Setting up first darkroom! A few questions

[nigelll]

I am setting up my first darkroom and Have acquired everything I need except chem bottles and fixer. Everything was given to me through craigslist. I am looking for suggestions for a good fixer, and chemical storage bottles, also I was given two 50mm enlarger lenses and wanted to see what your general thoughts are on the two, as in what might be a better lens, I know that it an opinion just looking for thoughts. One is a Shneider Componon-s 2.8 and the other a nikkor 50 2.8. and the last question, is any one using blackout curtains where a door can not be mounted?

Thanks,
Nigel

 

[ddutchison]

Black-out curtains: I once used two Queen-sized black cotton duvet covers (one on either side of the door), they worked great.

Chem Bottles: Any air-tight bottle will work as long as it doesn't have a metal cap. I'm personally fond of plastic milk-jugs for this purpose.

Nikon v.s. Componon-S: Both are cited as "the best" by many. You may see a very small difference when making very big enlargements (16"X20"or greater).

Fixer: As stated, any fixer will do. If you want to be Zen about it, you can use a hardening fixer for your film (which protects the emulsion while the film is wet), and a non-hardening fix for your prints (allows shorter wash-times, which is more of an issue with prints). Otherwise a non-hardening fixer will be the best choice for both.


Have a blast with the new Darkroom!

 

[j.scooter]

I just recently started home developing and came across a thread (either RFF or Apug) where someone recommended using cough medicene containers. I got 7 of the 500ml and 2 of the 250ml. My local drugstore sold them to me for 25 cents each.

To minimize exposure to air they are filled them all the up to the top. I use the small ones to make my working solution and use the big bottle to replenish the small ones.

 

[BillBingham2]

Nigel,

I can HIGHLY recomend the El Nikkor 50/2.8, it is a great lens, very bright and easy to focus, no experience with the other.

For black out material I used a large sheet of black plastic with a pipe on the bottom. It helped it stay in contact with the floor and the walls. I had another screwed to the top part of the frame on the inside too. Needs to be very thick so it does not rip easily. On the inside I also had the same but on a swing arm so when I loaded film it was closed, open when I was doing paper.

Rapid Fix was my favorite too. I liked using the small bottle for doing flash diffuser stuff.

For bottles I went with dark brown glass for developer. Fill them up to the top they like to oxidize even in dark bottles. I got them from a local pharmacy, try there or flee markets. For stop bath and fixer I used plastic but would use glass now for them too.

Enjoy.

B2 (;->

 

[Melvin]

Schneider lenses are good. Not sure about the Nikkor 2.8, I've read bad things on other forums.

For black out material I recommend the cloth they use for roller blinds, which I get at a textile discount warehouse here. It's cheap, completely light proof, usually white on one side and gray on the other. I find most black cloth still leaks light. Put curtains on both sides of the entrance.

For fixer, you might check out Photographers Formulary and get a copy of the Darkroom Cookbook.

Avoid the accordion style plastic bottles, they start leaking pretty fast.

A Faber-Castell 2B "Wasserlack" pencil is nice to have so you can mark the back of prints while they're wet. I guess a normal pencil will probably work, too.

The bags of white towels at Home Depot are pretty cheap, and you can just throw them in the wash.

 

[ChrisN]

The El-Nikkor 50/2.8 is a very reasonable 6-element design. Earlier versions don't have click-stops, while the later ones do. Click stops are nice - makes it easier to set in the dark (count clicks from wide open). The Componon-S is also a 6-element, 4-group design. Both good designs. Many old enlarger lenses (and by definition, most enlarger lenses are now "old" have have spent a lot of time in humid storage) have fungus, so check carefully.

 

[slm]

I also have the EL Nikkor 2.8 - excellent lens.
Have fun in the darkroom ! Once you get a print out that looks the way you envisioned it, you'll be hooked !

Cheers
Steven

 

[semilog]

I used to use one of the EL-Nikkor 50/2.8's on an M600. Good lens. No problems at 11x14 from a 35mm neg.

 

[dfoo]

I have an EL Nikkor 50/2.8. Getting sharp 16x20 is no problem with this lens.

 

[nigelll]

Thanks so far for all the help! I will be ordering everything I need in the next few days! I will post pictures when I am finished!

 

[semilog]

Soooo... while we're on this topic, how about enlarger timers? I've mainly used Gra-Labs and the like, but I've never liked those. After many, many years of not printing I picked up a V35 today....

My favorite of all time(rs) was the beautiful switching timer that my dad designed and built. Red, backlit analog scale, reciprocal switching of enlarger and safe light, and logarithmic — not linear — time scale. Sadly, that little work of art is long-gone.

Any suggestions for a good, simple, reasonably-priced alternative?

 

[ddutchison]

Soooo... while we're on this topic, how about enlarger timers? ...

My favorite of all time(rs) was the beautiful switching timer that my dad designed and built. Red, backlit analog scale,...

Wow. Too bad, that sounds like quite the device.

I very much like using the Time-O-Lite with a foot switch. Turns off the safety light when it turns on the enlarger, and resets the timer after each exposure - really handy for burning and dodging. I see them used for around $100 - much more solidly built than the big Graylabs.

 

[Haigh]

Have fun in your new darkroom.

 

[semilog]

Wow. Too bad, that sounds like quite the device.

I very much like using the Time-O-Lite with a foot switch. Turns off the safety light when it turns on the enlarger, and resets the timer after each exposure - really handy for burning and dodging. I see them used for around $100 - much more solidly built than the big Graylabs.

Yeah, my dad was trained as an electrical engineer 🙂.

I've used a ton of Time-o-lights, but never one with a foot pedal. That sounds cool. Off to fleabay...