Re: [Leica] Re: Piezotone & bwguys

[Alastair Firkin <firkin@ncable.net.au>]

On Monday, Jul 7, 2003, at 14:23 Australia/Melbourne, Dante Stella 
wrote:

> Alistair:
>
> The Durst AC system was the last step before the minilab; they have 
> integrated closed-loop color analyzers/densitometer systems.  You 
> basically plug in your negative, set the computer for the focal length 
> and set aperture, and the thing sets the base exposure and 
> autocompensates as you raise or lower the head.  For b/w work, it's a 
> little switch in units from seconds to density units, but you get used 
> to it.  Exposure times are very short with a 250 watt halogen lamp.  
> It has a plug-in for a roll easel, but I figured that I could stop 
> with the paper.  It's a dream for TMY, VP, PX and other straightline 
> films, since the density setting is only really setting where the 
> midpoint of on-paper reproduction is.
>
> I don't print much 35mm anymore, just 6x4.5 and up.  35mm is great for 
> color and something that is great to take to a frontier lab.  35mm 
> just lacks the tonality and detail in b/w and spotting is a bigger, 
> more annoying issue (as it is in scanning 35mm).  I do print neopan 
> 1600 in B/W, since it looks better enlarged than scanned.
>
> Split-grade?  Burning and dodging?
>
> Dante

the Split grade is an analyser, which looks at the negative, relates it 
to the database of films and papers and sets exposure time and grade: 
Makes a "perfect" print first time every time ;-) Well it shows you all 
the tonality available, and you work from there: It has meant no more 
test strips, or at least greatly reduced numbers, and an increase in 
speed. With the V35 it is a dream (it has its own head and filters), 
but with the Devere 504 and Ilford MG 500 head, its no quite "tuned" 
yet.

I have a lot to learn in the darkroom. I was told to avoid the 
integrated closed loop systems because of complexity and repairs, so 
I've gone with manual enlargers and mini-computer analysers.

Cheers
Alastair

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