ryan_mcintosh Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 I just bought one of those Arista Darkroom safelights from Freestyle Photo, and I got it...plug it in...and the green cover that goes over the light bulb is painted so heavy green...NO LIGHT COMES THRU! AT ALL! It has a 15w bulb in it that works fine, but the green cover...is so thick no light can pass thru it! Has anyone had this problem with those Arista safelights? Any suggestions? Oh yes, and if your wondering, I got the light to develop my 8x10 film by inspection. THANKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Are you looking at it in room light? Or in the darkroom, all lights off, waiting several minutes for your eyes to adjust to darkness? Is the 15 watt bulb the proper bulb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Yeah, the green safelights are REALLY dim. You have to sit in the dark 15 minutes to acclimate yourself. You just can't use much light, since the panchromatic film is very sensitive to light of all wavelengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 A green safelight for film development by inspection is extremely dim. You have to allow your eyes to get well used to the dark. If you've been outdoors in the sun, or staring at a monitor, it could take a half hour or more. Even then you'll just be able to make out the back side of the film. The green color is because of the eyes sensitivity at that wavelength, not because the film isn't sensitive there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce watson Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 The dark green is for development by inspection of film. It's dim because the film is still in the developer when you turn on the light and sneak a look. Much light or long exposure to this one can fog the film. If you need the safelight for "normal" darkroom work (printing) you need an amber filter (IIRC it's an OC filter???). And you'll want more than 15 watts behind that OC filter I think. Check the paper manufacturer's recommendations as always. I have no idea what the various alt. processes need in the way of safelights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan_mcintosh Posted September 1, 2004 Author Share Posted September 1, 2004 I was viewing the Green safelight in my darkroom in PITCH black. I am using it to develop by inspection my 8x10 sheet film. I sat in the darkroom for about 10 minutes with it off in pitch black...pluged it in and I get BARLY the most tiny bit of glow off the top of it. To really be able to see the negative I think I would have to old it RIGHT up against it...but I know I do not want to do that. Do you think it would be easier to view the film by shining the light on the base side...or holding it up to the light to see how much it is developed? Also, It seems as the light heats up...it gets A TINY bit brighter to see. I think all the light this puts off is what I have to work with. Any other suggestions? Thanks Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank.schifano Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 Yeah it's dim alright. It's so dim in fact that it's pretty close to the lower limit of human perceptibility. Some people are able to see by it while others have more difficulty. That's the way it has to be with film or else it will fog. If you're not careful and expose your film too long to this light it will fog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt miller cambridge, ia Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 Ryan, The Aristo green safelight is much dimmer than other green safelights. I bought it and tried it once. After 10 minutes of darkness, I hit the footswitch to turn it on. I could only see the neg if it was inches away from the light, and even then I could not see it well. Get rid of the Aristo, it's useless. I now have a 5x7 Hansa dark green filter that I use on a Premier 5x7 safelight with a 15w bulb. Plenty bright enough to see the neg from 3-4 feet away and does not fog the film with 5 or so seconds of inspection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 Gets me to wondering, I know color blindness can affect red/green vision. Could people have widely varying sensitivity to green? I've used the Kodak version of this safelight in a small bullet housing, and even though it's dim, there's enough light to make out the emulsion a couple feet away. The alternative is to get an IR viewing system, but that's way more bucks than any hobbiest is going to spend. A while back I made a post suggesting that development by inspection is difficult and IMHO unnecessary, but a ton of people took issue with that. You might try a post in the various LF forums, both here and elsewhere on the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt miller cambridge, ia Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 I think the main problem here is that the Arista light sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 FYI, looking on Freestyle's website, I see that the replacement bulb they sell for that is 10w, not 15w. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan_mcintosh Posted September 1, 2004 Author Share Posted September 1, 2004 Well...I attemped today to develop by inspection with the green Arista Safelight. I let it warm up for ALONG time, and let my eyes to adjust to the dark for about 30 minutes before hand. When it finally came time to flick it on for a second or two...I could not see the negative at all or anything. I could hold the film right up (about 1-2 feet away to try to view THRU the negative...and I could not (and its not because my negative was dense) Holding it that close did not fog the negative because I still have perfectly clear borders. All in all...I think im just going to return this Artista Safelight to Frestyle and get a better one. ALSO...I got some Arista EDU film...and I personally think the stuff is junk. It is super thin just feeling it and did not produce the same negative I am used too on Ilford Delta film. I do not recommend ANYONE buying Arista Safelight. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 I seem to recall (in a dim nightmare) having been forced to develop sheet film by inspection in school. I couldn't see a damned thing. Even if I could have, what would I be looking for? How could a barely perceptible image tell me anything about appropriate development times? That experience was almost solely responsible for turning me off LF for decades. But I wish only the best to anyone who wants to develop by this method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt miller cambridge, ia Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 A better green safelight will make a world of difference, I guarantee it. DBI is not for everyone. The right film and developer does make it easier. TMY, for instance, is very hard to see. Efke is a dream to DBI. Pyro developers help too. I enjoy DBI & use it for some negs, but prefer tube development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan_mcintosh Posted September 1, 2004 Author Share Posted September 1, 2004 I heard that its HARDER to develop by Inspection when using Pyro staining developers because it is even HARDER to see because you are staining the negative. Correct me if im wrong. Also, anyone have a suggest for a good green safelight that is still a good price? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt miller cambridge, ia Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 It could be more difficult if you inspect by transmission. I inspect by reflectance and in my experience I can see the highlights coming through better when using pyro developers. The pyro also helps to keep the film from fogging. I've never fogged one yet, even with over 5 seconds of inspection; and my light if pretty bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan_mcintosh Posted September 2, 2004 Author Share Posted September 2, 2004 I was planning to start developing with Pyrocat HD, so thats a good thing. Can someone suggest a good green safelight? Or does anyone have an extra one they are not using they would sell? Because im just a young student, I dont have much money...but I want to learn :) Thanks! Ryan McIntoshwww.RyanMcIntosh.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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