"Poll" Question: Do you use a footswitch for your enlarger?

[Greg]

My first full time Photo job consisted of being a professional printer for about 50% of the week. Foot switch was for making the exposure and a knee "switch" was for composing, focusing, and burning in. The knee switch was totally isolated from the counter so activating it (pushing it in) didn't initiate any vibration to the enlarger. I still use Lektra TM-8 Electronic Interval Timers (DURST 4x5 and Leitz Focomat V35), but have stopped to use knee and foot switches, preferring to be more minimalistic n the darkroom as far as equipment goes.

[Drew Wiley]

Yep, on all of them.

[Corran]

Absolutely, was a huge improvement to my workflow when I got one. Would like to get an additional one for my second enlarger.

[Duolab123]

I've got footswitches for every timer I own. Now I feel like I need to try them.

I have neuropathy in my feet, makes it difficult for me to feel this sort of thing, maybe I need moccasins or fancy driving shoes

[Merg Ross]

Always have, going back sixty years. One for enlarger and one for contact printing (different timers.)

[Fred L]

yup, one newspaper lab I worked in had them and it was a revelation ! currently use dual pedal foot switches with my Omega digital timer. For most prints, I use the momentary/focus pedal and a Seiko metronome. For really long exposures, it's the timer footswitch.

[Doremus Scudder]

Indispensable for me too.

I use foot switches for all my enlargers and my wet-side timers.

On the wet side, I wired two foot switches in series so I can start/stop the timer from different locations. One switch lives under the developer tray, the other under the fixer tray.

For enlarging, I use the "focus" toggle switch on the wall-mounted unit to turn on the enlarger for focusing. For exposing, however, I use the foot switch.

My timers are set on the maximum number of seconds possible (99 in the case of my digital GraLab timers) and the metronome "beep" function is turned on. I start exposures with a card held under the lens, let things settle down and then pull the card and start counting seconds. Dodging is done between certain counts, say this shadow from counts two-five, then this other one from 10-14, etc. Exposure is ended by putting the card back under the lens. Burning is then a simple matter of counting seconds with the metronome. I can switch off the light with the footswitch while burning to check notes, change filtration, etc. easily.

Test strips are made by pulling the card away and beginning the exposure and then covering up stripes on the test strip in pre-determined 25% 30% interval. (10 - 13 - 17 - 22 - etc. for 30%). Exposure is ended by putting the card back under the lens.

Enlarger light gets turned off after exposure with the footswitch.

Best,

Doremus

[PRJ]

Footswitches for me too. And for the developer timer as well. Just makes things easier.

[Bernice Loui]

Better question would be, how does any darkroom printer work efficiently without a foot switch on the enlarger timer and wet side timer(s)?

Both hands full with dodge/burn/etc tools/implements.. trying to manage all other print making moves efficiently essentially demands a foot switch to aid in dealing with the printing process. Essentially the same with using both hands dealing with the exposed print (no krinkling of the print before and after wet).. kinda demands a foot switch..

Back in them days, all the "better" darkroom timers had a connector for a ... foot switch .... why?


Bernice

[Tin Can]

OK

I will install a foot switch