Simply put, my Zone VI Compensating Development Print Timer may be the second most important item in my darkroom after my enlargers! For me it’s absolutely essential and incredibly useful! To find out why read on another entry I wrote a while ago and slightly edited to bring it up to date. Trust me on this one … it will be worth it!
The standard temperature for most film and paper developers is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course you can use slightly higher or lower temperatures and adjust development time accordingly. However, it is often difficult to control developer temperature, if only because of the time of year you happen to be in your darkroom!
I know a lot of people don’t think this is a very big deal, but I do. I want the mechanical processes I do in the darkroom to be consistent and fully repeatable and not something I have to think much about. Why create variables to worry about when you don’t have to? Trust me, repeatability and consistency is what really we want for non-creative darkroom tasks!
So let’s say you’re developing duplicate of the print you made last fall using your standard development time of 2 minutes. It’s summertime and the outside temperature is in the upper Eighties. The temperature in your darkroom is around 73 degrees and you can’t get the temperature of the water used to dilute your developer stock solution much below that (Note: Maybe some of you are lucky to have your darkroom located on a main floor of your house, but most people I know have them in their basement, or even attic, where temperatures are not well controlled). Ok, you can adjust your time for the new developer temperature or you can throw some ice cubes in the water used to mix the solution. No problem … right? Well, maybe not, because putting your hands in the tray to agitate your print(s) causes the temperature to rise. Furthermore, your developer temperature will start to climb based on the room temperature.
Now it’s winter and the outside temperature is 28 degrees. The temperature in your darkroom is in the low Sixties at best. No problem getting the water to 68 degrees, but soon the temperature of your solution is going to start to drop even with the heat coming from you hands. I have measured temperatures of my print developer as low as the Fifties!
If you kept a print recipe and followed it (something to be discussed in an upcoming entry), it’s no wonder that the original print you made in the fall looks different … and better … then the ones made in the summer or winter if produced under the conditions described above. Why? Because you have no clue what your temperature really is at different times during your standard 2 minutes of development. No problem, you say … just go ahead and do a new test strip whenever you make a print. Well, go ahead and knock yourself out. Or maybe you never make another print of something you have done previously. I guess I don’t know how to respond to that one.
Wouldn’t it be much nicer if the print you made in the summer or winter looked exactly like the one you originally made in the fall? Ah … yes!
OK, now let’s talk about film. Same deal as developing your prints. Whether you are developing sheet film in trays or roll film in tanks with manual agitation, or even when using Jobo processors with temperature control units, it can be difficult to establish and maintain temperature control.
What to do? For over 30 years I have used the Zone VI Compensating Development Timer and in my humble opinion it is the most brilliant darkroom tool ever created! Why? Simple … it’s digital timer with a sensor attachment that is placed in your print (or sheet film) developer tray, or in a water bath of the same temperature as the developer in your film development tank. The sensor continuously transmits the “real” temperature of the liquid to the timer, which continuously compensates each second of counted time. The timer also has a foot switch that makes life even easier. So let’s say your standard development time for prints is 2 minutes at 68 degrees, and for film it’s 5.5 minutes. First you select the “Paper” setting on the front of the timer (there are two other settings for “Film” and “Real Time”). Now you place your sheet of paper in the developer tray and step on the foot switch to start the timer. But the “real” developer temperature is only 63 degrees … not 68. Guess what happens! The duration of time for each second counted off (both visually and audibly) actually becomes longer to compensate for the colder solution!!! If the developer happens to be 78 degrees, the duration of time for each second counted off is shorter than normal.
The digital readout on the timer shows 2 minutes of compensated time regardless of how much actual time has elapsed. It could be 1 minute and 55 seconds, or 2 minutes and 10 seconds depending on the temperature of the solution. IT DOESN’T MATTER! I smugly remove the print when the timer says 2 minutes of temperature compensated time has elapsed. Simply brilliant!!!
Unfortunately these wonderful devices are no longer manufactured. However, they are available occasionally on eBay, but can be somewhat expensive. I recently saw one for a good price and purchased it as a backup just in case mine were to die someday. Honestly, I could not live without one of these marvelous devices. So what if you can’t find one on eBay, Craigslist, or the photo forums? No worries. A software-based solution that comes with a temperature probe is available. It is called CompnTemp. RH Designs manufactures a compensating timer called the Process Master II, and DLG Electronics makes a modern version of the Zone VI timer! And for a film-only development solution, CatLABS makes a compensating timer designed to be fitted to any developing tank cap!
