Safelight opinions?

[Ash]

Hey everyone,

I bought this safelight today in lieu of the one lost from mum's old setup.

I need to rewire it, as the plug is ancient, but as long as the bulb works, I might be in business!

I understand this Ilford safelight can use various filters. Anyone had experience with a similar model, or ever seen the variety of insertable filters for sale?

Oh also this only cost me £3 (I get discount since I buy so much old stock in the shop!) so if you all rubbish it, then it's no huge loss!


Any opinions would be welcome! Thanks
!

 

[rxmd]

Hi Ash,

this kind of safelight really depends on the filters, and old filters tend to deteriorate. Use a dark red filter for multicontrast paper, and a yellow one for fixed contrast paper. Do test for fogging; take a sheet of your most sensitive paper in complete darkness, put a coin on top of it, switch the safelight on, leave it on for ten minutes and switch it off again, then develop in complete darkness. If you can see the coin, your safelight should go to the bin and shuffle off the mortal coil.

In general I would stay away from these old contraptions. Either buy a new Philips dark red safelight bulb with an E27 socket and screw it into a regular lamp (the bulbs cost 6 quid at http://www.fotoimpex.co.uk/, I don't know how they cost elsewhere). They're known good with virtually all papers (to the obvious exceptions of panchromatic and colour paper). Or buy a red LED lamp or make one from red LEDs; since LEDs put out a comparatively narrow frequency band, you can have really bright red light in your darkroom that doesn't harm your paper.

Philipp

 

[Ash]

Philipp, I was recommended to use the coin test for the safelight, that'll be my job tonight. If the safelight is duff, I'll use the shell as a studio light in due course 🙂

 

[Bryce]

Good investment, Ash. I'm sure you'll like printing a lot better with the room only dim.
That thing wasn't made by Lucas I hope...

 

[Ash]

Well I destroyed an AC cable for the wire/plug and wired up the light. Having it across the room (about 5ft maybe?) facing against the wall, so all light is reflected and thus further diffused.

I placed two coins and a red filter on the paper, and sat on my bed (gotta love the bedroom/darkroom thing) for a little over 10 minutes, and listened to music. I thought the safelight was WAY too bright to work. Course, it did work and I've never been so happy to see a TOTALLY blank piece of light-sensitive paper 😀

 

[rover]

Hey, that is what I have, 30 years old, I didn't know it may not still work.

Well, it worked out ok for me last week. Those phillips bulbs, they work well?

 

[Ash]

The bulb is at least 40Watts I guess that's why it's so bright. I played around with the Leningrad-4 in front of it. Moved my hand covering, uncovering the cell. Unless I place the light meter directly facing the safelight within about 1ft, the Len-4 doesn't even twitch. Surprising, but welcomed all the same 🙂

 

[markinlondon]

I'd probably buy a new filter just to be safe (excuse the pun). Nova or RK should be able to supply you with the right one. Due to my tiny space and light coloured walls I'm getting by with a little Photax plastic dome type safelight but my next darkroom will probably need something brighter.