RH analyser pro + Kaiser BW MG head

[Svenedin]

I second this!
However, after a bit you will get comfortable with it and be a good judge of where you want to see detail in HL and SH.
I love my Analyser Pro...I'd never print without it.

Yes exactly. You learn where you want to put the tones. For example, a landscape photograph with fluffy clouds will be very different to a portrait of a person. The burn-in feature is very useful for clouds; when you meter a fluffy cloud in a blue sky it is likely that if you adjusted the exposure time to get the cloud to print the rest of the photograph would be too dark. Instead, you can leave the cloud value flashing (indicating inadequate exposure time), adjust to get the rest of the photograph right, expose and then burn-in the sky (the analyser will calculate the required time). You can even burn-in the sky at a different grade if wanted.

It's a wonderful tool but like any tool it takes time to learn how to use it to best advantage.

Incidentally, to the OP, although it rather defeats the object of a multigrade head you can use white light and either above or below lens Ilford Multigrade filters. If you do that the default analyser calibration settings are likely to be very close to spot on.

 

[petrk]

Incidentally, to the OP, although it rather defeats the object of a multigrade head you can use white light and either above or below lens Ilford Multigrade filters. If you do that the default analyser calibration settings are likely to be very close to spot on.

I know they are! I am using RH Analyser with Ilford MG filters on Magnifax for some time and had to calibrate only for Foma RC papers. Knowing this I decided to keep MG filters with Kaiser enlarger, because what I learned from this thread, I will need them for the missing 00 Grade !

EDIT:
Forgot to mention that I had also need for calibration with XP2, but gave it up. Making test strips is much more effective with them .

 

[John Wiegerink]

From RH designs site:


Please Note: The Analyser Pro is designed to control enlargers in which the lamp can be switched on and off simply by applying mains power - this covers the great majority of enlargers but excludes some which have closed-loop control systems such as the Durst Autocolor, Fujimoto, etc. A special version is available for the Ilford Multigrade 500 system. We do not support the Ilford Multigrade 400 or 600 systems. If your enlarger is not suitable but you would like the exposure metering functions, consider our ZoneMaster II baseboard exposure meter.

Yes, yes! I believe that is exactly what I read. Well, it looks like I can cross this one off my want list. JohnW

 

[Svenedin]

I know they are! I am using RH Analyser with Ilford MG filters on Magnifax for some time and had to calibrate only for Foma RC papers. Knowing this I decided to keep MG filters with Kaiser enlarger, because what I learned from this thread, I will need them for the missing 00 Grade !

EDIT:
Forgot to mention that I had also need for calibration with XP2, but gave it up. Making test strips is much more effective with them .

@petrk One other tip that relates to the Kaiser Multigrade head (you may already know this). When you take your readings with the analyser obviously you do this with the white light lever in the "out/aus" position but you must also set the filter dial to "0". If you don't the light level can be affected. Try turning the filter dial whilst using white light and watch the projected image change in brightness (but not colour). If you do not turn the dial to 0 this could have a major affect on calibration.

See instructions page 34 section "Exposure readings with variable contrast papers"

http://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/pdf/anleitungen/4420_4.pdf

 

[petrk]

@petrk One other tip that relates to the Kaiser Multigrade head (you may already know this). When you take your readings with the analyser obviously you do this with the white light lever in the "out/aus" position but you must also set the filter dial to "0". If you don't the light level can be affected. Try turning the filter dial whilst using white light and watch the projected image change in brightness (but not colour). If you do not turn the dial to 0 this could have a major affect on calibration.

See instructions page 34 section "Exposure readings with variable contrast papers"

http://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/pdf/anleitungen/4420_4.pdf

Svenedin, this is very important information, I did not know this. Thank you. I have neglected position of the filter dial, I even do not know, if it had been the same for all readings. It could explain differences in my readings comparing to yours.
Again, many thanks for your very valuable help.
Petr

 

[petrk]

To Svenedin: I can confirm that your values are really very good starting point. For grade 4 and 5 I have got exact same values, for 2 and 3 I have got only small differences. But I am off for grade 0 and 1, let say -2 in the exposure and -10 in the ISO. I think these values are probably correct for my set-up, because the test print gives me the same user experience as the Ilford MG filters do.

Going back to the post #14 which I sent a time ago as a response to Svenedin values: I think I was wrong with my calibration. I tried to do a calibration many times, but my measurements were inconsistent, print tests were not repeatable, prints were off often. I almost gave up using the R Analyser at all. During hollidays I had more time to spend in a darkroom to find out what is wrong and finaly came to the finding, that the power voltage varies from low 220V to high 235V in my house.
I have got an original stabilised transformer from Kaiser, but I was able to find a voltage variation in its output too, so I really need a soution to this before I will make any atempt to make it work.
I tried to edit my post, but it is locked now, so there is my todays post just to make a record, that I was wrong i my previous evaluation.

 

[Svenedin]

Thanks for your PM message Petryk and Happy New Year to you too.

I can add something more as well. My calibration figures worked well for a long time but a while ago my prints became inconsistent. Eventually I traced the fault to a loose wire to the enlarger ceramic halogen lamp holder. There was a loose wire. This was not enough to make the lamp flicker so I was unaware of the problem until I investigated. I replaced the ceramic lamp holder and the high temperature wiring to the lamp holder (not difficult but you must use wires capable of withstanding the high temperatures). The problem then went away completely.

Best Wishes,

Stephen