Okay, I am now labelled "totally nuts", I think...

[Jerevan]

...because I ordered a StopClock Professional timer, after much thinking, pacing the floors and reading the (positive to say the least!) reviews of it here on APUG. First off I copped out and bought a less expensive timer, which shall remain unknown. I took it out of the box, tested it and found that it works in tenths of a second up to 9.9 sec, but after that it switches to using whole seconds. No good. Into to the box and out the door it went. So much for trying to do it the cheap way.

Next, the closest thing I could find locally was the LPL ET-500 timer, which looks okay, but with the footswitch and shipping it all amounts to something like £160 while the StopClock is £210 with the shipping. I do hope this really is a good timer...

 

[david b]

I just bought the ET-500 (slightly used) for $65 and the footswitch (new) for $20 on ebay. Both prices included shipping. They are a great set-up and work well with my Saunders LPL 4550xlg. The ET-500 will go up to 99.9 seconds.

 

[Jon Shiu]

I just bought the ET-500 (slightly used) for $65 and the footswitch (new) for $20 on ebay. Both prices included shipping. They are a great set-up and work well with my Saunders LPL 4550xlg. The ET-500 will go up to 99.9 seconds.

Hi, the ET500 will do up to 999 seconds in A range. Nice timer.

Jon

 

[Petzi]

Why do you think you need more than 1 second resolution above 10 seconds? The exposure error introduced by this is at most 5%, less than 1/10th of an f-stop.

The RH Stop Clock is better because of convenience, the resolution is less important IMHO.

 

[david b]

Hey...look at that. It will do 999 seconds. Told ya I just got it.

 

[raucousimages]

I like the 500 for my saunders but my 8x10 Elwood is so slow that I actualy use a graylab 300. + or- 10 sec makes little difference on a 6 Min exposure.
Nothing wrong with investing in great gear even if it is a bit overkill. Congrats.

 

[Jerevan]

As always, experiences differ! As Petzi says, it's probably the convenience that will be the big boon. And even if it's the most expensive item in my darkroom, it still pales in comparision to what I've spent on cameras and lenses through the years. If I lived in the US, I could probably pick out a whole darkroom for a third of what I've paid here in Sweden.

 

[tim rudman]

It's a great timer, also versatile. i wouldn't be without it
Tim

 

[Jerevan]

Well, the timer arrived today. It seems very well made, with the sturdy metal box and big friendly buttons that say "don't push this button" - ah well, that's another story, eh? Only been doing some dry-runs so far, but even right now I can see it will make life in the dark easier.

 

[FrankB]

You won't be needing the money-back guarantee. I'd rather part with important body parts than my StopClock Pro!

(Of course I never specified my body, but you get the idea...! )

 

[BWGirl]

Congratulations on your new timer. I love mine and would not even consider going back to some other timer. But... be careful... next thing you know, you'll buy that great little flasher, too!

 

[Jerevan]

Uhm... I thought flashing was a criminal offence? Seriously, though, I'll keep your warning in mind!

 

[Gerald Koch]

Why do you think you need more than 1 second resolution above 10 seconds? The exposure error introduced by this is at most 5%, less than 1/10th of an f-stop.

Second this.

But since you ordered the other timer anyway what was the purpose of this thread?

 

[Chan Tran]

Second this.

But since you ordered the other timer anyway what was the purpose of this thread?

Totally nuts???

 

[FrankB]

But since you ordered the other timer anyway what was the purpose of this thread?

Such questions disturb the stillness of the tao and stifle the quest for self-expression. Meditate a while on the meaninglessness of existence and the long journey which is life.

And take a hit on this while you're at it...

 

[Jerevan]

Second this.

But since you ordered the other timer anyway what was the purpose of this thread?

Basically, relating the experience: "I did this". And the underlying "moral" of buying something that is subpar my own personal preferences and standards, just because "it's cheap and I am not good enough to deserve this other (expensive, fantastic, wonderful, etc) thing", "I can make do with this".

And at that particular moment in time I had second thoughts whether I was crazy or not, buying something really expensive for myself and whether I deserved it, as per the self-denial psychology brouhaha described above.

To make it clear: I did not want to pursue any equipment bashing or putting down anyone's perfected techniques in the darkroom. Life's what you make it. Everyone is free to ignore this thread and go on with the flow of Tao.