Compensating enlarging timers ? Who knows?

[richard_warren]

I am setting up a new darkroom to accomadate 8x10 negative printing. I have an 8x10 aristo cold light head and no timer. I am considering buying a compensating timer such as the MetroLux ll or the Zone 6. I will be doing multiple prints (16x20 and larger) of 25. I want repeatable results, not cold light drift. I have been printing 4x5 with a cold head for many years with no problem but then again I was not doing this amount of prints from same neg. Does anyone have the MetroLux ll ?? This is what I am leaning towards. (please no metronone replies) Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks

RW

[jeff_white1]

My experience with a cold light head is that without a stabilizer or

compensating timer they drift all over the place in intensity. When

I was using a coldliht head (4x5) I used a Zone VI stabilizer that

worked very well. A few years ago I started using Variable Contrast

papers and decided to go with a dichroic head, a mounted a light

probe in the mixing chamber and added a Zone VI compensting enlarging

timer. Now I have a Constant Exposure light source at any filter

setting (if your are using medium gray as your reference point). I

like the Zone VI because it is easy to operate because it uses knobs

that turn to the setting you want, the Metrolux is a little more

complicated although I am sure that it can be mastered with a little

practice. I am sure that there a many top notch photographers out

there that don't use either of these timers but I would suggest

buying one if easily repeatable results is your goal.

[dan_smith]

One less expensive answer is a light block between the lens and

paper. Let the head warm up to working temperature and don't turn it

off again. Set the negative, focus and composition and then put the

light block inbetween the lens and easel. Remove it or swing it out

of the way(a built in movable block on many older enlargers does this

one) and expose the paper. Then move the block back into the light

path. No on and off, no drift to speak of once the light is at its

working temperature. But, no real options if you have to use

exposures such as 4.8 seconds. This system works much better for

times a bit longer.

[richard_warren]

Greetings. Iam new to this forum and I am impressed with who is out

there. We large format shooters are an endanrered speices. Keep up

the good work ! Your replies have confirmed what I thought was

available in compensating timers ie: Merolux ll, and Zone 6.

I have a flyer from Metrolux, the were accessable, informitive and

nice. Yes for years I have used the warm up method of printing with a

cold light. When I used to print 2 1/4 negs without a glass carrier;

I would set up to print; then cover the lens and hit the timer. As

soon as the timer ran out > I would uncover the lens and then expose

the paper. This did two things: first it would pre-heat the negative

( I would also focus on a pre-heated negative- even cold lights have

some heat) and 2 this would help reduce any drift from the cold light

itself. This works however it is time consuming when doing multiple

prints. This is a time vs. expense issue. I will continue to search

for a used Metrolux ll timer. Wish me luck !!