Classic Darkroom

[desmo]

Canon digital with computer and epson 4990 scanner/epson R1800 printer all for pro shooting only.
for my art i love the darkroom and have a Durst M805 with Multigrade and Colour Heads plus a Durst Laborator 138S B&W plus colour head for 5x4. I also have a giant VG1 autofocus aerial enlarger that will take up to 9"x9" negs. Great for the glass plate and old negs I've collected over the years.

 

[jaap]

I own a darkroom for nearly my whole live! The quality you get from a good b&w (fibre) print
is still incredable. IMO there's nothing that beats a traditional print. My enalrger is a durst color 607. It gives a beatiful soft light.

 

[matti]

Planning on fixing one up!

 

[sf]

I 'have' one. Actually, I just set up my little Lucky Enlarger, three bins, a drying rack, and a rinsing tub in the bathroom, tape off the cracks for total darkness, and have a half hand made redlight (half because some of the red came off and I had to use nail polish - no explosions or shatterings yet). I rarely use it becuase i go in, print like 30 prints over several hours immersion, and that's it for a while. I only print, wet style, maybe one print out of 2 or 3 rolls. The rest are scanned. I just don't like the mess, especially because i live in a house with other people and tying up the bathroom is a big pain.

But, from time to time, it must be done.

 

[Jeff_S]

My Darkroom

My Darkroom

I have had a small darkroom set up for the last 10 years or so. It is basically in a cabinet (which I built primarily for this) in our basement bathroom. I only have to set the trays out and fill them and am ready to go.

Lately, I seem to use it much more to develop film rather than print. As a matter of fact I have had several rolls which need contacts waiting for several weeks now. It is just too easy to look at the negatives, find a good prospect and scan it. But the previous posters are correct - nothing compares to a well made fiber print!

Jeff

 

[AGN]

Darkrooms

Darkrooms

Yup, five darkrooms in the last 52 years. Still at it. The occasional print, but mostly film development and scanning. My best fibre prints were made twenty years ago.

 

[herb10660]

I have a spare room behind the garage 10ft by 6ft. Managed to squeeze a Devere 504 in there that I bought from the usual auction site. No sink so any FB paper has to be carried through the garden and upstairs to the bathroom. The enlarger can take anything from 35mm up to 5x4 and is practically bullet proof. I only have a cheap flat bed scanner, so anything I shoot for scanning has to be printed traditionally first which of course is fine by me.

 

[olmanwompa]

set up my darkroom about a year ago in a garage conversion. dedicated a 8x13 foot space, with room for 7 foot sink and space for 2 enlargers. picked up most equipment used, cheap, including a free omega d2v enlarger. thought this would be a transitional enlarger, as I was looking for a d5, but turns out to be great.

can't wait to have time to get in and print-usually 1-2 times per week. truly lucky to have the space and some free time to print.

 

[Fred]

I use a kitchen, turns into a darkroom by using velcro blackout.

Meopta Opemus 6 Color enlarger (35mm and MF), Nova slot 16 x 12 monochrome print processor, Nova slot 8 x 10 Trimate thermostat processor for color prints, yes I still do em the old way just not that often. Can't be bettered in my eyes. Use a big toast rack for drying prints on the drainer.

 

[je2a3]

I black out my bathroom once or twice a month [does that qualify as frequent?] to do contact prints or enlarge a a couple of worthy negatives using a compact Durst M301 enlarger and Rodagon or Nikkor 50/2.8 lens. Developing B&W film is done in the kitchen with a changing bag.

Joseph

 

[That Guy]

Okay, so I have to update my original post (from page 2). The Beseler 67 got here last autumn. I got a suhweeet deal on a Nikon enlarging lens. The Jobo CPE-2 arrived today. I have a few more odds and ends to work out, like enlarger bulbs, chemistry, and a good work surface. I still need an easel. But it looks like it's actually going to happen.