I can only speak for the Zone VI timer, which is an utterly simple … and in my experience … bulletproof device that does what it is designed to do with perfection. You can be patient and one will turn up, or look into the other neat options.
In any case, make this investment and lower your darkroom frustration level forever!!
Stay well,
Michael
Whale, Michael it sounds great. But out here in the tropics where the water can be hot, like almost 100F, at least a while ago, a long while, on the Subic Bay naval station I got used to HC110 1:31 at about 3 minutes. But your point is well taken. And it seems Freestyle is selling a compensating film development machine and that’s pretty interesting. But for a few grand there’s something more interesting. A light source from Heiland in Germany that with its analyzer timer thing can make split grade printing truly easy and thus with multigrade paper a fine print is within reach of many more people. Yes, it’s dear. But for me now and anyone I might teach, it seems worth the but I’d somehow have to improve my pesonality. Really I think it’s now the only way – for this old snapper. Place in Boston has this gear.
Paul,
Great to hear from you! Whatever works for you is what works!!!
Best,
Michael
Hi Michael,
From my memory of the 70’s and Zone VI, I recall them making a timer that adjusted exposure in 1/10 of a second and also had a dry down compensation feature dial as well on the same unit. Then they made another to compensate for the developer temperature change as well, but I dont recall them making one for both in one unit, which in reality is really needed. You have two variables you need to control. I also seem to remember they had a cord from the timer for a cold light head that they sold but you could use it on a condenser enlarger as well? Im not sure how the compensation worked as they are two different intensity and wave length light sources. I also remember all cold light heads were not created equal and the light output from one might be a little high on the green and another a little high on the blue and one had to place a yellow filter under the light source to balance things out. Again, Im not sure how it can compensate accurately for different light sources as that imo would have an effect on compensation. I know that when using multigrade filters, you have to consider the light source as Yellow or Magenta are not always the correct filtration, sometimes for LED heads the BEST filtration (paper likes and emulsion reacts better) is going with Green and Blue, too long to explain here but in short, the light source spectrum is different. Hence the need for complimentary color filtration filters. (tungsten, halogen, cold light, led, all slightly different spectrums etc) I personally use a digital submersible temperature probe in my tray and can monitor the temperature throughout the whole developing 5 hour process, and the change in my set up is so minimal from start to finish developing at 1:2 for 2.5 minutes its a moot point to have to compensate. My bigger fish to fry is to decide on dry down compensation. Even when I used the Zone VI dry down compensation dial with the cold light head, it was not 100% accurate. All cold light heads are not the same even within the same models. I don’t think anything is, (scanners of the same model focus minutely different even within the exact same models produced and testing needs to be done to adjust for this or you get a slightly off focus scan, I use very thin shims to adjust for this) I feel the print, its alive and does what its going to do to a certain point. I do my best guestimate for dry down. I personally never place my fingers in the developer or in any of the chemicals, not for heating them up reasons, but do not want to absorb that chemical into my body from the skin. I know I used to back in the day and it was part of imo being a “real old timer photographer printer”, but now its bamboo tongs with rubber tips for me. I use either 2 gallons or 3 gallons of developer / each chemical in a stainless steel tray (depending on print size) and they seem to keep the temperature consistent for hours. I usually start at 67f and by the end of the session they are at 69f , well within a 2.5 minute development tolerance level for me to not experience a noticeable change. Im now experimenting with a double sided tape on the tray vibration unit to see how that works for moving developer around as well. The tongs do a good job, just experimenting. Im going to place it on my enlarger easel and see how the print turns out as well. Happy printing.
Robert,
Thanks for weighing in with your detailed and useful thoughts. If you have a system that works for you and provides the consistent results you need that’s all that matters. I have found over many years of use that the Zone VI timers work extremely well for me and have saved my countless unnecessary hours. The dry down feature has been especially useful and has worked as advertised.
Best,
Michael
Hi Michael,
Yes, I have used many zone VI products and been very satisfied with them and the results. I agree, having and knowing a personal system is the key word. To be consistent. I have used an exact same negative developed on my JOBO expert drum using my rock tumbler and then using a JOBO processor and have gotten way different results. Same developer, temp, time, etc. Same image shot on same film and lighting seconds later. So I agree, to know and work your personalized equipment is crucial. I bounce back and forth from the old world to the new world in printing and both are such a blast for different reasons.
Stay well and warm,
Robert
Thanks Robert and thanks for your well wishes. You are getting the results you want and having fun doing it. Good for you!
Best,
Michael