Looking for darkroom equipment, this is what I found

I'm glad someone mentioned building codes. That finally stopped my drooling :) I couldn't put one of these anywhere on my lot without generating attention.

And to think it was less than what a lot of people happily pay for a dSLR kit. Astonishing. You are truly a lucky man.

Next time I'm down in Maine, I'll keep my eyes peeled for a guy with a Canon RF round his neck who can't seem to shake his grin.
 
Al
Maine doesn't really have an issue with hurricanes, not like you all down south deal with. The water here is too cold to sustain them, this, I imagine is one reason we have no code ( other than shorefront setback) the other I gather is a space issue, in our part of Maine we don't really have subdivisions so things aren't likely to make it off one's property even if we had a hurricane.
 
I'm familiar with the Maine coast. I grew up in New Bedford, Massachusettes and did some venturing up into Maine. As a kid in the forties I remember seeing the destruction caused by the 1938 "no name hurricane".

Most of the severe damage isn't caused by "sustained hurricane force winds" but rather by tornados imbedded inside of the hurricane. They're relatively small, follow erratic paths within the hurricane, feeding off of small sources of heat. They can produce winds in excess of 250 kph, but because of their small footprint they can blast you with high winds from one direction, but as the storm passes suddenly the wind direction shifts to the opposite direction.
 
In the township where I live, that wouldn't need a permit, since it is not built on a foundation and thus not consdered a "permanent" structure. A lot of backyard sheds are built on skids for that reason.
 
That is the slickest set-up I have seen for a long time!!! Just mount it on a truck chassi and drive around the world - printing as you go.
Just the cost of parts is staggering and the technology for heating/cooling and melting snow - a perfect shooters survival "pod".
I am the same color green with envy as the outside! Wouldn't be able to fit it into pur condo - but something like this on the common deck upstairs would be OK - or simply use the second parking space downstairs! Oh well, you are a lucky man - and enjoy the printing - and the hammock too.
 
Waaaaaay cool! :cool:

My apartment is only about twice the size of your dark room :eek:

Ok, just kidding :D Its probably about three times the size :bang:
 
Of course, I have the perfect match for your "pod". It is an Elcan 121, point source developer, made by Leica Canada in the early 70's. It has 5-6 hand ground aspherical condensors, a built in shutter and will -barely- cover a 35mm negative. It has 6 times the resolution of a conventional enlarger system - something in the neighborhood of 275 lines/mm on the easel!!!!
It comes with a huge controller, dials and buttons to push etc - but being 1970's technology - it has now died! The Navy ordered 12-14 of these @ $40 000 each! Mine is #4 and to my knowledge the only one complete, except for the lenses. Most of the other ones were dismantled and used to mount regular Focomat IIc heads one. Unfortunately, it weighs in at close to 100 lbs and is on the other side of the continent!
Using it is amazing - you fine focus on a layer of grain in the film. Sharpness is astounding, even with conventional paper - not pretty - the term "True Grit" comes to mind.
Printing times are short - really short. Ilford Multigrade, fiber based full frame 11x14 with a #3 filter (built in filter wheel) is about 0.9 to 1.1 seconds!
I have some plans to refit it with a LED light-source as that would eliminate the need for the shutter, which was there to compensate for warm-up and cool down times of the 50 watt "peanut" bulb.
The Navy evidently used it to print huge transparencies on SO 115 (technical pan) and look for enemy gun emplacements.
Leica did make a 25f4, a 50f2 and a 75f2 for it. Neither the 25 nor the 75 supposedly made it into production. The 50 mm was a reworked DR Summicron in an "off the shelf" adapter.
 
This is a great find ! Congratulations. Some years ago I hesitated buying a french army Renault Goelette Truck from the sixties that had a built in darkroom, but with just one enlarger and a table for printing. Not such a luxury equipment ! (but it had an engine and 4WD !)
 
If you ever wish to expand, try one of these Photo Lab buildings out. Here's a link (scroll down a little ways and you'll see what I mean):

http://www.idahomotorpool.com/

They expand out to an 18ftX11ft room... not too bad? A little more costly than your current setup, though!
 
Tom,
Your Elcan sounds quite amazing, what's it doing on the "right" side of the continent?

Burninfilm,
checked out the link, nice addition, I could live in there--unfortunately darkrooms are so damn well, dark. Maybe an Abrams tank to park next to it. Wonder what that will sell for.

Thanks for all the nice comments folks.
Gene
 
Just want to revive this thread, another one of these are on eBay right now, about 3 more days to go. Search for item# 380401029510 :)
 
You guys should check out Eugene O. Goldbeck's darkroom. He was a panorama photographer. He used hand hewn trays for development.
 
When I am rich and king of my own country I will have one of these on the roof of my palace. And the intercom thing is amazing!
I have been inflicted by a new strain of GAS - DAS: Darkroom Acquisition Syndrome.
 
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