RH Designs Stopclock Pro - opinions now in 2025
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I don't know about darkroom timers much these days but I guess nobody makes better one than RH design for f stop timer. So if that what you want then it's as good as it gets for an off the shelf solution. Otherwise, f stop timing isn't difficult without it.
thanks for the response Chan.
Darkroom automation makes a great F stop timer. I would highly recommend it.
Seems they do yes but not for European voltage
If you want simplicity, forget f-stop timing and just use percentages. It does the same thing and doesn't need fancy timers or calculations.
Doremus
Doremus
There is an alternate to the RH Designs timer, the Printalyzer by Decktronics. https://www.dektronics.com/printalyzer-enlarging-timer
I am not sure if the timer can be set up for a series of exposure to use for test strip?
Which one?
Absolutely love it. Doing test strips is a breeze. I do mine either in 1/4 stops or 1/6 stops, and it has made reaching the exact exposure for my prints so much easier. I do a lot of split-grade printing, so having two channels is a bonus. The functionalities are very simple to understand, and all very practical.
Only tricky part is understand how to dodge when you can only program burning times. Takes a while to get used to thinking of both as being the same (albeit in reverse). That said, it is pretty well explained in the manual, as well as in threads such as this one :
Dodging with Stopclock Pro
Yes it can.
Either the one from RH design or from Darkroom Automation.
The RH Designs one for sure. You can choose any interval from 1/12 (pretty subtle) to a full stop between strips.
Nicholas Lindan
Advertiser
I know that test strips are always brought up in discussions of f-stop printing. I, however, have a dissenting opinion. From an earlier post:
Again, a disclaimer: I am the owner/founder of Darkroom Automation.
"Of all the features of f-Stop timers, test strip generation may be the least relevant. An auto-reset clockwork Time-O-Lite and a foot switch make short work of linear test strips. f-Stop and linear test strips that hover near to the final exposure are indistinguishable. One made at 16 seconds in 1 second intervals will look exactly the same as one made at 4.0 stops in 0.1 stop intervals."
Again, a disclaimer: I am the owner/founder of Darkroom Automation.
Actually I think it's most useful in doing test strip. Otherwise if I want to make a print of a certain amount of f stop darker or lighter I simply make 1 calculation, enter the time in the regular timer then expose. And no I do not agree with whoever said what you quoted.
I use the Stop Clock Vario, which is the same as the Stop Clock but with an adjustment for variations in cold light output: in effect it changes the length of a nominal "second" according to the light output. The OP has referred to simplicity, and I use mine in the simplest way possible: I find the fractional-f-value increments and decrements very useful, totally second nature after only a few minutes, and with no need for mental arithmetic.
Non f-stop timing is just a little more mentally taxing, but it works too.
There are in addition some more setups that you can use for memorising time interval sequences for dodging/burning, but the OP wanted simple.
Last edited:
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- sperera
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OK just bought a RH Designs Stopclock Pro on Ebay from a seller in the UK that had the UK plug socket I need to make it work with my Durst enlarger. Cost me £257 including. shipping and import duty so happy with that indeed. Thanks for the conversation everyone, appreciate it a lot.
I started darkroom timing with a pocket watch, then graduated to a proper wind up darkroom clock.
When I started processing colour prints I converted to an electronic analogue timer. I had never heard of F Stop timing in those days.
My old SWR seconds timer became unreliable, and after a great deal of struggling with the combination lock on my wallet, I bit the bullet and bought the Stopclock Pro.
It is hooked up to my M605 and it does all I need.
I seldom do split grade printing, so have to brush up on the instructions in the booklet when needed.
As F Stop printing was new to me when I bought it, a bit of a steep learning curve was in front of me.
When learning how to use it I connected a table light instead of the enlarger, then sat at the living room table in comfort with a large sheet of paper to make my own flow chart of button pressing sequences.
The instruction booklet provided was copied with the copy being annotated with my scribble notes and highlighter pens.
The unit is capable of analogue and F Stop exposures.
