[alt-photo] Re: Densitometer (was: an alternative to alternative)

[G Schmitz]

Alan,

Don't limit yourself to X-rite.  There are lots of good units around and 
last time I checked (about 3 years ago) ESCO was still supporting the 
units they sold ;unlike MacBeth (now owned by Gretag and previously 
owned by Kollmorgen) and X-rite which I don't think gives two hoots 
about their old products.

Currently my primary densitometer (digital, reflection / transmission 
with 2 color channels: Status A and Status M) is an ESCO TR-90M - a 
wonderful tool.

For 20 years I used, exclusively,  an analog MacBeth TD-500 transmission 
densitometer for reading my B&W negs.  What a great tool.  The downside 
to this unit is that it was designed for the printing industry and will 
not read colors accurately.  I still have it but only use it as a 
reference to old data.

I also own a MacBeth TD-903.  This unit is a color transmission unit, 
digital, and very accurate.  I spent big bucks to install a new set of 
color filters. Don't know if anyone is doing this kind of maintaince 
anymore.  Mark Jackson, at Process Camera replaced the filters and 
calibrated it for me in 2003.

Good luck.  --greg


On 2012-03-31 17:51 PM, Dave S (fotodave) wrote:
> PS: If I remember correctly, I have an 810, and it worked very nicely for
> me.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
> [mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of
> Dave S (fotodave)
> Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2012 9:50 PM
> To: 'The alternative photographic processes mailing list'
> Subject: [alt-photo] Densitometer (was: an alternative to alternative)
>
> I don't remember the model numbers, but in short, you want transmittance
> measurement (most densitometers do) and color mode (because you are
> interested in blue density). Reflective measurement would be nice too but
> not absolutely necessary.
>
>
> Dave
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
> [mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of
> Alan MacKellar
> Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2012 7:16 PM
> To: 'The alternative photographic processes mailing list'
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re: an alternative to alternative
>
> I have just attended a PDN workshop by Mark Nelson.  He used an x-Rite
> densitometer, which was much faster and more accurate than scanning,
> averaging, and measuring 0-255 Photoshop zones.
>
> I have googled used X-Rite densitometers and found many on the market,
> especially Ebay, but I'm totally confused about what the model is that I
> need to use for PDN.
>
> Can anyone out there help me?
>
> Alan
> amackellar at qx.net