Equipment need for a darkroom
Torchiest
My girlfriend is a photographer, and I want to buy her all the
equipment she would need to set up a darkroom in our bathroom.
Unforunately, I don't know a lot about photography and darkrooms. I've
done research, and "helped" her develop a set of prints once, so I know
the basics. What I've been looking for, and unable to find, is a
clear, concise list of exactly what all the equipment I'd need to buy
for a basic setup would be. I know I need some tanks or trays to hold
the chemicals, an enlarger, and the chemicals themselves, but I'm sure
there's more, both in terms of equipment and parts of equipment. If
anyone could either give me such a list, or point me towards one, and
or make specific recommendations about which brands to buy, I would be
extremely grateful!
Geoffrey S. Mendelson
> My girlfriend is a photographer, and I want to buy her all the
> equipment she would need to set up a darkroom in our bathroom.
Where you are is very important. In some places you can ask around, or
look on on line lists such as freecycle and find what you need for free.
In other places, people think that stuff is worth more than it was new
ten years ago and want high prices for things.
Before you buy anything, you need to decide what you are going to do.
Are you going to devlope film? Black and white film can be easily developed
on a kitchen table, color film is most easily developed at a one hour lab.
You can do it at home, but if you do a small quantity, the cost of the
chemicals may be so high that it's not worth it even if someone were
to give you the equipment for free.
That may also be location dependent, TETNAL sells (or used to) one shot
color developing chemical tablets. They make it simple and easy to do
one roll at a time. The tablets are not sold in the U.S.
IMHO unless you find a really good custom lab, you are not going to get
decent results for sending out Black and White film for developing.
Film size is also a concern. What sizes do you plan to develop?
Enlargements require a real functiong darkroom. At one time I used a closet
just big enough for me and the enlarger. Many people have used a bathroom
by placing the enlarger on the toilet and the trays in the bathtub.
How does digital photography fit in? Some people use a combination of
film to capture the image and digital printing.
You may also have restrictions on the processing of waste. You may not
be allowed to dump your used chemicals or untreated wash water down the
drain.
Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel g...@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 Fax ONLY: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/
Torchiest
> Torchiest wrote:
> > My girlfriend is a photographer, and I want to buy her all the
> > equipment she would need to set up a darkroom in our bathroom.
>
> Where you are is very important. In some places you can ask around, or
> look on on line lists such as freecycle and find what you need for free.
Well, we live outside of Houston, in a fairly nice suburban/small town
area. I don't know if that's what you meant by where we are.
> In other places, people think that stuff is worth more than it was new
> ten years ago and want high prices for things.
>
> Before you buy anything, you need to decide what you are going to do.
>
> Are you going to devlope film? Black and white film can be easily developed
> on a kitchen table, color film is most easily developed at a one hour lab.
> You can do it at home, but if you do a small quantity, the cost of the
> chemicals may be so high that it's not worth it even if someone were
> to give you the equipment for free.
My girlfriend takes color photos with her digital camera and pretty
much always gets them developed at a one hour lab. She's only done
black and white developing herself, usually on the campus she was
taking classes at. She's fairly experienced. She's done a number of
art shows and sold many prints. Usually, she waits until she has about
five rolls of film and then takes them to get developed, so that would
be relatively cost effective is she was doing it herself, right?
...
> Film size is also a concern. What sizes do you plan to develop?
>
> Enlargements require a real functiong darkroom. At one time I used a closet
> just big enough for me and the enlarger. Many people have used a bathroom
> by placing the enlarger on the toilet and the trays in the bathtub.
I don't really know. I assumed it was whatever the "standard" size is.
35mm?
> How does digital photography fit in? Some people use a combination of
> film to capture the image and digital printing.
She has done that as well, but mostly for color photos.
> You may also have restrictions on the processing of waste. You may not
> be allowed to dump your used chemicals or untreated wash water down the
> drain.
I have no idea. I suppose I'd need to look into that, but where would
I go to find out?
> Geoff.
Thanks for the help!
-Joseph
Jean-David Beyer
need, unless she is a rank beginner. I suggest reading a basic few books on
the subject. I like Ansel Adams' Basic Photo Series (three volumes) that
contain way more than you need to know to setup a darkroom, but contains
that as well.
A less technical book would be a basic darkroom book by David Vestal.
--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
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Rod Smith
I'll break this down into sections. Bear in mind that different people
have different specific needs and preferences, so your girlfriend may want
or need items that I've not listed or not want some of the ones I am
listing. If you get all this, though, it'll be a good start.
Film developing (B&W and color)
-------------------------------
- Developing tank (plastic or stainless steel)
- Reels for tank (may be included with tank). Some people have strong
preferences concerning plastic vs. stainless steel reels.
- Thermometer capable of reading in the ~15-40 degree C range. Should
be more accurate for color work.
- Measuring graduates or cups; ideally you want a range of sizes from
~50ml to 2l, but in a pinch one or two in the 500ml range will do.
(Most people work using metric measurements.)