When learning I found it very useful to make 8x10 comparison test prints F Stop and analogue test strips of the same scene. Apertures and exposures recorded on the prints. The results convinced me of the benefits of F Stop exposures.
Although I did originally balk at parting with so much money for just a timer, with hindsight it was money well spent.
For decades I used the analogue timer very happily with good results. I think the F Stop timing gives me faster accurate results.
When I started processing colour prints I converted to an electronic analogue timer. I had never heard of F Stop timing in those days.
My old SWR seconds timer became unreliable, and after a great deal of struggling with the combination lock on my wallet, I bit the bullet and bought the Stopclock Pro.
It is hooked up to my M605 and it does all I need.
I seldom do split grade printing, so have to brush up on the instructions in the booklet when needed.
As F Stop printing was new to me when I bought it, a bit of a steep learning curve was in front of me.
When learning how to use it I connected a table light instead of the enlarger, then sat at the living room table in comfort with a large sheet of paper to make my own flow chart of button pressing sequences.
The instruction booklet provided was copied with the copy being annotated with my scribble notes and highlighter pens.
The unit is capable of analogue and F Stop exposures.
When learning I found it very useful to make 8x10 comparison test prints F Stop and analogue test strips of the same scene. Apertures and exposures recorded on the prints. The results convinced me of the benefits of F Stop exposures.
Although I did originally balk at parting with so much money for just a timer, with hindsight it was money well spent.
For decades I used the analogue timer very happily with good results. I think the F Stop timing gives me faster accurate results.
Have a look at RH designs website.
You will find the instruction booklets there for the different models. Just in case your timer arrives with the booklet missing.
They do take a bit of finding on the web site, but well worth finding.
hey Bob, thanks for the messages. I've downloaded a pdf and printed the manual already. I'm not great with manuals....I'm one of those plug and play mentalities hahah. That being said there is always time to change and I will try get into it! I have the same enlarger as you, the M605, with the transformer unit and the UK plug coming off it so happy to see the adapter included with my Ebay purchase. I'm upgrading from the traditional Durst analogue timer so looking forward to a bit more precision with 'timings'. It's great to have a 'feel' and 'instinct' for time when printing, but it's not 'repeatable' and that's the issue when you have to make more than one print of the same image. I use the wind up traditional cream-coloured 'Smiths ECS' timer for dev/stop/fix/wash timings.
Now I have your attention....reading the manual something is not clear.....when making a test strip......how does one determine the base exposure.....as in differently...or not, from the traditional linear time way.....what (obvious, probs) thing am I missing????? @BobUK and @Pieter12 and @john_s and @Chan Tran and @Alex Benjamin etc al...thanks!!!!
As you do in any other system: trial and error, intuition, and experience.
When turned on, the machine automatically sets 16 seconds as base exposure. You can change that to whatever you want, using the "Up' or "Down" button before you hold on the "Test strip" button.
I generally set mine to 8 seconds, my lens to f/8, and do a 2 to 2.5 stop test strip at 1/4 stops. This often take me where I need to be on many negs that are developed in the same way (many are HP5+ developed in Thornton Two Bath). If the negative is very dense, or very thin, I'll change my base exposure accordingly. If I really don't have a clue, I might start at 4 seconds and go up to 3.5 stops for the test strip.
If my 1/4 stop strip only brings me "close but not quite," I'll do a 1/6 strip around the general time I've pinpointed.
The beauty of the method is revealed in the test strip itself. Because every strip is even, you immediately get a clear view as to where you have to be, and what's possible.
I don't know if you've considered this option, but you might want to check into the Analyzer Pro. It doesn't have all of the functionality of the StopClock (eg. multichannel split-grade printing) but it does have the f-stop timing capabilities, test strip and densitometer modes, and a handy negative analyzer that makes it pretty easy (after it's calibrated) to determine an exposure time and contrast level. There's also the Timer 3 if you are strictly looking for an f-stop timer without any other bells and whistles.
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