What stop watch are you using?

[Sirius Glass]

I use inexpensive adjustable timers I found on the internet.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Alec Soth calculates "Sleeping by the mississippi, sleeping by the missisippi" ..

that must be with reciprocity failure built in!

 

[freecitizen]

I have an ancient device called a " tape recorder ".

I made a recording of myself as a speaking stopwatch. I use it for anytime I need to process in total darkness ..... Sheet film/trays, etc

Works a treat !

 

[Philippe-Georges]

For processing: a 'normal' mechanical stop clock.
For the enlarger: an electronic IFF ST2000 timer.
For shooting exposures shorter than 5 sec I count (21-22-23-24-25), longer than that: see attachment.

It's a 30 seconds chronometer as this is more easier and precisely to reed, it is around 50 years old and I bought it used 30 years ago.

 

[Mr Flibble]

At first I used the stopwatch on my phone, but I switched to these Junghans tabletop timers

 

[Sanug]

Beautiful devices. I like these analogue stop watches.

 

[JPD]

I count the seconds in my head, but I also used my pocket watch until it was stolen from the darkroom by a nephew.

 

[eli griggs]

One more option might be a Kodak elapsed time clock type mechanism, with it's simple on/off switch, to show you how much time is passing as you work, by additive movement, not by way of a subtractive countdown.

You can also use both a countdown timer as usual and time the period in total to figure out the time it actually takes to develope a roll, sheets or paper prints helping you avoid overly long sessions you don't have time for.

 

[bluechromis]

Casio G shock digital watch. Minute timer app from YouTube.

 

[SodaAnt]

The "clock" app on an iPhone.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The "clock" app on an iPhone.

Ditto iPhone SE third addition.

 

[wiltw]

For not in the darkroom...my smartphone!

 

[Sirius Glass]

For not in the darkroom...my smartphone!

I do not use a stop watch in dark rooms; I use digital timers instead.

 

[Maris]

In the field the sweep second hand on my old mechanical Seiko 7002 does nicely. Or I count "hippopotamuses" instead of "mississippis".
The difficult bit is getting accurate 2, 3, or 4 second exposures using the B setting on a shutter. Longer or shorter is easier.
In the darkroom I use a battery powered "Talking Timer" that generates a vaguely feminine voice that counts down minutes and seconds while I work in absolute darkness.

 

[eli griggs]

In the field the sweep second hand on my old mechanical Seiko 7002 does nicely. Or I count "hippopotamuses" instead of "mississippis".
The difficult bit is getting accurate 2, 3, or 4 second exposures using the B setting on a shutter. Longer or shorter is easier.
In the darkroom I use a battery powered "Talking Timer" that generates a vaguely feminine voice that counts down minutes and seconds while I work in absolute darkness.

Old fashion RR white faced dials on watches with luminous green arrows are easy to read, IMO.

 

[warden]

In the field the sweep second hand on my old mechanical Seiko 7002 does nicely.

My most worn watch for the past few months. I got mine new in probably 1993 or so and it still runs great. The lume has long ago died but who cares, I love it.

 

[dpurdy]

ZSD-808. Look it up. Amazon has it. Cheap as a battery, Long neck cord, lasts forever, only rarely swear at it because I forgot which side is stop and which side is go.

 

[jk0592]

RH Designs ProcessMaster for film and paper development. Gralab 505 for enlarger.

 

[maruti660]

Your article reminded me of the joys of reading the second hand. I also notice that you all have various methods for monitoring long exposures. I started out using my wife's kitchen timer, then my grandfather's pocket watch, but eventually I settled on alternating between staring at the landscape and the second hand on my Casio G-Shock. My method was practical but inelegant!

 

[DraganB]

1000, 2000, 3000, 4000.....

 

[BradS]

One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi...

 

[GregY]

For film developing & printing Gralab timer. For long exposures..... stopwatch function on phone.

 

[lecarp]

one Elephant..two Elephants...etc..etc.

 

[lecarp]

At first I used the stopwatch on my phone, but I switched to these Junghans tabletop timers

Nice, I like these.

 

[Sirius Glass]

1000, 2000, 3000, 4000.....

One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi...

100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 ....