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Thread: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

  1. #11
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    Quote Originally Posted by pchaplo View Post
    In the meantime, if you have a tablet like an iPad, open a blank memo page. Adjust the brightness and you have a makeshift, highly portable light table.
    Good on you! We can also create a 'picture', an otherwise blank image with various color corrections. Choose the one that works best (correct viewing Kelvin) and your iPad light box is calibrated!

    Bob S. - eat your heart out. Wait - not serious. We still love you.

  2. #12
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    So what you are saying Bob, is a perfect lightbox does not exist?

    I believe that, but most film photo stores I saw had the below from B&H. When I had my film store developed they always said use our fancy lightbox.

    https://static.bhphotovideo.com/Fram...Lightboxes.pdf

    "Four-Foot Acculight Viewer (6000)
    Full-sized viewer holds up to 168 two-inch
    slides. It can be placed flat on a tabletop or
    at 15 and 70-degree viewing angles using
    folding legs in back of unit.
    Item # ACV4........................................209.95"

    It's what o bought for $20 with the stand to hold 2. I mount them on my walls.

    A lot of people also make their own. Drew most likely!

  3. #13

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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Moe View Post
    So what you are saying Bob, is a perfect lightbox does not exist?

    I believe that, but most film photo stores I saw had the below from B&H. When I had my film store developed they always said use our fancy lightbox.

    https://static.bhphotovideo.com/Fram...Lightboxes.pdf

    "Four-Foot Acculight Viewer (6000)
    Full-sized viewer holds up to 168 two-inch
    slides. It can be placed flat on a tabletop or
    at 15 and 70-degree viewing angles using
    folding legs in back of unit.
    Item # ACV4........................................209.95"

    It's what o bought for $20 with the stand to hold 2. I mount them on my walls.

    A lot of people also make their own. Drew most likely!
    A commonly used box but for critical use it would be one more like the ones Kaiser sold that had fluorescent tubes. Even the paint inside the box was custom formulated to balance out spikes and dips in the tubes full spectrum and then the plexi was also formulated to even the CRI even further. As viewing straight into the box would result in a hot spot the length of the tube special metallic tape was placed on the top of each tube to even out the light distribution.
    A big difference in technology, results and cost over boxes like the Acculite!
    Some other European boxes were also,similar in technology as well.

  4. #14
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    Even the paint inside the box was custom formulated to balance out
    Of course because they were trying to balance the flaws of the light source. With digital displays that's not an issue because it can be so finely tuned - and without paint or flawed glass.

  5. #15

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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jac@stafford.net View Post
    Of course because they were trying to balance the flaws of the light source. With digital displays that's not an issue because it can be so finely tuned - and without paint or flawed glass.
    Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, the market for highly corrected boxes is greatly diminished today as the large market for them has diminished along with the use of transparency film. 20 years ago the need for these types of boxes was much higher, especially with ad agencies, studios, clients, etc.. It was not that unusual to find that everyone in the chain actually used the same brand of box to ensure that everyone was viewing the same colors and densities.
    Today digital has replaced much of that demand.

  6. #16
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    I can understand the rigors of viewing Chromes on a lightbox. Color temp rather high.

    But if we are only viewing B&W film negs, what would be the ideal color temp?

    Seems something closer to actual enlarger lamp specs could be advantageous.

    Scanners don't need a lightbox.

    Or do they?

  7. #17
    Jac@stafford.net's Avatar
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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Moe View Post
    [...] But if we are only viewing B&W film negs, what would be the ideal color temp?
    Whatever is handy. Really. When I was a daily news photographer we viewed our 35mm negatives (sometimes still wet) in a loupe against any available light source, usually a single bright bulb. We also printed our own work, so our eye/brain interpreted the negatives appropriately to our print habits. It was always rush-rush and produced some very good work.

    This is what we used. We had a dozen of them or Russian copies. I still have one. Somewhere. One can pass the roll of film through and when a candidate image appeared, we could press a button that notched the edge of the negative to make darkroom ID tactile, easy.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The experienced, trained brain is unfathomably good.

  8. #18

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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Moe View Post
    I can understand the rigors of viewing Chromes on a lightbox. Color temp rather high.

    But if we are only viewing B&W film negs, what would be the ideal color temp?

    Seems something closer to actual enlarger lamp specs could be advantageous.

    Scanners don't need a lightbox.

    Or do they?
    If you are viewing black and white on a box then color isn’t really important but evenness and output are. You still need a box that properly reveals the shadow and highlight details.

  9. #19
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    Agreed and I have that.

    Thanks as always for your sage input.

  10. #20

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    Re: Recommendation on lightbox for viewing transparencies?

    In the early 1990s, I wanted to get the "best" lightbox available out there. After some research, acquired a "graphiclite D5000 STANDARD VIEWER". Back then was several hundred dollars. Viewing area is 10 plus x 10 plus inches. Measured the light area once with a digital meter and the reading didn't change wherever I placed the probe, so was well within 1/10 f/stop. Lightbox even has 4 LEDs that tell you the life of the bulbs. Have been using it regularly for 27+ years, and the "full life" LED has never changed. Around 2005 used it to digitize thousands of glass plates for a museum. Lately I have seen them going for $100+ at that auction site which is a real bargain.

    For viewing my 11x14 negatives, tried out a few LED light panels over the past few years. First couple of purchases had visually uneven illumination and were returned. Based on the advice from a friend, last year acquired a "generic" LED light panel at what I consider a bargain price. It has truly amazed me. Illumination seems to be close to 100% even! Don't have the digital meter any more, but using my Pentax and Soligor ZONE VI meters... well the needle never moves as I move each meter across the illuminated area. Specs: Illuminated area is 12 plus x 16 plus inches. Label on back: LED Copy Board, Model A3, Supplier: Honor Management Consulting Limited, Made in China. Has 3 levels of illumination but I always use it on the highest level. Color temperature visually has to be around 7,000K. I use it to shoot digital images from my 11x14" B&W negatives and to quickly sort color transparencies. Apparent high color temperature is the light panel's only minus point.

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