favorite enlarger timer?

[stradibarrius]

there are so many darkroom timers available...I have several of the old clock face type but used a digital type in a darkroom class I took a couple of years ago. I thought I might try one so I thought I would see if there are any major differences. For me having repeatable settings and easy to read display and easy adjustments are the important features.

recommendations?

[Tony Lakin]

RH Designs range of timers are superb.

http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/

[E. von Hoegh]

Time-O-Lite, and WWV for dodging & burning.

[John Kasaian]

A (dare I say it?) Ancient steam-punk Gra-lab, with an old school steel case with a wee bit of corrosion for character, and a power cord with an unprotected ground. Also an old bakelite Kalt I purchase new in 1970, for shorter exposures.
They both are accurate and they both work fine.
Theres nothin' cheesey about my gear, nosiree!:rolleyes:

[E. von Hoegh]

A (dare I say it?) Ancient steam-punk Gra-lab, with an old school steel case with a wee bit of corrosion for character, and a power cord with an unprotected ground.
Nothing cheesey about it, nosiree!

I use the GraLab for developing, I can read the dial in the dark.

[Doremus Scudder]

Whatever timer I use to enlarge must have an audible beep to keep track of the seconds. I rarely rely on the timer to actually time my prints. I have an Omega audible timer on one enlarger that is set to 99 seconds. I start the timer with a footswitch and just count seconds. Another enlarger has a Zone VI timer/stabilizer. It also beeps seconds. For years I got along with a simple on/off footswitch, a piece of matboard and a metronome.

I can't imagine doing dodging and burning without being able to simultaneously watch what I'm doing and count seconds.

There are a whole lot of timers out there that make noise every second. Get one of those.

Best,

Doremus

[E. von Hoegh]

Whatever timer I use to enlarge must have an audible beep to keep track of the seconds. I rarely rely on the timer to actually time my prints. I have an Omega audible timer on one enlarger that is set to 99 seconds. I start the timer with a footswitch and just count seconds. Another enlarger has a Zone VI timer/stabilizer. It also beeps seconds. For years I got along with a simple on/off footswitch, a piece of matboard and a metronome.

I can't imagine doing dodging and burning without being able to simultaneously watch what I'm doing and count seconds.

There are a whole lot of timers out there that make noise every second. Get one of those.

Best,

Doremus

Why I use this - http://www.nist.gov/pml/div688/grp40/wwv.cfm

[Michael Graves]

I have a Gralab 660 digital that I like a lot. I can plug both my 5x7 and my 4x5 enlarger to it simultaneously (at the same time, even) and switch back and forth, so that only one timer is needed and I don't have to do a lot of wire shifting. It's got a foot switch that lets me burn and dodge (using the fancy tools I got from Reinhart).

[bob carnie]

Gray lab 450 is my favourite timer

[Jim Jones]

A digital clock that ticks once a second is cheap and adequate.

[ac12]

EvH, you got me thinking, it would be fun to get an old Time-O-Lite.
You really don't need 1/10 sec precision when you are exposing for 15-20 seconds.
And those old things are durable.

[Paul Hoyt]

For printing I have GraLab timers; 505 & 525. I bought them used on Ebay for very little. Why 2? I like to have a back-up and good used equipment for darkrooms are very inexpensive. Some sellers will list at $150.00 and others will start their auction for $9.00 and eventually sell for under $25.00. The 505 & 525 are digital display and beep every second; great for burning and dodging. I can calculate a "dry down" factor and set the new time since the digital timers will program in 0.1 increments. My old mechanical Time-O-Lite had reproducibility problems and was not as easy to use when dodging the initial exposure; no beep.

Paul

[Old Guy]

After using numerous timers, analog, solid-state and Digital, I finally settled on a Beseler Enlarging Timer . . . http://www.adorama.com/BEART.html

Of course I got mine for several dollars at an estate sale. I like it because it is audible, and I can set the timer values in complete darkness. I simply count the clicks of the switches.

[neil poulsen]

I really like the Zone VI compensating developing and enlarging timers. I have two extra sensors that I've installed in a D2V condenser head and a Beseler 45s color head.

I use the 45s for black and white printing. While intended for B&W, I haven't used the D2V for years.

I use a Gralab for stops and fixes.

[kev curry]

StopClock Professional by RH Designs. Great timer, great build quality, great support, second to none. Currently rethinking the need and efficacy of a timer in favour of a ticking metronome for easier intuitve printing.

[irwinhh]

For enlarging any of the decade style timers - the ones with a separate rotary knob for 10,1 & 1/10 second increments. Seems to make it easier to keep track of percent changes when printing multiple burn and dodge exposures. For processing I use an old GreyLab 300 as it is what I have.
Every once in a while I forget to shut it off and the buzzer shocks me into the here and now!

[Steve Weston]

Nocon F-stop timer. lovely piece of kit which was easy to use. Took me an age to find one after I sold the first when I turned to Digital. Now I am returning to the darkroom.

[Trigeek]

I use the RH Designs StopClock Pro as well. Easy to use and has all of the features I need.

[Kodachrome25]

I use the RH Designs StopClock Pro as well. Easy to use and has all of the features I need.

Agreed, just ordered a second one as I will soon use the Vario for my mural enlarger. Some news of late, Richard Ross is retiring so the building of the units is going to a company called SDS and the prices are headed up:

http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/index.html

Aside from the two stop clocks, I have the ProcessMaster-II, Zonemaster-II and paper flasher.

[ataim]

I use a Gralab 525. I got some of the glow in the dark paint and marked it up for easy use. I'd like one from RH Designs, but alais, money and wife do not agree.

[Ari]

Gralab 500; I find having 1/10 second extremely valuable.

