Using night-viewing devices in darkroom

[Ed Brock]

Is it possible to use a night-viewing device to aid in darkroom printing of B&W. Here is the problem: My night vision is almost totally gone and I am unable to see the subtle enlarger image when the lens is stopped down for printing. Burning in and dodging is now a thing of the past for me. Is there bionic help out there? Has anyone actually had experience in this area? Is there a scope which works at "reading" range and does not magnify the image?

[lenser]

I remember the owner of one lab I used back in the seventies, taking me in the FILM processing room to watch the cine machine run the exposed, but not yet processed, film. We used night vision infrared if I recall. Maybe not infrared, but some system that did not expose the film. Nearly as bright as a small light bulb in a dark room.

[Michael Kadillak]

Night visions devices would only be of assistance in this segment of your photographic work if you were able to print with an infrared light source.

If you have not done it already, I would sit down with your opthamologist and discuss this with him or her.

[rhbourbonnais]

Not all night vision goggle use infrared.
Some amplify the existing light.
I don't believe that the goggles used by the military are magnifying.
Try searching for Night Vision Goggles to get more information.
Maybe its time to switch to digital.

Robin

[Jordan]

Yeah, don't switch to digital. I'm sure there is something out there to aid you in continuing to produce work in a traditional manner.