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Thread: Good Film Development Timer?

  1. #21
    Big Negs Rock!
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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    Hey Frank. Like I said, a cheap red digital clock with a number of red or ND filters over the screen works great. I've never had a problem with fogging the film from this device. Plus, I don't have to set it. I use some old timers that my dad had in his studio for the actual timing. (They can be rigged with a string so you can pull the arm by waving your hand where the string is.) The clock is for agitation purposes.
    Mark Woods

    Large Format B&W
    Cinematography Mentor at the American Film Institute
    Past President of the Pasadena Society of Artists
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    www.markwoods.com

  2. #22

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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    That does seem like the best = gotta find one displaying seconds... thanks

  3. #23
    Hack Pawlowski6132's Avatar
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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Lockrey View Post
    Metronome
    You'd Lose track.

  4. #24
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    Nothing can match the standard Graylab. Easy to set and easy to see. Easy to anticipate when you are coming up on the end of the process. I'm always late watching a digital readout clock because at 9:58 I still think I have an hour to get where I need to be....

  5. #25

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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    For processing film I use a talking timer that counts down the minutes when there's 10 min left, and seconds when there's 10 sec left. They're cheap and I've distributed a few all over the place for when I need to time something. There's no light emission just the voice counting down.

    Something like this model

  6. #26

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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrus View Post
    For processing film I use a talking timer that counts down the minutes when there's 10 min left, and seconds when there's 10 sec left. They're cheap and I've distributed a few all over the place for when I need to time something. There's no light emission just the voice counting down.

    Something like this model
    I really like this idea!

    The other day I started the metronome, turned the lights of, dropped four sheets of film into the developer tray, started the timer and went through my usual agitation routine. I realized that I had been sitting there a bit too long when I was a minute and a half past when I should have pulled the negatives. Thankfully I have duplicates. It would be nice to have some kind of feedback to ensure that the timer was running while groping around in the dark. I'll have to look into one of these.

  7. #27
    Large format foamer! SamReeves's Avatar
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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ari View Post
    Get a cassette player, and record yourself ringing a bell every 30s or minute.
    Play the cassette in the darkroom when you develop film.
    It's also the perfect opportunity to learn Mandarin subliminally.
    And wear a wristwatch!
    LMAO!!!

  8. #28

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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    Quote Originally Posted by sdynes View Post
    +1 for the Massive Dev iPhone app. I've been developing in trays, and have found it useful.

    Pros (in addition to what others have posted):
    - Can set split development times if you're doing N/N-1 development in the same tray
    - Easy to set up for e.g. 10 sec agitation every minute - gives you a 5-sec warning as well
    - Just a touch to start timing the next phase.
    - +1 for temp compensation

    Cons:
    - have to remember to turn the autobright/screenlock off and the airplane mode on (so nobody calls and turns the phone into a blinding beacon...)
    - Even in dim green mode can seem pretty bright...
    - Having to tap the phone with a wet finger to start timing.

    I spent some time looking for the right timing device; this is what I found, and it is fine.
    In the dim green/red mode, you can turn it upside down, so the screen is down and you still hear the tones out the bottom. I know you still have to pick it up to start the stop bath, but at least that's a bit darker...

    For the wet finger problem, I put my iphone in a ziplock sandwich bag. It doesn't attenuate the sound very much at all, and the touch screen still works just great through the plastic, and the phone doesn't smell like fixer afterwards.

    I never thought about airplane mode, but that's a really good idea... even though I use a jobo on a beseler base, it could still mess things up time-wise to have someone call. Thanks for the tip!

  9. #29

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    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    Frank,

    The Gra-lab is standard and will not fog film unless they are really close and really new (read bright) and they are cheap. If you have a concern, then just rig a baffle or move it farther away.

    That said, if you can pick up a Zone VI compensating developing timer with a good temperature probe, that would be sweet. I won't part with mine!

    And, FWIW, in my darkroom here in Vienna (bare-bones here in Europe), I use a metronome and a digital oven timer to tray develop. The metronome gives me seconds to base my agitation on, the oven timer counts down total time and beeps at the end of developing time. Works just fine.

    Best,

    Doremus

  10. #30

    Re: Good Film Development Timer?

    I tray develop 4x5 and 8x10 using the talking timer from here:
    http://www.talkingtimer.com/

    And a golfing metronome.No backlights, no fogging, no muss no fuss.

    Cheers,

    Chris
    Last edited by Chris Strobel; 30-Jan-2012 at 09:13. Reason: Too early to spell right

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