to spot. As for why equipment is designed in such and such a way? Heck, even my old now gone early Chromega colorhead had a switch that turned the color control lights off. I've never owned a colorhead that didn't have that option! Must be a reason for it. I can't speak about the specific Durst colorhead in question; all my own Durst is big commercial stuff. But there's probably a switch somewhere on it too.

actually, fogging is best tested on an already slightly expose piece of paper. Once the paper exposure has been helped over the threshold it's even more sensitive. That's why highlights are so sensitive to fogging. If you are concerned, build yourself a feature to cover up the display after you dialed in the filtration but on my Durst L1200 it was not a concern with paper; never tried film because, my film would not ever get close to the dials.

DREW WILEY · Sep 3, 2018

Gosh Ralph, tell me something I didn't already do decades ago. Pentaxuser: Ha! My 2000W color mural enlarger DOUBLED my monthly utility bill. It was already dismantled when Mrs Wiley came along. Soon afterwards I built my own 8x10 colorhead that runs far cooler and is much more energy-efficient. I also have a Durst 8x10 color enlarger with their 1000W colorhead on it as a backup machine, plus a customized 5x7 unit. Then an additional 8x10 cold light unit which itself needs to
get warmed up in winter. My utility bills are now quite low. The darkrooms have R23 insulation.

RalphLambrecht · Sep 5, 2018

DREW WILEY said:
Gosh Ralph, tell me something I didn't already do decades ago. Pentaxuser: Ha! My 2000W color mural enlarger DOUBLED my monthly utility bill. It was already dismantled when Mrs Wiley came along. Soon afterwards I built my own 8x10 colorhead that runs far cooler and is much more energy-efficient. I also have a Durst 8x10 color enlarger with their 1000W colorhead on it as a backup machine, plus a customized 5x7 unit. Then an additional 8x10 cold light unit which itself needs to
get warmed up in winter. My utility bills are now quite low. The darkrooms have R23 insulation.

Well Drew,someone in a previous post said that fogging is best checked in the white borders; just tried to correct that but, never mind if you knew or did this all decades ago.

SteD · Sep 5, 2018

Soo, I made two prints yesterday, one with the dials exposed and one with them covered with card and tape. I cannot tell which is which unless I look on the back where I've written.
Funny though, I've left the door on as its so easy to open and close anyway. Also think I'd use it if exposing film.
I do prefer using the little durst for 35mm over the big de vere which does seem like overkill somehow.
Anyway, thanks for all your help.

pentaxuser · Sep 5, 2018

SteD said:
Soo, I made two prints yesterday, one with the dials exposed and one with them covered with card and tape. I cannot tell which is which unless I look on the back where I've written.
Funny though, I've left the door on as its so easy to open and close anyway. Also think I'd use it if exposing film.
I do prefer using the little durst for 35mm over the big de vere which does seem like overkill somehow.
Anyway, thanks for all your help.

Glad that there was no noticeable difference. What is the door to which you refer which can be opened and closed, is this a door that covers the dials?

pentaxuser

SteD · Sep 5, 2018

pentaxuser said:
Glad that there was no noticeable difference. What is the door to which you refer which can be opened and closed, is this a door that covers the dials?

pentaxuser

Sorry, by door I mean the piece of card I fashioned to cover the dials. Taped it top and bottom so it could be easily opened and closed.
I did look for an off switch for the dial lights but it seems they are lit by the lamp itself.

RalphLambrecht · Sep 5, 2018

SteD said:
Sorry, by door I mean the piece of card I fashioned to cover the dials. Taped it top and bottom so it could be easily opened and closed.
I did look for an off switch for the dial lights but it seems they are lit by the lamp itself.

maybe a miniature flashlight would work to set the dials.

pentaxuser · Sep 5, 2018

Thanks SteD for the explanation. Yes, if the M670 is anything like the M605 and I see no reason why it shouldn't be, then the dials are lit by the overspill from the only bulb which acts as the exposure light.

pentaxuser

DREW WILEY · Sep 5, 2018

I've tested one of those little Jobo Minilux lights that hang on your neck with Fuji CA paper, specifically for loading big heavy rolls onto the spool holder for sake of cutting this down into sheets, something difficult to do in total darkness. I turn it on just several seconds at a time, and so far, fine. But otherwise, total darkness. Trying to light an entire room with allegedly safe safelights is a waste of time. To be benign, the filtration has to be so dense and dim that they really don't provide a clue to anything except which end of the room is which.

Wayne · Sep 5, 2018

A lot of us use safelights bright enough to see where the sink and trays are, after some time adjusting to them. I usually turn mine off once my paper is in the first tray but I've not noticed any fogging when I didnt. Just paranoid I guess. I have to walk about 40 feet from enlarger to sink, so that dim glow in the distance comes in mighty handy.

pentaxuser · Sep 5, 2018

DREW WILEY said:
. Trying to light an entire room with allegedly safe safelights is a waste of time. To be benign, the filtration has to be so dense and dim that they really don't provide a clue to anything except which end of the room is which.

I suspect that this one on safe but useful safelights for RA4 is one that will run as long as there is a Photrio but all I can say is that with a DUKA sodium light on a low setting but one which is still sufficient to see quite clearly to take paper out of its box, place under an easel, move to the Nova processor or Jobo drums my experience has been that the DUKA is perfectly safe.

Before I had the DUKA I had a small tricolour safelight which had a dark green filter for RA4 processing and if you are basing your observation of this kind of safelight I'd agree with your last sentence. I switched it on and 20 mins later I was able to wave my hand in front of my face and still not see it, let alone the far side of the room

My experience with the kind of safelight you describe and that dark green original one I had, has always made me ask: If this is the kind of safelight needed for film development then how on earth do you inspect the film in any meaningful way to determine if you have optimum development?

That of course, Drew, is a whole new thread

pentaxuser

DREW WILEY · Sep 5, 2018

I heard mixed opinions about the Duka and sodium lights in general. Fuji might be simply giving themselves a margin of protection by unequivocally stating NO to all such devices, since they cannot themselves assure the quality control of any of them. Test and test again, that's all one can really do. I never develop film by inspection, and other than the very limited usage of a Jobo Miniliux, work totally in darkness with color paper as well. Even the orange safelight way above my darkroom sink for black and white paper has a momentary-contract pressure-sensitive rubberized contact switch. Why would one need to develop film by inspection if their temp and chem variables are held constant? ... thought that kind of thing was meant to be learned early on. Of course, some people prefer doing it that way, but I sure don't. Won't elaborate here, cause it is indeed a different topic, probably already argued to death on some b&w film thread.

Light up filter dials safe?

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