NEW ADOX STAINLESS THERMOMETER WITH FLUORESCENT INDICATOR

ADOX Fotoimpex · Mar 16, 2013

ADOX announces it´s newest lab product: The ADOX stainless themometer with glowing indicator and a marking at 20°C.

All laboratory thermometers sold in Europe are of the glass-tube type. This makes it very difficult (actually almost impossible) to read the scale under red light.
If the glass tube thermometer is inserted in a developing tank you can´t read it unless you take it out and if you´re out of luck it falls in and is "lost".
In total darkness no other thermometer currently sold can be read.
Stainless tray thermometers available on ebay as a used product ususally have a short stem so they cannot be used in measuring cylinders or tanks.

All of the above encouraged us to design and manufacture our new ADOX stainless thermometer.

But the best information probably is that we were able to price it in the range of regular glass thermometers with a net selling of 12,50 EUR plus tax & shipping end user price.

Product description:

Whether for film or paper development, color or black and white - this thermometer measures precisely and reliably. The large display can be read easily under red darkroom light, and if you're doing sheet film tray development in complete darkness, you'll love the fluorescent indicator and the marker at 20 degrees. The thermometer is made from rust-free stainless steel and is maintenance-free. If you drop it, the indicator will jump around like crazy, but it won't break like it's glass cousins. The included stainless steel clip helps make sure that the thermometer sits securely on the tray lip and that the scale is level.

The 20cm length means you can also effortlessly measure the temperature of liquids in a high container like a measuring beaker. But because of the length, it isn't intended for trays that are smaller than 18x24 cm.

Technical Data:

Length: ca. 21 cm
Diameter: ca. 5,5 cm
Measures from: 10 to 50 deg C / 50 to 120 deg F
Scale: Celsius in Half-degree steps and Fahrenheit
Precision: 1% (equals +/- 0,2° at 38°)
Readability in the dark: glowing hand and marker at 20° C

Shop-Link: [URLhttp://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/darkroom/adox-precision-thermometer-with-glowing-marker.html[/URL]

(The glowing indicator is glowing with the strength of regular watch handles. This cannot be photographed. The green colour in the image was created in photoshop for illustration purposes).

AgX · Mar 16, 2013

I guess you mean phosphorescent instead of fluorescent, as the latter would not work...

railwayman3 · Mar 16, 2013

Looks interesting, if it's as durable and accurate as it says. Might give it a try, I always feel that glass thermometers are going to break! The other alternative would be a digital unit which uses a probe.

ADOX Fotoimpex · Mar 17, 2013

We thoght about a digital unit was well but reading a digital unit in total darkness is impossible and under red light it´s difficult.
We feel that this classic style is the best option for darkroom use and it looks better.
Thermometers can be built in different accuracys. The accuracy given is guaranteed. The accuracy is also a function of percentage of accuracy and range. We manufacture this thermometer in a small target oriented range (10 to 50°C = 40° range). This allows for a higher accuracy and readability within the range which makes it perfect for darkroom usage, making it e.g. useless for cooking. The other way around a cooking themometer wouldn´t do a great job in the darkroom as it is to unprecise apart from the chicken and cow images printed on the scale

StoneNYC · Mar 17, 2013

Shouldn't the phosphorescent color be red? Wouldn't the pale white/green possibly expose film/paper?

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

AgX · Mar 17, 2013

A red phosphorescent digit would hard to be readible in red ligthing.

StoneNYC · Mar 17, 2013

AgX said:
A red phosphorescent digit would hard to be readible in red ligthing.

Good point, then wouldn't it be better to be reflective than phosphorescent ?

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

AgX · Mar 17, 2013

A red phoshorescent digit on black underground should work, but the green phosphrescent has more luminosity.

A reflective colourless or red digit will probably be least effective.

ADOX Fotoimpex · Mar 18, 2013

The luminosity is not strong enough to harm your film. Especially since, due to the construction, the dial is oriented away from the film.
You shouldn´t lay the dial directly on a piece of film but OTOH there is no reason to do this.

rbultman · Mar 18, 2013

Will this be available in the US?

railwayman3 · Mar 18, 2013

I'll order one.

Is there a UK dealer, or do we have to order from Germany?

