RE: [Leica] true revolution in the darkroom

[Jem Kime <jem.kime@cwcom.net>]

Erwin,
This sounds like something that was created by AGfa  for their professional 
market a year or so ago. I liked the sound of that then, but the cost was 
daunting. Can you supply further details?
Name of the company, price, contact address,etc>?

Jem
- -----Original Message-----
From:	Erwin Puts [SMTP: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