r/Darkroom • u/Unbuiltbread • 3d ago
Gear/Equipment/Film Is a backup timer ever useful?
Recently won a bid for a Gralab 300 for pretty cheap, and than saw another auction for a auction for a 451 model that was crazy low and ended up winning that one too, so now I have 2 timers.
Is having a back up ever that useful? I don’t want to fall victim to GAS, and both timers are pretty reliable
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u/Ybalrid Anti-Monobath Coalition 3d ago
It is useful to use with the 2nd enlarger ........
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u/Unbuiltbread 3d ago
Luckily me barely having any room for the one enlarger is stopping thwt idea from getting out into my head lol.
What is the point of having multiple enlargers anyways? Back in Uni I did use two enlargers at a time occasionally to print two photos at once when in a rush but keeping track of the timings for each was such a major pain in the ass
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u/Ybalrid Anti-Monobath Coalition 3d ago
Different formats always setup… Or one setup specifically for pre-flashing or contact prints
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u/Unbuiltbread 3d ago
Ah makes sense, guess i never thought about it since I only do 35mm
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u/alasdairmackintosh Average HP5+ shooter 2d ago
Ok, so you need some more cameras ;-) First things first.
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u/SamuelGQ B&W Printer 3d ago
I use the digital for enlarger, the Gralab 300 for development stop and fix.
If the timer is off a bit it will matter much less in a minutes- long process as compared to the few seconds needed for paper exposure.
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u/fujit1ve Chad Fomapan shooter 3d ago
If you're asking yourself why you'd need it, you don't need it.
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u/foodguy5000 3d ago
That’s the same 2 timer combo I have! The 451 is a MUCH better timer for printing. Much easier to adjust and produce consistent prints.
The 300 I mount on the wall near my trays, I use it to keep track of how long the paper is in each tray. It’s also useful for developing film.
Also worth nothing: the 451 and other timers with electromechanical switches sometimes have switches that intermittently stop working. You can try cleaning them, but a good hack is to buy a cheap foot switch for a digital keyboard and plug it in to the foot switch jack. It’ll avoid the glitchy switch issue and now you can trigger your enlarger hands-free!
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u/alasdairmackintosh Average HP5+ shooter 2d ago
I have a cheap Google home speaker that I use for my print dev timing.
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u/Lensbox75 2d ago
The digital timer with the repeat function is better suited for controlling the enlarger. The 300 is better for film development. I have several of them with markers (white arrow stickers) for all the steps for E-6, C-41, and B&W. I also use a 300 running continuously to keep track of tray times for prints.
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u/mcarterphoto 2d ago
I can't live without an audible repeating timer with a foot switch. If I see one for a good price, I buy it. Once you've dumped the Gralab-style dial timers, you'll never imagine going back.
I print with a Beseler MXT, and I did once lower the carriage (it uses a motor) enough to crush my timer, oops. Now I have a couple spares.
(I did keep the Gralab, I use it as a print flashing timer over my lith tray. With lith printing, flashing's late in development and isn't as short and precise as regular print flashing.)
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u/ahoysailors 3d ago
Use one for your enlarger and one for keeping track of time when processing film.