Thanks.

mono · Mar 18, 2013

UK: May be Silverprint, AG Photographic, First Call

AgX · Mar 18, 2013

The Adox link does no longer lead to that product page.

mono · Mar 18, 2013

http://www.fotoimpex.de/shopen/darkroom/adox-precision-thermometer-with-glowing-marker.html

You can order here.

StoneNYC · Mar 18, 2013

ADOX Fotoimpex said:
The luminosity is not strong enough to harm your film. Especially since, due to the construction, the dial is oriented away from the film.
You shouldn´t lay the dial directly on a piece of film but OTOH there is no reason to do this.

Thanks, hmm of course it could give an interesting effect on the right image arrows pointing everywhere haha

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

Spektrum · Thursday at 4:04 AM

I know this is a very old thread, 13 years have passed, but maybe that's what has a positive impact on your answers because probably many people have bought this thermometer over these 13 years and have some experience with it.
Please tell me what is the accuracy of this thermometer? When you bought this thermometer anywhere in the world, did you have to calibrate it at 20 degrees Celsius before using it for the first time? I'm asking about calibration because this thermometer is only available from one supplier in Poland and this supplier states in their sales offer that the thermometer must be calibrated before using it for the first time. I don't know why this is. Do you have any ideas?

Harry Callahan · Thursday at 6:34 AM

I don`t have this thermometer - i don`t have a similar thermometer for development, but i have a room-thermometer which should have the same principle of function. There is a little helical spring moving the needle showing the temperature - and this spring also is adjustable. You can turn the entire spring clockwise or anticlockwise - probably because this spring may get out of alignment during transport.
It won`t fall off but it may move during transport becoming miss-calibrated - and that`s probably why you have to calibrate this thermometer before first use.

Spektrum · Thursday at 6:53 AM

Thank you for your reply. This thermometer is very light and is sold in a cardboard box very well protected. I do not suspect that transport could affect the movement of the tightly screwed lock nut, which is used for calibration. A friend of mine living in Germany wrote that he bought this thermometer by mail order a few years ago and did not have to calibrate it. I think that the only reason why this thermometer, bought in Poland, has to be calibrated before first use is the purchase of a large batch of these thermometers from the manufacturer that were not calibrated in the factory, so the price must have been significantly reduced. But these are of course my speculations not confirmed by any evidence.
I asked this question about the need for calibration here because there is a very large international community here. People from different countries buying from suppliers in different countries. I have seen dozens of online stores around the world selling this thermometer and they did not write anywhere in their offer about the need for pre-use calibration.

If you are buying this thermometer as your first one and you do not have another precise thermometer at hand, you will have to borrow one from somewhere to calibrate it. This is very inconvenient.

koraks · Thursday at 7:08 AM

Spektrum said:
If you are buying this thermometer as your first one and you do not have another precise thermometer at hand, you will have to borrow one from somewhere to calibrate it. This is very inconvenient.

Regardless of the technical complexities underlying this topic, you simply cannot expect any thermometer in this price range to be accurately calibrated. It will likely be close given how manufacturing in general has come a long way and I'd be surprised if the absolute deviation at 20C would be more than 1-2 degrees. Also, what's more important than absolute accuracy is consistency/repeatability especially if you rely on this specific thermometer for your processing. You can assume that consistency of thermometers like these to be plenty good enough for B&W processing and arguably the same is true for absolute precision just the same; even if the specs aren't perfectly accurate, they still allow for a reasonable margin of error and you'd still be fine. For color work, some may argue you need a better absolute calibration, although I'm not convinced that even this is the case for the vast majority of photography enthusiasts.

In short, I wouldn't worry too much about it; if the product appeals to you, just buy it and don't look back.

Harry Callahan · Thursday at 7:09 AM

You're welcome.
It doesn`t really matter how light and well packed such a thermometer is, if the shipping box is moved, shaked or dropped such a thermometer could become miss-calibrated.
When the outer end of the needle moves by 1mm, the spring moving the needle may be moving by 0.2mm. The needle of the thermometer does magnify the movement of the spring inside, so only a small shock was needed to miss-calibrate the spring. Stronger temperature variations also may miss-calibrate the spring.

