per_volquartz1 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 - to be used when processing Pyro negs by inspection. Where can I find such an animal? Per Volquartz volquartz@volquartz.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_hamley Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Per, How about a green LED like on the keychains? If you need a larger one, you could get a 2 or 3 LED hikers headlamp and replace the LEDs, which would give a lot more light. I'm not sure what the spectrum is though. Thanks! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_waak Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Per, You can get a green filter for your Kodak bullet safelight from B&H. It runs something like $26, but after weeks of searching that was the only thing I could find. I could find 8x10" #3 filters all over the place for close to free, but couldn't find 8x10" safelight housing. -Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_kolosky Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Per I have looked at your work on your website. It is absolutely gorgeous. Why in the world would you want to go and change by using inspection development?? Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel_blakeslee Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Per I just picked up a Kodak 5.5" #3 green safelight filter for their bullet safelight last week at Calumet. It is part number KK9509 and they have it in stock now. $30.99. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel_blakeslee Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Per I forgot to add that some photographers such as Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee use a footswitch, since leaving the safelight on for the entire development time fogs the film. There are good articles on developing by inspection on their website (michaelandpaula.com) and Ed Buffaloe's Unblinking Eye website. Several models of footswitches are manufactured by SSC Controls and are available online (ssccontrols.com). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justus_schlichting Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Per,It took a bit of patience, but I purchased a Kodak Model B (bullet) safelight (eBay) and a used #3 filter (from B&H after I lost an eBay auction). All in, less than $30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c_p_goerz Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 I use a flashlight that has the lens covered with deep green coloured Kraft paper, I doubled up a few layers and sealed it off with some black cloth tape. You don't really look at the whole neg under close inspection as even a dim light can fog the film. I pop the flashlight on the film after I have developed it for about 5-6 mins. My 'standard' developing time is about 8-10 mins so it lets me see how its coming along and if I need to go a bit longer than normal. The clear edges of the film when unfixed will be milky white and the darker developed silver areas will be dark by comparison. As a small tip for the first time you do it this way develop the negative to the point where you think its a little bit too dense, then after fixing it will look about right. CP Goerz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triblett_lungre_thurd Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 per, i use neutral density gels taped over a green led alarm clock, set on 'dim'. since the output of the led's will vary, test yer stock ... i bought a lot of used cinegels fer cheap... think i have 3 layers of what looks to be 1.2 nd? stacked. works fer me, me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_ellis3 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 I found a Kodak green filter on e bay but I sold it to Michael Smith a few months ago. The reason I never used it was that I couldn't find a footswitch that I could connect to my safelight (I'm not a do-it-yourself type, someone more electrically or mechanically adept could probably have figured something out). I'm not sure how the people who use a flashlight or something similar that presumably is handheld do it. From what I could see at Michael's workshop, at least with 8x10 negatives you really need two hands free and so I thought a footswitch was a necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_waak Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Brian, Someone above posted a link to footswitches. But, I'm proud to say I made my own. I'm not the handiest person on the planet, and had never done a wiring project before, but I put it together in about 20 minutes. It was less than $10 in hardware: extension cord, electrical tape, momentary on switch, and junction box to make it look pretty. I went to my local Ace Hardware, the guy that was working there helped me pick out everything I needed, gave me a 30-second tutorial and I was off and running. The hardest part was finding the momentary switch, I couldn't find them at the local big-box retails, but the local Ace store had 8 different types of "momentary on" switches. -Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhananjay_n Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Making a footswitch is reasonably straightforward. Get an extension cord and a momentary 'on' switch (this should be available in a hardware store). The normal position is 'off' and pressing the switch completes the circuit and allows power to reach the bulb. You will notice that the wire of the extension cord is actually two wires, each of which is covered in a plastic insulation that are sort of molded together. Carefully, cut one of them and using a wire stripper, remove the insulation and expose the wire within the insulation on both the cut ends. Connect the footswitch to the two cut ends. Plug your safelight into the extension cord. Cheers, DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhananjay_n Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Oh