Bluetooth Enlarging Meter that works with Android

[Urahara]

Hi

Been developing over a year or so an enlarging meter that I am using for my black and white printing.

The enlarging meter is positioned on the easel to capture light data of a specific spot I am interested to measure. The data is then sent via Bluetooth to my Android phone. An associated Android app on the phone (which I have also developed) uses the data & displays information such as contrast ratio, f-stops difference between various spots on the negative. A great tool in my print making.

The app also stores useful information, keep notes, and allows me to take photographs of my prints for later reference.

If you have an Android device, you can go to Google Play Store and search for "Lightscaler' or "Bluetooth Enlarging Meter" and download/install the app which would give you an idea of what it can do.

You can also go to www.lightscaler.com to find out more (just started, not much info but should be sufficient :D).

Note that without the meter, the app's functionalities are limited. However, I would very much appreciate your feedback and suggestions to improve the app.

If there is sufficient interest, I may make some meters available for sale in the future, but that's getting ahead of myself! :D

Thanks!

[Tin Can]

I prefer iOS but find any phone a bad idea in my darkroom. I turn mine off and put it in a drawer for peace, quiet and darkness.

[Bob Salomon]

Should be for iOS

[Drew Wiley]

I kid techie types about wanting self-driving cars. I ask why? They say, so they can read the newspaper in traffic, use their laptop, watch a movie, paint their toenails, while the car steers itself. But that's what I see everyday anyway. They're glued to their book or laptop or smartphone while the car drives itself, generally into another car. Merely surviving the morning and evening commute is an act of heroism. Who needs that insanity in the darkroom too?

[Jim C.]

Seems like history repeats itself, Omega, Beseler and others have made analog enlarging meters.
And from the consensus it boiled down to just make an exposure test strip. Quick and easy.

The concept is good but misplaced, a smart phone with a glowing screen in a darkroom to me is bad.
But it could be re adapted as a light meter for a camera, how many times has anyone wished
they could meter in camera ?

Just my 2 cents.

[Urahara]

Thanks for the feedback!

The issue about light emitting from the device affecting the darkroom environment is indeed a design requirement for the app to overcome. To do so, the app's background was set to black, and the buttons to red. A red film (eg Rubylith) is placed over the display as a safety filter to handle other light colours.

Below are screen shots of the app. Note the screen shots are shown as-is without the use of the red filter; in the darkroom, everything would be rendered red by the red filter.

141569 141570 141571


I channeled incoming calls to my voice box during my darkroom session so I do not get disturbed! :D

[steveo]

Should be for iOS

Why? Android has a bigger user base than iOS by some considerable margin.


For that much desired peace and quiet, turn on Airplane mode then re-enable bluetooth.

[jbenedict]

I really like my smartphone for data. I sometimes make my own developer and it's nice having the formula right there. Chemical solutions and times, reference, calculating proportions. "Sometime" we will have to mix all of our own chemicals. I always say that, as long as there is one film, one paper and the basic photographic chemicals (including coffee and vitamin tablets) I can keep going!

I use mine as a timer when developing film although I find that I am preferring the Gralab constantly spinning and I just look and remember the placement of the hands. Or move them to zero when necessary. I had an app on the smartphone to time and it had a database of films and chemicals and times but I found that the phone was always somewhere I didn't want to be or I couldn't push the buttons the right way and it wouldn't work.
I also use the metronome function available for smartphones. I still prefer that constant one-second beat. And I leave it on constantly. Gets me in a rhythm and keeps me there. I use a foot switch to turn the light on and off. I can hold cards/wands in both hands that way. I'm sure it drives some batty but it works for me.
I prefer test strips and test prints. (I sometimes make a full size test print for up to 8x10. It sometimes gives me information on dodging/burning)

[Drew Wiley]

What I discovered is that even weak red LEDS on instruments, turned to the lwoest setting, messed up certain films. So any timers etc have been placed below the sink, where the film itself never "sees" them, or were covered with slices of neutral density lighting gels.

[Urahara]

What I discovered is that even weak red LEDS on instruments, turned to the lwoest setting, messed up certain films. So any timers etc have been placed below the sink, where the film itself never "sees" them, or were covered with slices of neutral density lighting gels.

True, since film is extremely sensitive to light. Black and white paper, however, is more "forgiving" and is generally insensitive to red light. I have tested this during printing and there was no problem with paper fogging.