# Thermometers



## aggiezach (Nov 9, 2004)

Is there an advantage to using an analog thermometer over a digital thermometer or vice versa? 

I've recently had to give back most of my dark room stuff to its original owner ( he was kind enough to let me borrow it for the last few months) so I'm looking to replace everything!


Zach


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## terri (Nov 9, 2004)

I'd like to hear someone weigh in on that, too.   Now that I have an enlarger all this extra stuff is going to be fun to purchase.    

I was taught on the classic long darkroom analog thermometers, which seemed incredibly reactive to even slight temperature changes, and I trust them.   But I would probably have the same reaction if I'd been taught using a digital one.   

Any pros, cons?


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## Hertz van Rental (Nov 10, 2004)

The problem with digital therms was always a slow reaction time (along with cost). They used thermocouples. But the newer ones seem pretty responsive although I guess you need to buy a good (expensive) one. calibration might be a problem and then there's batteries.
I always used a good quality photographers glass and mercury job - they work and are accurate. Easy to clean too. But they do break easy and are oten hard to read. DON'T get and alcohol one. Poor accuracy and a lot of thermal lag.
Digital and mercury both have similar environmental concerns but I think overall glass/mercury win here.
I'd get one of each - use the digital but check calibration with the merc occaisionally and it's a good back-up if the batteries go. But then I'm a belt and braces man ;-)


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