[Leica] Multigraph

["Rigatti Diego" <kuki@starlink.it>]

"Diego,
I'm glad that you have spoken up, and hope you will add many more
observations in the future. I've read about the Multigraph, and it sounds
marvelous. However, I think that I can get to a working print in less
than--or about--five minutes useing a 1959 Omega D2 with no timer (I use a
metronome). I can generally look at my negatives and gestimate well enough
to get a test strip. Then it's a simple step to a working print. I have
spent a lot of time in the darkroom, and would love to have a fancy
enlarger, but for the present there are other lens and gadgets that I will
get first.
Cheers,
Joe Stephenson"
 
Joe,
my advise is addressed to people who does not practice so often in the
darkroom to be able to make a quick evaluation of time and grade to be
used; I know a professional printer who works better than Multigraph, but
he spents 10 hours a day in the the darkroom. 
I know that find the exact exposure time could be easy, but it happends so
many times to me to discover, the morning after, under the daylight, that
the contrast that seemed to me correct at night  was not satisfying, that I
needed some technical aid to rely upon.
The contrast suggested by the probe sometimes surprises me, and this is for
me the best evidence that also in that case I should have work on a print
with an incorrect contrast.
A step forward.
With the probe (that has a spot sensitive area) you can work as with the
Zone System, but in printing: you can choose, within the negative, to
reveal all the tones, from  black to white, by moving the probe all over
the projected picture, or you can prefere to have the full range of greys
only in a limited area (e.g.: the face in a portrait) and to have more
zones under or over exposed, then you will insist with the probe only in
this zone. 
You are right: everybody, especially the frequent printers, can avoid this
expense, but Multigraph will make you faster, and probably will also show
you some new ways of printing, in order to obtain the maximum from your
negative with a reasonable effort and time.
Lucky who can do the same by the means of his experience.
Bye.
Diego