# Kalt Mini Red Safelight



## pip_dog (Mar 13, 2018)

I needed a new safelight as my old Delta Junior bulb got smashed in the process of moving house, so I drove 1.5 hrs to the closest camera shop to me and picked up the "Kalt Mini Red Safelight", product #NP11178. It fogged my paper almost instantly, completely unusable . Just to be sure I stood in my darkroom for ten or fifteen minutes to make sure there were no light leaks anywhere, none. I did the coin test under the safe light, failed miserably. I am using Ilford Multigrade IV, same paper I used under my old safelight. Figured that a red safelight was a red safelight, am I missing something important?

Thanks


----------



## compur (Mar 13, 2018)

Actually most multi-contrast papers require an amber safelight known as a Kodak OC or equivalent. Ilford calls theirs a #902 filter.

See Ilford MGIV data sheet for their equivalent safelights and filters:

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/amfile/file/download/file_id/1960/product_id/745/

Usually red bulbs are used for orthochromatic materials like ortho films though some have both red and amber filtration and I would guess that was what your old red bulb had.

But, just to make things more confusing some B&W papers can use regular red bulbs. So, always check your paper's datasheet for safelight recommendations first.


----------



## pip_dog (Mar 13, 2018)

compur said:


> Actually most multi-contrast papers require an amber safelight known as a Kodak OC or equivalent. Ilford calls theirs a #902 filter.
> 
> See Ilford MGIV data sheet for their equivalent safelights and filters:
> 
> ...


Thank you for for the info, compur. I was working off what the internet was saying about red being safer than amber because it emits light at a spectrum farther away from what my paper was sensitive to. Serves me right for not reading the manual! I'll look into buying one of the safelights Ilford lists.

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk


----------

