Cletus
4-Jan-2013, 18:35
So I've just found a deal on an X-Rite 310 Densitometer. I don't have it in hand yet, but I've gotten to wondering about a few things and I hope someone can help shed some light here. I've never used a Densitometer in my life, although I do have a fair idea of what I'm looking for.
The XR 310 is technically a "color transmission densitometer". I will using it for B&W and I find nothing in the manual that talks about this. Would I just use it in "all color" or averaging mode to read black and white negative density? Or what?
Also, I'm sure I've read somewhere that Pyro negatives don't register the same (or, gulp...at all?) with some densitometers. Any comments on this? I'm using Pyrocat HD on the negatives I'll be interested in plotting curves and CI for.
This unit does not come with the extra apertures for measuring, 2mm, 3mm, etc.. I'm sure it will have at least one of the apertures installed, who knows which. (At least It better have something!) Are these little apertures, or whatever they're called, something I need to be concerned about? Do I really care if its a 1mm or 3mm that comes with the unit? Why the different sizes? Do you think replacements could still be purchased from X-Rite?
Last, there's no calibration standard included with this unit. I have a few sets of transmission step wedges of different sizes. Shouldn't I be able to use one of these to calibrate the unit? Even if not precisely, at least good enough? I really don't know what the actual calibration standard would look like for this thing, but I'm guessing it's something like a step wedge, right?
That's about all I can think of to consider before I start using this thing for the first time. Any help or advice on this machine, or Densitometry in general would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)
The XR 310 is technically a "color transmission densitometer". I will using it for B&W and I find nothing in the manual that talks about this. Would I just use it in "all color" or averaging mode to read black and white negative density? Or what?
Also, I'm sure I've read somewhere that Pyro negatives don't register the same (or, gulp...at all?) with some densitometers. Any comments on this? I'm using Pyrocat HD on the negatives I'll be interested in plotting curves and CI for.
This unit does not come with the extra apertures for measuring, 2mm, 3mm, etc.. I'm sure it will have at least one of the apertures installed, who knows which. (At least It better have something!) Are these little apertures, or whatever they're called, something I need to be concerned about? Do I really care if its a 1mm or 3mm that comes with the unit? Why the different sizes? Do you think replacements could still be purchased from X-Rite?
Last, there's no calibration standard included with this unit. I have a few sets of transmission step wedges of different sizes. Shouldn't I be able to use one of these to calibrate the unit? Even if not precisely, at least good enough? I really don't know what the actual calibration standard would look like for this thing, but I'm guessing it's something like a step wedge, right?
That's about all I can think of to consider before I start using this thing for the first time. Any help or advice on this machine, or Densitometry in general would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)