[Leica] true revolution in the darkroom

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

With all the hype around digital printing, it is too easy to forget 
that Leica quality can be harvested only in the chemical darkroom 
when printing B&W.  Of course a  slide show with accurately exposed 
low speed films, will strike an emotioal chord in the disciplined 
photographer, but B&W, with finely graded details just visible in the 
deep dark shadows, a full tonal scale of greytones and shimmering 
whites with fine hues of specular highlights, sharp edged outlines of 
subject forms and crystal clear textures and fine detail is the 
territory of Leica and its current lenses.
In the small town of Wetzlar, yes in the shadow of the famous Leitz 
building, a very small business has dedicated themselves to the true 
and classic B&W darkroom. They have produced a very ingenious 
instrument, called Splitgrade, that you use in place of the 
Multigrade head of the Focomat V35. (It is also available for the IC 
and IIC and many other enlarger types. The instrument has a 
multigrade module,  a timer, a probe to analyse the negative and a 
software databank of all papers with all its specially calibrated 
density data and gradation curves.
The use is simplicity itself. Select the paper you are going to use, 
set up the enlarger and the negative, measure with the probe the 
darkest and lightest area, (just sweep around the negative: the 
density readings are saved) and press start. The integrated software 
and timer will expose the paper according to built in algorithms and 
now the surprise:
the resulting print is accurately and fully exposed without any trial 
strip or individual calibration. I tested the instrument on the 
Focomat and having a densitometer could measure the results. The 
print had a highlight density of 0.06 and a shadow density of 2.1 on 
the Kodak RC paper I used. These values are the best you can get with 
this paper and are Zone System Proof. The selected gradation ensures 
the fullest scale of greys and the best match to the negative. 
Normall it will take you scores of test strips and densitometer 
measurements to get this result. Now you are a zone system printer 
without the training and expertise. A truly remarkable instrument and 
a joy to use. It matches the drive for quality quality many Leica 
users have with ease and convenience of use. The darkroom is at once 
a nice place to be working in. No more frustration because you have 
to do exhaustive tests and do not like the result.
The darkroom has a long future  for everyone wishing to exploit Leica 
image quality and enjoy it to the best.

Erwin