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If you’re out there for a brand new darkroom printing timer you’ve come to the suitable place. With the present resurgence of curiosity in all issues analog, there’s an eclectic mixture of conventional and newly developed fashions out there. This Lens Notes shopping for information covers all the assorted choices there are for a brand new darkroom timer in 2022. If you’re equipping a brand new darkroom from scratch, our Darkroom Printing Necessities Shopping for Information may be helpful.
Darkroom timer vs Creating timer
First, let’s outline what we imply by the time period darkroom timer. There’s a little bit of a risk for misunderstanding relating to timers within the darkroom, and that’s as a result of so many issues in analog images want correct timing. Beginning with the act of images itself (shutter speeds), by means of movie growing and eventually, darkroom printing. Just about all steps in creating a picture are time-sensitive and depend on various kinds of timers.
To keep away from confusion, let’s set some floor guidelines. A darkroom timer is a tool into which your enlarger plugs in in order that printing exposures could be precisely timed. A course of timer is a tool that you simply use to time movie and paper growth processes. Sure fashions could be operated for each features, however they’re usually separate. This text is worried with the darkroom printing timers at present out there in the marketplace. We might be protecting course of timers in a separate information.
Now we acquired this out of the best way, let’s see what the completely different choices are!
The Classics
GraLab Mannequin 300
Maybe probably the most ubiquitous and nonetheless most available darkroom timer within the US, the GraLab 300 has been round for a lot of many years with largely beauty and materials adjustments. It’s an intuitive electro-mechanical design with two cams to offer correct countdown timing over giant intervals. GraLab studies the accuracy of the system at +/-.015% on the most dial setting. The 2 glow-in-the-dark arms can rapidly be set from 1 second to 59 minutes and 59 seconds. There’s a (moderately loud) buzzer that says the top of the publicity, which sadly can’t be turned off. The buzzer permits the system to be as a standalone countdown course of timer or as a growth timer.
There are two devoted retailers for an enlarger and a safelight respectively. Every outlet is rated for a 5 amp (600 watts) load, and a relay can be utilized for heavier hundreds. When the enlarger is on (for focusing or throughout timed publicity) the safelight is mechanically switched off. This permits for a greater view of the projected picture and is particularly helpful when dodging and burning.
As with many units manufactured over a very long time, some cost-cutting has clearly been at work. The at present out there GraLab 300 is housed in a plastic enclosure, versus the steel ones of the previous fashions. Switches have additionally been up to date from the steel toggles to plastic rocker ones. Whereas this has definitely lowered manufacturing prices, the brand new timers may not be as sturdy because the previous ones. Then again, there may additionally be a security aspect to the updates. Contemplating the proximity of water, corrosive chemical compounds and the dangers of operation with moist arms in a typical darkroom, using plastic could make for a safer unit.
Time-O-Lite M-72R / GR-90
Time-O-Lite timers by the Industrial Timer Firm are maybe the good old-school darkroom timers you should buy model new right now. Very comparable in operation to the GraLab 300, the Time-O-Lite M-72R is run by a synchronous motor drive coupled with a simplified automated reset timing mechanism. The publicity time is about by twisting the knob within the middle of the luminous dial. The M-72R has a switched safelight outlet that switches off every time energy is fed to the enlarger. The system can deal with hundreds as much as 6.5 amps (750 watts).
The GR-90 is strictly the identical because the M-72R with the one distinction being the absence of a safelight outlet on the GR-90. There is no such thing as a audio signalization, and no superior options like metronome or footswitch management. The timer must be reset after every publicity. Each items are devoted enlarger timers, because the 60-second most just isn’t enough for any course of timing.
Time-O-Lite darkroom timers are solely out there in 110V with US energy receptacles.
Time-O-Lite P72
With its heavy-duty steel casing, the P72 is Time-O-Lite’s high enlarger timer. With twin retailers, the P72 can deal with as much as a 1000 watt load and helps an optionally available foot-switch. It’s run by the identical synchronous motor drive coupled with a simplified automated reset timing mechanism. As an old-school timer, there are not any auto alerts or metronome options.
This mannequin really is available in 4 completely different variations that differ solely by the timer scale calibration. The P72-60S is the usual 60-second model proven within the picture above. The P72-4R is a high-precision 15-second model with a dial calibrated in 1/4 second increments. The P72-3M is a 3 minute mannequin with 3-second increments and the P72-5M mannequin runs for a most of 5 minutes adjustable at 5-second increments.