- Funnel(s)
- Storage bottles
- Timer (one or two 3-time kitchen timers will do the job well)
- Film cassette opener (most bottle openers will do)
- Scissors
- Film clips (laundry clips will do) and a way to hang them. I use a
clothes hanger with clips (intended for shorts or skirts) at the top
and laundry clips at the bottom, hung from a convenient pipe in my
darkroom.
Of these, only the developing tank and reels need to be specialized
photographic products. They'll set you back $15-$50, depending on what you
buy and where. (I don't recommend buying these used.) You can use ordinary
kitchen products for the funnel, bottles, etc., but you should NOT re-use
the items in the kitchen once you've put photochemicals in them.
Enlarging (B&W and color)
-------------------------
- Enlarger. There are lots of choices here. I recommend getting a unit
with a color head. These have filters (usually cyan, magenta, and
yellow) for adjusting color balance when making color prints. The
magenta and yellow filters can be used to adjust contrast when using
variable contrast B&W papers, so the color head is useful even when
doing B&W enlargements. Be sure to check the size; for a bathroom
darkroom, you don't want a monster of an enlarger. The enlarger should
handle whatever negative size your girlfriend uses (probably 35mm, but
she could be into medium format or larger), and ideally a bit larger
(say, 6x6 medium format if she currently does nothing but 35mm).
- Enlarger lens. Most enlargers come with these, but you can buy one
separately if necessary.
- B&W contrast filters. Unnecessary if you get an enlarger with a color
head or if only color enlargements will be done.
- Color filters. Unnecessary if you get an enlarger with a color head or
if only B&W enlargements will be done.
- Timer. This is different from the timer noted above; it turns power to
the enlarger on for a predetermined period of time, controlling the
exposure time. Some enlargers have built-in timers.
- Easels. These hold the paper and come in a variety of sizes and styles,
including borderless vs. bordered easels. If doing color printing, a
multi-print easel is useful. These enable making several independent
exposures on a single sheet, which is useful for figuring out the right
color balance.
- Grain focuser. This is a device to help you focus the enlarger.
- Color analyzer and/or B&W exposure meter. These are helpful but not
required.
- Safelight(s). Probably one will suffice in a bathroom used as a
darkroom.
- Paper cutter. A rotary trimmer works well; it enables you to cut
down bigger sheets into smaller sizes.
- Paper safe. A light-tight box in which you can store paper. This is
optional but very useful.
- Anti-static brush and/or compressed air for dust removal.
- Cart. A wheeled cart may be helpful in setting everthing up and letting
you quickly put away the enlarger and related equipment. This is
optional, though.
Most of these items are specialized photographic products. You can often
find good deals on used equipment on eBay. People often list packages with
most or all of these items on eBay, so you can pick most or all of it up
at once, possibly with some items from my other sub-lists.
B&W paper processing
--------------------
- Trays. Shallow trays that are slightly larger than the paper they're to
process. You'll need at least three trays (four if using hypo clear with
fiber-based paper). Instead of trays, a vertical slot processor or
processing drum(s) (see below) may be used, and these have the advantage
of requiring less space, which may be important in a bathroom darkroom.
- Print tongs. I prefer bamboo tongs with rubber grips. I've got some
all-plastic tongs, but they tend to scratch prints.
- Print washer. A horizontal or vertical device for washing prints.
- Print dryer. For resin-coated paper, air drying in an office folder
separator works well, and these things are reasonably cheap. Specialized
heated print dryers are available and can help you keep fiber-based
paper flat.
In addition, you'll need several items from the film processing list, like
the thermometer, measuring cups, etc. You may be able to use ordinary
Tupperware or similar things as trays, but specialized photo trays usually
have handy ridges and are ideally sized for common print sizes.
Color paper processing
----------------------
- Print processing drum(s). Each is designed to handle a limited number
of sizes, such as two 8x10 or one 11x14. You only need one drum per
size, unlike trays, but the drums are more expensive.
- Roller base for drums. This is optional but handy.
- Print dryer. The office folder separator noted earlier works well.
Some people (myself included) prefer doing color processing in the same
type of trays used for B&W processing. This requires working in total
darkness, though.
B&W chemicals
-------------
- Film developer: There are lots of choices here. Your girlfriend may
already have preferences.
- Paper developer: Ditto.
- Stop bath: Indicator stop can be handy, but you can use non-indicator
stop bath, too. Vinegar diluted a bit works well. Some people use
ordinary water as a stop bath.
- Fixer: IMHO, it's best to use rapid fixer; ordinary (non-rapid) fixer
is slower-acting and offers few advantages.
- Hypo clear: Used between the fixer and the wash to shorten the wash
time.
- Wetting agent: Kodak Photo Flo or something similar helps prevent water
spots from forming on negatives.
For film development, you use all of these except for the paper developer,
although you can use water for a stop bath, and the hypo clear and wetting
agent are optional. For paper processing, you use the paper developer,
stop bath (or water), fixer, and possibly hypo clear (it's only
recommended for fiber-base papers); wetting agent isn't used for paper
processing.
Additional chemicals can achieve special goals, such as toning or
bleaching. Don't worry about such things for just giving a gift of a basic
darkroom.