[Ed Bray]

I have a Stopclock Pro on the Devere 507 and a Baeurle Digital Timer/Analyser on the LPL 7700.

[jose angel]

After using for decades some stone-aged Durst timers, since past december I`m using a StopClock Pro from RH designs, and find it to be unbeatable.

[Peter De Smidt]

Stop Clock Pro

[munz6869]

The commodore 64-like controller for my AC1200 can be set for tenths of a second (I've never felt the need to do that), and also delays the timer and shutter a moment whilst the lamp warms up - it makes everything very repeatable. There are heaps of other features I don't use at all, and it is rather large, but... so awesome. I wouldn't find it hard to return to the simplicity and terrifying buzzer of my old Gra-Lab.

Marc!

[patrickjames]

I use a Gralab 645 digital timer modified for my Saunders 4550. It has two channels which is fine for almost all the prints I make. I could never get used to metronomes or other methods. The dial Gralabs used to drive me crazy since I would forget what the settings were. The auto reset Time-o-Lites were better. There are of course a ton of different good timers that have been made over the years. I never understood the f-stop printing thing. I used to know Nocon and talked to him about it, but I didn't drink the cool aid as they say. I like things simple and transparent when I am in the darkroom and I print by feel. I don't like anything getting in the way of that.

[polyglot]

Anything that's an f/stop timer. It will change your world, and far for the better.

[Bernice Loui]

+1

Time-O-Lite and one second tone to count as the image is crafted..

Simple, durable very functional and involvement with the print making process..


Bernice



Time-O-Lite, and WWV for dodging & burning.

[stradibarrius]

I got a Gralab 545 off ebay and It is really nice. I used it last night and it does everything I could want. Thanks for all the help!

[evan clarke]

Darkroom Automation F stop timer..have three of them.

[WayneStevenson]

Time-O-Light / Omega Repeating Audible timers. On long development marathons late into the night, the metronone keeps me company when I forget to turn on the radio. And the repeater makes timing errors non-existant.

I mainly use them for timing paper development. I develop by time, as opposed to inspection. Most of my enlargers are plugged into Gralabs though and I do like them.

[Hector.Navarro]

digital GraLab 505, great timer!

the display can be dimmed enough to be used for film development.

[Witold Grabiec]

It's been a while since my time in a darkroom, but my vote goes for the Zone VI enlarging timer. I call it the simplest of the most sophisticated timers. Worked like a charm, very intuitive (once you get a hang of it). I'd venture to say that this was one of a few top products Fred Picker put out. Mine is sitting in a box, but hopefully will see some use again. Regardless, I'll never part with, if nothing else it'll go on the wall in a frame.

[UlbabraB]

RH Design Stop Clock Pro, it changed the way I print...I don't know if my prints are better but I enjoy printing a lot more!

[Jim Noel]

A 75 year old metronome works for me. One was good enough for Ansel, it is more than good enough tfor me.

[Cletus]

Another emphatic vote for RH Designs, only I have the Analyzer Pro. It's similar to the Stop Clock Pro, but includes metering functions for matching paper grades with the negatives and for nailing proper exposure times without dickering around.

Any of the RHD (or now SDS, I understand) F-Stop timers would be recommended, regardless of the specific model. I also second the comments about f-stop printing. Once you have calibrated your brain to think and work this way, you'll never want to do anything else.

[AtlantaTerry]

GraLab

[Nicolasllasera]

Another happy user of the RH stop clock. Best thing I have used.

[smithdoor]

I like Gralab 300 Timer for one of kind and Time-O-Lite M-72 Darkroom Timer for make the same photo over and over

Dave

[John Kasaian]

I have a Mark Time for 60 seconds and a Gralab for longer times.

[mdarnton]

When I worked in commercial labs, it was time-o-lite and a foot pedal for me. I set it to five seconds, and left it there, making fine adjustments with the lens opening, using multiples of five seconds for larger changes and burning. The other thing I did was replace the enlarger bulbs with the hottest one they could handle. That kept 8x10s in the 5 sec @ f8 range, 11x14s twice that, if I'm remembering right. I had it down so I would adjust the brightness on the easel by eye for those times, and just about never missed. Keeping the time the same was a huge part of that.

[BradS]

There are a whole lot of timers out there that make noise every second. Get one of those.

Best,

Doremus

Yes! I was quite satisfied with a Time-O-Light for years. Then I happened upon a similar timer that clicks each second. Its a Omega or Beseler (?) audible timer. I don't think I'd like to go back.

[Leigh]

Gralab 900 - Excellent nine-step process timer, handles the entire processing sequence.

106738

- Leigh

[ShannonG]

Ive had several but i really like the Omega Digital timer.It has 3 displays the last one is for 10ths (i dont use it tho). It beeps off the seconds,has a stop and go button. works great for dodging and burning.It fits nicely next to my enlarger board and it easy to get at and use.
106755

[Patrick13]

I have a wheezy, old Time-o-Lite from the early 1940's that clicks and whirrs when it runs and sounds like a dying cat when it resets. But darned if that thing doesn't still keep time to match a modern stopwatch, plus it has a really pretty art deco face.

Plus it's entertaining.

[aporodagon]

Metrolux II with probe for enlarging, Gralab 900 for development timing - great for E6 processing.

[jbrianfoto]

I really loved my Lektra TM-8. he version I had used tubes inthe power supply, produced a nice smell when it got good and warm. Never let me down.

[Bruce Barlow]

Zone VI with dry-down compensation.

[Luis-F-S]

An ancient Treck T-88 timer with a dual foot switch made by Eseco. The left side of the foot switch is for focus, and the right for time. Also have a Metrolux for the cold lite head.

L