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Thread: Does Anyone have any experience with the RH Designs Analyser Pro? Any thoughts on it?

  1. #11

    Re: Does Anyone have any experience with the RH Designs Analyser Pro? Any thoughts on

    I have from more than 4 years the Analyser Pro, great tool, need to calibrate, I use a cold light and the settings was not good. Now is more expensive but save a lot of monney!!!

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Suwanee, GA
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    Re: Does Anyone have any experience with the RH Designs Analyser Pro? Any thoughts on

    Quote Originally Posted by sperdynamite View Post
    I'm a big Ansco 130 fan, it's my downfall.
    I find with PF's version of 130 I need a longer exposure for just about every MG paper. But then there are times when I tend to print too dark so each image is subjective to my mood when printing. Also depends on the toning or after treatments I want to use.

    Ansco 130 and MGFB Classic I need 1/4-1/2 stop more than what analyzer says
    Ansco 130 and MGFB warmtone I need 3/4 to 1 stop more than what analyzer says
    Ansco 130 and Bergger warmtone usually 1.5 stops more.
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Virginia, near Washsington, DC
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    6

    Re: Does Anyone have any experience with the RH Designs Analyser Pro? Any thoughts on

    Just acquired a new Analyser Pro (after the 8 year old one started acting odd). Yes, calibration is a pain, but not always necessary if you use the basic Ilford papers. I'm calibrating for 3 papers to ensure accuracy in advance of a large project of large prints, so I expect the work will save enough in paper to justify the time calibrating. To simplyfy my life, I made two jigs of mounting/mat board, each has a base and a hinged top sheet:
    --for exposure test strips the top has a 7x1/2 inch slit (perpendicular to the hinge) and the bottom is marked to help control positioning of a single 8x10 sheet rather than 7 individual strips (one for each contrast grade).
    --for the contrast tests with the Stauffer step wedge the top panel has a 2x7 inch piece of glass set in, near the hinge. The setp wedge is taped to the bottom of the glass (emulsion toward the glass to protect it from scratches.
    Final size of both is 16x20, large enough to keep an 8x10 covered as it moves across under the slit or step wedge. The jigs store easily in a paper box.
    First try with Ilford RC MCIV seems to show very high sensitivity at contrast setting 4 and especially 5. Looks like about a full stop difference (after adjusting for constant exposure effect in LPL VCCE). More work to do.

  4. #14

    Re: Does Anyone have any experience with the RH Designs Analyser Pro? Any thoughts on

    Hello
    I own an Analyser Pro since a long time. (I do not do much darkroom work lately, but I used it a lot). It is a wonderful piece of gear and one apt to save both on time and money.
    I got a fine print every time I used it and it was the first print I tried ! I demonstrated to a friend, a pro photographer which had to print samples for planning an exhibition. He had planned a week work to get the samples. Job was done in two days.
    As per calibration, it is actually easy, fast and simple. Get the paper datasheet you want to calibrate the Analyser to. For the sensitivity (offset) you have to calculate the relative speed (ISO P) of your paper versus the Ilford MG the unit came calibrated for. School grade math. Then comes the contrast values : enter the ISO P grade values into the unit. If your data from the manufacturer is accurate (and it often is) you have done 99.9 % of the calibration process. You may find your enlarger/paper/darkroom combination need a little tweak at the extreme grade values but faint.
    IMHO one of the most important feature of the Analyser Pro is the ability to actually SEE how a print would look on different papers without committing a single print ! To do so, of course, you have to have calibrated for all the papers you intent to use and then measure the important points in your displayed image and look where they fall on the display. Switch papers on the Analyser Pro and see the spots move on the display, some separate, some getting closer. It will gave you an idea of the look of the print and the actual placement of the tonal values of the finished print. Select the paper giving the closest placement of your envisioned print and commit a full sheet. You'll get a more than decent print first time. Of course, you may want to emphasize some points of the image or "close" the print by burning a bit the corners, but the first print will be near perfect first time. And this is priceless.
    You can of course change grade or time on the Analyser Pro before printing and SEE on the bar display the tones you have measured spread or merge or turn to white or black and decide what kind of mood you'll convey in the print BEFORE plunging any paper in the developer.
    I once played with a 4x5 neg I liked and printed it on 4 different papers with the same Analyser Pro setting. I was amazed at how the prints looked like I had envisioned looking at the Analyser bar display.
    And the icing on the cake is the timer set in F stop ! That is a true gift also. Because a 1/4 of a stop has the same effect be it at a 10 second printing time than at a 50 second printing time. The effect it has on the paper is the same but the actual time value is different. You do not have to bother or think. Just hit the + button to darken the print or the - button to lighten it. Consistent and repeatable.
    Of course YMMV ! And we are all different in our practices, thinking or workflow. So I understand this unit may not please everybody, but I regret I did not had it when I started printing in B&W.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Virginia, near Washsington, DC
    Posts
    6

    Re: Does Anyone have any experience with the RH Designs Analyser Pro? Any thoughts on

    Quote Originally Posted by konsultor View Post
    First try with Ilford RC MCIV seems to show very high sensitivity at contrast setting 4 and especially 5. Looks like about a full stop difference (after adjusting for constant exposure effect in LPL VCCE). More work to do.
    Sensitivity problem was thickened lubricant in the VCCE filter mechanism. The lever that pulled all filters back (for focus) was stuck and prevented the high-contract filter from moving fulling into the light path. A few (careful) drops of a light oil restored the proper movements. "Sensitivity" returned to normal.

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