Want to Buy WTB - Darkroom test Printer

faintnegativecharge · Apr 18, 2018

I'm looking for something that'll fit 5x7 paper that has "slots" that can lift up or close down to expose an area of paper. I want to organize my test prints with the final print.

Something similar like this-

chip j · Apr 18, 2018

I have that one, plus maybe a couple different other ones. Are they hard to find?

faintnegativecharge · Apr 18, 2018

Well, I've only done a few quick searches around on the web/ebay for one. I'm not very fond of the paterson style- theres another one where theres "sliders" that allows a part of the paper to expose to.

Exactly like this!

mshchem · Apr 18, 2018

I just cut some pieces of thin hardboard. I place them at various places in the test print. Circles ,strips or squares works great.

faintnegativecharge · Apr 18, 2018

That's what I've been doing, and yes it does work. But after seeing a few youtube videos of people using them- I've been pretty interested in owning one. especially to keep the test strips with some of my prints. Maybe I'm the only one.

gorbas · Apr 18, 2018

My favourite one is made by Meopta from former Czechoslovakia. It's have very thin base so you can keep it on easel with out much fussing around. Also check this thread:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/strip-test-easel.109222/

faberryman · Apr 18, 2018

I second the use of a piece of cardboard. These test strip printers are solutions looking for problems. Sometimes the simplest tools are the best.

faintnegativecharge · Apr 18, 2018

gorbas said:
My favourite one is made by Meopta from former Czechoslovakia. It's have very thin base so you can keep it on easel with out much fussing around. Also check this thread:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/strip-test-easel.109222/

Woah, that thing is awesome!

John51 · Apr 19, 2018

On a whim, I got a Kodak 'Print Projection Scale'. Haven't used it yet but it does look easier than using a test strip printer.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/items/?_nk...12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=&rmvSB=true

Some silly prices being asked on buy it now, I got mine for £5 and probably overpaid.

On a piece of acetate (?) it's a 4" diameter circle of 9 different densities. 4.5 stop range. You expose for 60 seconds (What!) and the finished print tells you how many seconds the correct exposure is. Of course you can expose for 15 seconds and divide the number shown by 4.

faintnegativecharge · Apr 19, 2018

John51 said:
On a whim, I got a Kodak 'Print Projection Scale'. Haven't used it yet but it does look easier than using a test strip printer.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/items/?_nk...12&_fpos=&_fspt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=&rmvSB=true

Some silly prices being asked on buy it now, I got mine for £5 and probably overpaid.

On a piece of acetate (?) it's a 4" diameter circle of 9 different densities. 4.5 stop range. You expose for 60 seconds (What!) and the finished print tells you how many seconds the correct exposure is. Of course you can expose for 15 seconds and divide the number shown by 4.

John, I just looked this up- This thing is awesome. They're pretty inexpensive here in the US- I'll pick one up. Just read about it here, http://darkroomist.com/2015/08/10/howto-print-scale/

MattKing · Apr 19, 2018

For the purpose of getting close to the right exposure, those projection print scales work well. Kodak stopped selling them a while back but essentially the same thing can be purchased new under the "Delta 1" product name: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/15711-REG/Delta_12610_Projection_Print_Calculator_Scale.html

Mainecoonmaniac · Apr 19, 2018

If you're handy, you can make one out of mat board and some tape. But the printer you want shows up on ebay once in a while. I got mine a few years back. Keep looking.

faintnegativecharge · Apr 19, 2018

Mainecoonmaniac said:
If you're handy, you can make one out of mat board and some tape. But the printer you want shows up on ebay once in a while. I got mine a few years back. Keep looking.

How do you like yours? Would you recommend it? I've seen the one you've mentioned of making your own.. but haven't really put an effort into making it.

Mainecoonmaniac · Apr 19, 2018

faintnegativecharge said:
How do you like yours? Would you recommend it? I've seen the one you've mentioned of making your own.. but haven't really put an effort into making it.

I love it! It's thoughtfully designed with it's white focusing area and the finger slot so you could lift the exposed test sheet out. Also, when you lift the tab on the left, all of the fingers go back to insert your paper. I expose the first exposure with it fully open, then drop one finger after each exposure. Without these thoughtful features, I'd fumble in under a safelight using it. That's a source of frustration.

pentaxuser · Apr 19, 2018

Other than Ralph Lambrecht's test strip printer which is excellent I have yet to see any that take 5x7 sheets. The Paterson is fine but there are only 5 x 1 inch strips which is OK for most tests. If you get close to the right exposure with 5 strips then you can use two strips together for a bigger part of the neg and two more for establishing the correct grade.Thus in two 5x4 ins sheets you can fine tune.That uses half of a 8x10 sheet, leaving the other half for your next test

In terms of size of strips the Philips PVB100 is probably the most versatile. With a 8x10 sheet you can do 6 strips on the 10 inch side at about one and 5/8ths each so 12 strips in total if required and each strip gives you a quite a big chunk of the negative . Plenty for a combination of times and grades.

pentaxuser

tezzasmall · Apr 20, 2018

gorbas said:
My favourite one is made by Meopta from former Czechoslovakia. It's have very thin base so you can keep it on easel with out much fussing around. Also check this thread:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/strip-test-easel.109222/

Just looked and there are a few going for sale on ebay just now.

Terry S

faintnegativecharge · Apr 20, 2018

tezzasmall said:
Just looked and there are a few going for sale on ebay just now.

Terry S

Interesting, I couldn't see anything- When you get a chance, could you link me to some of the ones you saw?

tezzasmall · Apr 21, 2018

I think there were actually four on ebay yesterday but there are still two left!:

First the standard grey one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-...038786?hash=item58c67a7f42:g:QLgAAOSwNSxVc7cd

Or of course there is a lime green one!: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ci...186997?hash=item465fa25d75:g:RTMAAOSwol5Yxrrb

Terry S

Want to Buy WTB - Darkroom test Printer

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