![]() ![]() ![]() I slide a scrap of red lighting gel over the burn opening. For precise burn with cards, I use duplex paper (white on top, black on the bottom, it's expensive but you can make your own with spray glue, it's a really nice hack) so I can clearly see the neg. Both of my repeating timers have click-stops on the ten and one-second dials, so I don't even have to look at the timer to set various times.Ī foot switch seems absolutely necessary for how I print, for things like positioning burn and dodge tools. The beeps are priceless to me, if I have an exposure that's 12 seconds and I want to dodge for 4, I can just count the beeps and not have to look at a dial. I've never adjusted to f-stop timing and have never found I needed it, YMMV as they say.Ī repeating audible time though? I couldn't live without it. But, some of that comes from much of my darkroom time being spent in commercial or group darkrooms where switching safelights for exposures wasn't an option. ![]() My preference is to have the safelights on a wall switch. Generically, many, if not most timers will have secondary sockets for turning a safelight on and off, though I may be in a bit of a minority in not finding that useful. (or, as Peter notes, a metronome and count off seconds in your head). I bought mine used, for a pretty good price, but if it broke unrepairably, I'd be ordering a new one the next day.Īside from things like automated f/stop timing, I'd say your major decision point is whether you want a full keyboard to directly enter times, or a set of rotary knobs to set. The advantage of machines like the RH designs f/stop timers is that you get a much finer control and can work in 1/6 stop increments if you wish, along with automation for things like test strips, split grade printing and dry-down compensation. In that regard they are easier than most digital timers, (also IMHO). They are easy to use for doing f/stop style timing as it's easy to set 1/2 or 2x times up to it's max limit. At a minimum the Gralab would share the short exposure and fine tuning problems you noted initially.Įven with the shortcomings you note, the time-o-lites are very productive timers when you don't need to make a lot of fine adjustments and do most of your exposing for times longer than 5 or 10 seconds. Not to say they never made one, but I haven't encountered a version that does.įor processing they are great, but for an analog style enlarging timer, your Time-o-lite is much better, IMHO. The Gralab analog timers are a bit of a pain for enlarging use because they don't reset to a time selection. ![]() Looking for some recommendations and feedback on this topic since there are so many options to choose from. I am aware of a few digital timers that meet these needs, but I am skeptical of there longevity after receiving and returning an digital timer with corroded buttons.Ī timer I was eyeing is the Beseler 8177, but it is hard to find any information about these. I would also want a timer that beeps or makes a sound to indicate the passing of each second (for dodging and burning). It must retain the function of shutting off my safelights when the enlarger light is on. I'm ideally looking for something that will have better fine controls and will allow for exposure times longer than 60 seconds. I do like that it has a plug for my safe lights and will shut them off when focusing or running the enlarger. The maximum time of 60 seconds can also be limiting with slower papers or bigger enlargement (circumvented by running the timer multiple times). It can be a bit imprecise when it comes to short exposure times (under 5 seconds) or for fine tuning exposure times by a second or two. I currently have a Time-O-Lite professional which works fine, but is a little limiting. ![]()
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