Darkroom Timers

[Les McLean]

RH Designs Stop Clock Pro enalarger timer incorportating fstop timing, drydown feature, compensating feature for cold cathode and a it is programable for all burning and dodging manipulations.

For film and paper development the RH Designs Process timer with 7 programmable channels each with 5 different processes.

[kwmullet]

For enlarging and contact printing, a metronome and a footswitch.
For processing, a Gralab... the older the better.

I don't know that I'd ever need anything else.

Because using a metronome while listening to music is somewhat problematic, this setup necessitates listening to music only when processing film, but listening to talk radio while printing.

-KwM-

[lee]

Les has been drinking the RH Designs koolaid again. I have a Gralab 451 for the Elwood and a Metrolux II for the D2.

lee\c

[Stephen J. Collier]

For enlarging and contact printing, a metronome and a footswitch.
For processing, a Gralab... the older the better.

I don't know that I'd ever need anything else.

Because using a metronome while listening to music is somewhat problematic, this setup necessitates listening to music only when processing film, but listening to talk radio while printing.

-KwM-

Ansel Adams, somewhere in Heaven, is smiling.

[John McCallum]

After reading quite a lrg number of recommendations of RH Designs products, I decided recently to spend the extra on their product the Analyser Pro. Having used it now for a few weeks, I can confidently say that there is not one positive comment regarding quality, features or ease of use that I would consider an exaggeration.
It is an outstandingly well designed, quality product.

[Deckled Edge]

I use two Gralab 300s. One for the enlarger and one on the wet side for processing. For dodging/burning I use a kitchen wind-up timer that ticks 4 ticks a second (240 ticks in 60 sec, actually).

i use a gralab 300 for processing film....it glows in the dark so when i'm running sheet film i move it beyond the fixer tray and angle it toward to wall. so far no film fogging issiues. i throw a towel over the timer when i'm loading film.
tomtom

I previously reported the definitive phosphorescent phog phallacy phindings: I held a Gralab, after 30 min. in open room light, then in total darkness in close proximity to a sheet of Bergger 200 ASA B&W film. The Gralab was sitting on top of one edge of the film. At 30 sec. there was no fogging with N+1 dev. I also put my glow in the dark watch directly on top of the film for 10, 20, and 30 sec. There was ZV fog from 20 sec and Z2 from 30 sec.

QED: Don't cover your Gralab or turn it to the wall. Take off your watch when you load film holders.

[mobtown_4x5]

I've been covering my Gralab!

I am thinking about something digital- reaching out and moving the hands of the Gralab is just too sloppy- I would like to try F-stop, does anyone make a cheaper timer than the RH that has F-stop capability?

[rjr]

Mobtown,

any clock has "f-stop" capability with a "Brain 1.1" upgrade - you! ;-).

The other advice isnīt helpful, either - some time ago I found a cheap GDR darkroom timer that has this function. RTF Exakt, build in mid1990 just before the company collapsed... I doubt it was exported nor build in high numbers the price in 1990 was 195Mark, quite steep. Got if for a mere single Euro - it was a blind buy at Ebay.de, the seller didnīt know what he was doing and I had a slight suspect about itīs functionality. ;-)

Perhaps some of you stumble across one - small, bright orange plastics. If so - grab it and run.

[Max Power]

Being a humble hobbyist, I use a GraLab 300 on the wet side, and a GraLab 505 with the enlarger.
So far, both are great and serve their intended purposes very well. IMHO, a digital timer is the way to go on an enlarger.

[David Ruby]

For enlarging I have a Kearsarge 200 (I think it's 200) with a foot switch. Pretty nice I think, although I'll get one of those cool RH things someday! For film I use a cheap kitchen timer bought at Walmart, since I'm too cheap to buy a Gralab 300 off Ebay for more than $20 (but I'm still looking!!). For my 4x5 film in trays, I've been using the same cheap kitchen timer for the development part.