yes, cover the bare wires (where you coupled the wires from the footswitch with the cut wires of the extension cord) with electrical tape so that you don't step on them in the dark. Be a shame to fog negatives with glowing self.... Cheers, DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_mueller Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 If you want the "correct" color of green, you're looking for something around 510nM. This is peak sensitivity for the eye. The Kodak #3 is centered at 520nM. The closest LED I could find was 525nM, and expensive. What I was thinking about was the Timex Indiglo (or similar) night lights. They have a nice, even, blue-green or green (depends on brand) glow. They're cheap and will last forever. I haven't been able to find out what wavelength they are, but I would hope the guys in the lab coats at Timex knew what they were doing when they chose that color, and tried to get close to the peak sensitivity of the eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_hall6 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 I have a very old, small Kodak Wratten #XI filter, green, that I inherited from my grandfather. Think it's the right shade? Also, I understand that it's not that film is insensitive to green, it's that the eyes are the most sensitive to green, so it's the dimmest light we can see the best. Which, I suppose, is why shade would be an issue. Am I right? dgh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_waak Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 David, according to Michael Smith, your reasoning is correct, it is the light our eyes can see best. It has nothing to do with film sensitivity. Are you sure your Wratten XI isn't a series and not a filter number? I thought all Wrattens were given numbers, and 11 is a shade of yellow. But, Series XI does exist as a push-on camera filter from what I can tell and from what I could find on the web are 5 7/16" diameter (and Per's bullet safelight is 5 1/2" in case that is where you are going, although that may work). -Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_galli4 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Per I did the flashlight trick like Mr. CP Goerz above. It's good for dripping nasty toxic orange goo all over your clothes that will never come out no matter how much you wash them. Better than the alternative of being shocked to death by a foot switch! Seriously folks I hope you all are using GFCI outlets in your darkrooms. Best $13 you'll ever spend. So far I have had 0% success squinting at a dripping negative in green light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhananjay_n Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 Jim, if the problem you have is with judging densities, that takes a bit of practise, that is all. You just need to get a hang for what a correcty developed, unfixed neg looks under the green light. One way is develop by time and temperature, but look at the neg before fixing for 3-4 sessions. Pretty soon, you should be able to recognize the extent to which the highlights have to come through the base for development to be 'complete'. Some people seem to have trouble due to other reasons, partial night blindness, stuff like that. But more often than not, it is because they a) don't know what they are looking for b) don't look long enough because they are worried about fog. It is suggested that you take peeks but you can look for a minute without fear, especially when trying to figure what they shouldlook like. If it is the case that your eyes are very insensitive in low light, try using a desensitizer like pinakryptol green and use a stronger safelight. That way, you can even keep the light on throughout developing. Downside, pinakryptol is not cheap. If you had money to burn, you could use an IR source and an IR viewer. Couple of other things. The location of the safelight makes a bit of a difference. If it is well above head height, you will often hold up the neg to the safelight resulting in liquid running down your arms/dripping on your clothes etc. I sit while developing and the safelight is at about table height, which seems to work. Also, while viewing the base side, the angle seems to make a difference. A slightly oblique one is best. If you try to view it straight on, there is a lot of reflected light that can interfere with your ability to see the highlights coming through the base. I have the safelight sitting to my right. Hope this helps. Cheers, DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_schroeder Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 Look in the woodworking catalogs for footswitches. My local supplier, Hartville Tool,(sells nationally) carries them or check with leevalley.com. For about thirty dollars one can buy a good quality air operated switch which should be darkroom safe. Momentary or continuous, the choice is yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_powers2 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Granted I consider myself a beginner photographer and I don't shoot large format......BUT....after reading the notes on this topic it seems to me that a better idea for you all would to have a lightbox made with a green fixture or gel which you develop in a clear plastic tray on top of it. This fixture you can then attach to a footswitch which you can turn on and off at will. For those of you more industrious types. you could recess this into you developing table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_goldfarb Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 The lightbox/development tray sounds nice, but I would really worry about fog with the safelight that close, and making the thing waterproof would be another concern. The conventional green safelight should be 3-4 feet from the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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