I get your idea that the offer you found may be a cheaper knock-off, but maybe (some) other sellers don`t mention need for calibration to not scare off possible customers. As you said calibrating means another (precision) thermometer which is inconvenient.
But precision thermometers often are electrical, needing batteries, and this here doesn`t. Once calibrated it is "ever-ready", so there can be a reason to buy such a thermometer.
Also if you want to develop color film you need the temperature correct. If the seller did not state the need for calibration he may get bad feedback when a slightly miss-calibrated thermometer did ruin development of a color film.
There could be several reasons for a seller to remark for calibration.

Spektrum · Thursday at 7:48 AM

koraks said:
In short, I wouldn't worry too much about it; if the product appeals to you, just buy it and don't look back.

Thanks for your advice. I think you're right and I don't have to worry about it.

Harry Callahan said:
It doesn`t really matter how light and well packed such a thermometer is, if the shipping box is moved, shaked or dropped such a thermometer could become miss-calibrated.

Harry, of course I agree with you, but did you read the first post in this thread written by the manufacturer ADOX? The thermometer can hit the ground and nothing will happen to it, at most the needle will shake. They do not mention anything about the need for calibration even after falling to the ground. The same information is currently on the website of the Fotoimpex store, which owns the ADOX brand. I rather mean that there is no information about the need for calibration ever (even after a fall?).

In the EU there is a regulation regarding consumer returns. You have the right to withdraw from the contract and return the purchased goods within 14 days, without giving any reason and without any justification.

You can be sure that all EU sellers hate this law because it leads to serious losses for them. They do everything to prevent a possible return of goods. First of all, they try to accurately describe the product being sold and its features.

I will do as koraks advised me. I will buy this thermometer because with the C-41 process I need constant temperature control.

This thermometer here is currently on sale for 15.20 EUR incl VAT and shipping, so it is not a very expensive investment.

I already have a high quality, expensive digital thermometer. But this thermometer is not suitable for continuous temperature measurement.
So calibration is not my problem. I am rather worried about other, beginner users from Poland.

koraks · Thursday at 7:57 AM

I use a cheap oven/meat thermometer most of the time for color work. It's probably not 100% accurate. I wouldn't know; I get perfectly printable negatives, color and B&W. Don't sweat it, you'll be OK!

Spektrum · Thursday at 8:02 AM

Thank you !

Harry Callahan · Thursday at 8:46 AM

Spektrum said:
...

Harry, of course I agree with you, but did you read the first post in this thread written by the manufacturer ADOX? The thermometer can hit the ground and nothing will happen to it, at most the needle will shake. They do not mention anything about the need for calibration even after falling to the ground. The same information is currently on the website of the Fotoimpex store, which owns the ADOX brand. I rather mean that there is no information about the need for calibration ever (even after a fall?).

In the EU there is a regulation regarding consumer returns. You have the right to withdraw from the contract and return the purchased goods within 14 days, without giving any reason and without any justification.

You can be sure that all EU sellers hate this law because it leads to serious losses for them. They do everything to prevent a possible return of goods. First of all, they try to accurately describe the product being sold and its features.

I will do as koraks advised me. I will buy this thermometer because with the C-41 process I need constant temperature control.

This thermometer here is currently on sale for 15.20 EUR incl VAT and shipping, so it is not a very expensive investment.

I already have a high quality, expensive digital thermometer. But this thermometer is not suitable for continuous temperature measurement.
So calibration is not my problem. I am rather worried about other, beginner users from Poland.

Yes, i read that but i think this is rather to demonstrate that this thermometer will not break like a glass thermometer. If i had this thermometer falling to the ground i`d check calibration again if i wanted it for color work.
Ok, maybe there is no strong need for calibration but such a thermometer *could* get out of calibration during transport so maybe that`s why one seller mentioned this - to have an even more accurate description, to avoid bad feedback on the net. Today it`s not only about return without any reason, but also about reputation a seller has on the internet.

Yes, for other users not owning a precision thermometer this is a problem - on the other hand a beginner usually starts out on B&W so highest precision is not required... but color means precision.

koraks · Thursday at 9:55 AM

Harry Callahan said:
but color means precision.

Depends a bit on what you're after. The requirement for precision is overstated in the majority of cases if I look at the expectations and requirements of the vast majority of amateur photographers.

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