Color chemicals
---------------
The easiest way to get started here is to buy a kit for C-41 (color
negative), E-6 (color slide), or RA-4 (color paper). It's possible to
assemble the things you need for non-kit sources, but if you want to buy
your girlfriend some chemistry, you'll save yourself a lot of hassle to
just buy a kit.
Paper
-----
- B&W paper varies on several dimensions:
- variable contrast (VC; aka multigrade [MG] or various other terms) vs.
graded. VC paper enables adjusting contrast by using filters, and so
is more flexible, but some people prefer the results that can be
obtained with graded papers.
- resin-coated (RC) vs. fiber-base (FB). The former is easier to handle,
dries faster and flatter, and is less expensive, but many people
prefer the results that can be obtained with FB paper.
- finish: Glossy and matte are common, but some manufacturers offer
additional finishes or use other names.
- AFAIK, all current color paper is resin-coated and graded (Kodak offers
three grades, Fuji offers two).
Your girlfriend may have preferences about paper brands or any of the
variables I've just described.
--
Rod Smith, rods...@rodsbooks.com
http://www.rodsbooks.com
Author of books on Linux, FreeBSD, and networking
darkroommike
darkroom and had an instructor and you're asking us (oh my).
Get her the film tank she already knows how to use (I'm guessing
Paterson) 2 reel. Some graduates (measuring cups, kitchenwares at
Walmart). Film clips (the uninitiated call them clothespins). And a
good timer. The time is the only "big ticket" item but I see decent
used Gralab 300's on e**y all the time.
Enlargers--shop local--freight will kill you if you buy used and have it
UPS'd. Try Craigslist for Houston.
Everything else is just gravy.
darkroommike
p.s. If she gets the bug you'd better take up photography, too, if you
plan on any quality time with her.
darkroommike
even more basic would be a John Hedgecoe book.
darkroommike
Rod Smith
darkroommike <darkro...@cableone.net> writes:
>
> Enlargers--shop local--freight will kill you if you buy used and have it
> UPS'd.
Maybe, maybe not. Shipping charges, even for identical enlargers, vary
greatly depending on the distance, the carrier, and how the seller packs
the enlarger. I bought a Philips PCS130 with PCS150 control unit and a few
odds and ends about a year ago. I paid $50 for the enlarger and $24 for
shipping from Pennsylvania (IIRC) to Rhode Island. Considered as a
percentage of the purchase price, that's a lot for shipping, but
considered as an absolute price to ship something that big and heavy it's
not bad at all, and it's much less than many eBay sellers were charging at
the time to ship similar enlargers. The key, I think, is twofold: My
seller shipped by FedEx Ground (they were a bit less expensive than others
for this package) and my seller split the shipment into two boxes, one for
the tall column and the other for most everything else. If everything had
gone in one box there probably would have been an oversize package fee,
but shipping them separately avoided that peril.
John
<darkro...@cableone.net> wrote:
>Yep Vestal is good (out of print and sometimes difficult to find) but
>even more basic would be a John Hedgecoe book.
Hedgcoe actually wrote a decent book ?
==
John S. Douglas
Photographer & Webmaster
Legacy-photo.com - Xs750.net
darkroommike
on intro books and uses a lot of illustrations. Vestal and
Adams are more for the guy that already has a darkroom and
is interested in refining his technique.
darkroommike
darkroommike
was $200. They charged me for boxes, packing materials,
labor, shipping and COD fees, the item was shipped in
multiple boxes so I got multiple charges for packing,
packing materials, etc. (I had to borrow the cash from my
boss until I could get to the bank!) It's important to find
out the charges first.
Note that, at the time, $200 for a decent D-2 (or even a
D-II) with cones and three condensers and (as I recall) one
lens was not too bad. The asking was $100 but the shipping
was as much as the enlarger!!
Buy local, ask around, there's a studio, school or newspaper
ready to throw away a good enlarger just around the block.
darkroommike
Tony Polson
>On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 21:31:31 -0600, darkroommike
><darkro...@cableone.net> wrote:
>
>>Yep Vestal is good (out of print and sometimes difficult to find) but
>>even more basic would be a John Hedgecoe book.
>
>Hedgcoe actually wrote a decent book ?
No, never!
John Hedgcoe is a terminal bore. A capable photographer, maybe, but
his books are terminally bland and fail comprehensively to engage the
reader. I guess they are most often given as presents to amateur
photographers by people who know nothing about photography.
No doubt there will be a new one out for Christmas - "John Hedgcoe's
New Manual of Digital Boredom", or something similar. Best consumed
with single malt whisky ... on the other hand, just drink the whisky.
You will enjoy it far more!
;-)
John
wrote:
>"John Hedgcoe's New Manual of Digital Boredom",
Now this should really appeal to the digiratti !
Tony Polson
>On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 06:20:04 +0000, Tony Polson <t...@nospam.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>>"John Hedgcoe's New Manual of Digital Boredom",
>
>Now this should really appeal to the digiratti !
There are plenty of people who would be undiscerning enough to buy it!
;-)