 

[ErnestoJL]

I had a very good trad. wet darkroom many years ago (back in the ¨70s), but it was dismantled during the ¨80s as my two friends left photography, and at that time everything was sold. Later, during 1984 I began buying all what I needed to have it again, but marriage, divorce, moving two times, another marriage, and a second divorce delayed the decision to rebuild it many times.
Actually I have trays, dev. tank, all the accesories, a digital timer, and an old Nicro Jr. enlarger (locally made about 50 yrs. ago) with a Schneider Componar 4.5/50. The enlarger had allways a bad illumination system so I have plans to modify it, with better lamps and optics. I was thinking about the reflex illum. system developed in the ¨70s by Durst but I havent yet decided which is best suited for me.
Actually, living alone with my dog, then I have plenty of room and time to start over, and it´s what I´m going to do within this year.
Even thinking about buying a film scanner, which is undoubtedly a fast and valuable tool, I still recall the magic of seeing the picture slowly forming in the developing tray.
This is something no digital darkroom would ever bring, and the main reason why I will start again developing film and making my own copies.

Ernesto

 

[al1966]

Afraid I had to vote have one dont use it. My ex wife still has my enlarger, this is after 3 years. One day I hope

 

[Andy K]

I convert my kitchen whenever I wish to do any enlarging. Usually two or three times a week. I posted some crappy phonecam shots of it in this thread. It serves me well and is handy for drinks etc. while working.

 

[jonasv]

currently looking for a better enlarger to use my darkroom more often. If I want to print at f/8-f/11 it's about 15-20 minutes exposure I need. 30-minutes to make a test strip... Insane!

For the moment I thus scan my negatives and use my darkroom only for film developing, but I'm looking to start printing again soon enough.

 

[Andy K]

currently looking for a better enlarger to use my darkroom more often. If I want to print at f/8-f/11 it's about 15-20 minutes exposure I need. 30-minutes to make a test strip... Insane!

How large are you enlarging? And how much filtration are you using? That's a hell of a long time to expose! Have you tried changing the bulb?

 

[jonasv]

How large are you enlarging? And how much filtration are you using? That's a hell of a long time to expose! Have you tried changing the bulb?

8x10, some filtration (say 40M) and a recently replaced bulb ~ 15 minutes with a correctly exposed negative.

If I want quick prints I have to print wide-open f/2.8 and without filtration, but of course the results are less than stunning. What I usually do (did, untill some weeks ago, when I got tired of it and decided to look out for a new enlarger) is make testprints wide open then calculate exposure at f/8 for the final image - this saves some time.

I was thinking of getting a Durst M605 or M670, but haven't really looked into it yet.

 

[Andy K]

Well, as you say, something is not right. I enlarge most of my photographs at f/11 or f/16. The longest exposure I have had to date was about 58 seconds.

Another thing to check would be the power supply. That could affect the output of the lamp. Also if your enlarger is similar to mine, I have a Meopta Opemus 6 Color enlarger, it will also have a ND dial, if that is engaged it will affect the light intensity and lengthen the exposure time.

 

[Jeff_S]

I have a small darkroom setup in a basement bathroom. My enlarger (Omega B22) and the chemistry fits into a cabinet I built on one side and I put my trays on the vanity/sinkbase on the other. Works well with minimum time to set up and clean up.

Jeff

 

[David Goldfarb]

8x10, some filtration (say 40M) and a recently replaced bulb ~ 15 minutes with a correctly exposed negative.

If I want quick prints I have to print wide-open f/2.8 and without filtration, but of course the results are less than stunning. What I usually do (did, untill some weeks ago, when I got tired of it and decided to look out for a new enlarger) is make testprints wide open then calculate exposure at f/8 for the final image - this saves some time.

I was thinking of getting a Durst M605 or M670, but haven't really looked into it yet.

That is a bit much, but are you sure the problem is the enlarger? Your negs could be overexposed and/or overdeveloped, or possibly you are using a contact speed paper or your paper developer could be bad or the wrong dilution. What film and developer, EI, time and temperature are you using, and what paper and developer are you using?

You may also have the wrong bulb in your enlarger. What kind of enlarger is it, and what kind of head does it have?