The Digital
GraLab Mannequin 451
The GraLab 451 is a complicated digital darkroom timer with a number of options. It’s a solid-state digital system with a 99-minute time vary that may be set in minutes, seconds and 1/10 seconds. Accuracy is reported as ± .01% and repeatability as ± .005%. It has adjustable brightness crimson LED digital show, backlit buttons and a handy interface structure.
The 451 mannequin has two impartial, programmable reminiscences for single-cycle switching or steady biking. Versus the 300, which is reset each time it’s run, the 451 could be run a number of instances with out the must be set once more. A footswitch could be wired right into a devoted port, enabling the person to start out the publicity hands-free. That is an particularly helpful characteristic when complicated dodging or burning is to be carried out.
Moreover, the timer has a metronome mode along with the common end-of-process buzzer possibility. In metronome mode, the timer marks every elapsed second with an audible sign. This facilitates correct dodging or burning durations. Just like the 300, the audio sign choices of the 451 mannequin lengthen its usability into course of timing purposes. There’s additionally audio-off mode, a characteristic sorely missed on the fundamental 300 mannequin.
The one factor missing on the GraLab 451 is the devoted safelight outlet that the 300 mannequin has. There’s a logic-level output jack that can be utilized to command a relay, however it’s hardly as easy as a devoted outlet.
Paterson 2000D
The Paterson 2000D enlarger timer comes from the largest darkroom gear producer within the UK. For that reason, it’s extra widespread within the UK and Europe than within the US, though a devoted US 110 volt model is obtainable. The one switched outlet can deal with hundreds as much as 5 amps (600 watts).
There are two timing ranges that mechanically swap: from 0.1 to 9.9 seconds in 0.1 sec increments and from 10 to 99 seconds in 1-second increments. The 2000D has a crimson LED adjustable brightness numerical show. When printing a sequence of photos, the chosen time could be repeated any variety of instances with out having to reconfigure the clock every time such as you’d must do with the GraLab 300. Additionally it is doable to interrupt and restart the remaining time and interrupt and reset on to the set beginning time.
The Paterson 2000D is a fundamental digital darkroom timer, so it doesn’t have any superior choices like audio signaling, safelight outlet or footswitch help. There’s additionally no button backlight, though the buttons are effectively spaced to enhance ergonomics. This mannequin is an effective instance of a devoted enlarger darkroom timer. The dearth of audio signaling signifies that it’s not as effectively suited to make use of as a course of timer, because the GraLab timers above. As well as, the 99-second most period would severely restrict the processes with which the timer can be utilized.
Kaiser Digital Darkroom Timer
Kaiser is one other darkroom gear producer that’s extra well-known Europe than within the US. Their easy, straightforward to make use of Digital Timer mirrors the Paterson 2000D characteristic set fairly intently. With the identical timing vary just like the Kaiser goes from 0.1 to 9.9 seconds in 0.1 increments, and additional on to 99 secs in 1-second steps. In contrast to the Paterson, the Kaiser’s 2-digit amber-colored show’s depth can’t be adjusted.
The unit has a single switched outlet that may deal with as much as a 500-watt load. No superior options like audio prompts or metronome, no foot-switch help, and no safelight management. Just like the 2000D, a dialed-in period could be repeated any variety of instances with out having to reconfigure the clock every time. A working timer will also be paused after which restarted for the remaining time.
The Kaiser Digital Timer is one other instance of a devoted enlarger timer. The identical limitations as within the Paterson 2000D restrict its utility as a course of timer.
New Children on the Block
MAYA
MAYA is a model new darkroom timer at present being within the last levels of growth after a profitable IndieGoGo marketing campaign. As a contemporary, high-tech product it has extra bells and whistles than the entire different fashions on this overview put collectively. Right here’s an inventory of the principle ones:
- Countdown timer
- F-Cease changes
- Take a look at Strip mode with F-Cease management
- Dodge and burn actions based mostly on F-Stops
- Auto time-compensation for dry-down, firming, aperture and paper measurement adjustments
- Safelight and room gentle management
- Movie growth timer
- Metronom
- Modular {hardware} with add-ons, buttons and switches
Whereas definitely an formidable mission, the system remains to be in its prototype stage and is but to show it’s performance. You’ll be able to maintain abreast of the mission’s IndieGoGo web page. Lens Notes will present a full assessment as soon as we get our arms on a manufacturing mannequin.
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