Sketchy enlarging

M

MadMan2k

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I was bored, so I took an extension tube, a 55mm lens, tape, a cardboard box, and a light socket with a bulb in it and make a projector. It focuses close enough to make a 4x6, and shouldn't leak light if I tape it or put a changing bag over it. So, I thought maybe I could get some 4x6 paper, tack it to the wall, wait until dark, turn off all the lights and put towels under the door in the bathroom, and try to make a print.

I have a couple questions though... how do you meter for paper? Does it have a specific ISO so you can use a camera with a meter to take a reading from the projected image and adjust from there? Does developer for film work for paper too?

My standards aren't going to be very high for this thing, so if I get a print with some blacks, some whites, and a recognizable image in the middle I'll be happy :p
 
You don't "meter" per se as much as you guess. Test strips (a sheet of photo paper exposed in steps of known intervals eg. 1sec 2sec 4sec 6sec 8sec etc.) and a whole lot of guess-and-check are invaluable.
As far as I know no film developer will work for paper, though stops and fixers are interchangable.

Using photopaper for paper negatives yields an approximate ISO of ~4, though for enlarging the intensity of the bulb plays a huge role in determining the exposure time.

Have fun, and good luck keeping the enlarger steady :)


btw, where is Aztec? I'm from near Chanhassen but have never heard of Aztec.
and you're the only other kid my age who I've ever heard of having a leica, though of course the M2 is far superior to the M3 :p
 
Ah, thanks. Guess I'll order some paper and paper developer, I have fixer that I can use. Looks like 25 sheets of 5x7 is only 5.50, so that leaves plenty of spares for experimenting...

Aztec is in north NM, near Durango, CO.

Not for 50mm lenses :p
(says the guy who doesn't have a 50mm for it yet... I'm too poor now)
 
Cool! Do it!
Be warned, you may like it...
Contrast control might be achievable via yellow filters over the lens. No filter should give you grade 2, the yellow filter something softer, and a magenta filter (maybe an 80a is close enough?) could give something harder. Experiment!
 
Got the stuff I needed and tried it out today - got some results, nothing great but meh.
prints.jpg


I need to get a real enlarger sometime. Hopefully I can find a used one someone's selling locally, along with the other stuff you kind of need for a real darkroom.

I used tinfoil casserole dishes for the chemical trays, and counted off the seconds to myself for timing. The room wasn't completely light tight, the extension tube isn't big enough around to make a full frame print, the light source was far from even. The negative wasn't flat, hell the paper wasn't flat... still, it was fun and I did get some prints. I'll give it another shot with some contrast filters after some modding to the 'enlarger'.
 
Very cool, Jon!
I love these sorts of slightly goofy but very fun projects.
It appears that you are getting a small circular image? Maybe bigger paper to enlarge onto would let you get the entire image circle on the print?
Thanks for sharing this!
Rob
 
I think that was from using the extension tube. I redesigned the setup and I'm going to give it another shot tonight, I think I'll be able to get full frame prints now and I taped the window better this time.
 
That's pretty cool.

try a white opaque lid from a plastic food container (tuppeware, cool whip, butter, or whatever) for a diffuser between the bulb and negative to get a more even light. Hang a sheet over the door frame to block out stray light.

Used enlargers are plentiful and cheap these days. The going rate for a Besseler 23c in my area is ~$100, including lens, a film holder or two, and B&W head. That's how I got mine, and it is an incredible steal, IMHO.
 
The diffuser box for the light source made a world of difference. I took a bigger box, lined it with aluminum foil, put the bulb in one side and a sheet of paper right in front of it, then another near middle so the lens doesn't focus on the texture of the paper. The box has a square hole in it, and I made another little plate that slides under it and holds the lens in place, and lets me slide it back and forth to focus without having an extension tube crop the image right from the negative. And I used a little plastic picture holder to hold the negative, which makes it flatter.

The light source is a whole lot better, but this time it leaks light because it's not strong enough for me to use the elastic arm space in the changing bag to go around the lens, or it would get out of focus. So I have to use the zipper, which only comes from one side..

I'll have to see if my dad can think of a better design, but the results are a lot more inspiring now, maybe we can make a 4x5 view camera too and complete the old-school DIY photography cycle :p

print.jpg

It has some problems, but it's better than the others. The white on the edges are from the cardboard box I think. Does agitating during the development give you more contrast, or less? I think I didn't do it very much for that one, so maybe that's why it looks flat.
 
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