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Vladislav Kern
Vlad
USA
3296 Posts
My Collection
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 Posted - Mar 07 2012 : 2:54:46 PM
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With the rise of prices and the scarcity of film developing labs in U.S. I have decided to get myself darkroom equipment and try to do it myself.
Well since I'm a total newbie to the process (I am of digital generation, I only helped my father develop stuff when I was a kid), it makes sense for me to get all Soviet equipment because that can also be part of my collection as well. So I have the following questions for the veterans of dark rooms: 
1. What essentials do I need to get (list of equipment)
2. What is the best of the best Soviet equipment that I should be looking for (in terms of enlarger, film developing tanks, etc)
Thanks!
Vlad
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Luiz Paracampo
Luiz Paracampo
Brazil
1202 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Mar 07 2012 : 8:41:03 PM
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Hello Vlad!
At first Congratulations to your wife for the Woman's International day.
My second congratulation goes to your desire to do a so interesting job develop and print your own pictures.
If you go to develop B/W You can find interesting formulas at my site. -Away from commercial products.
http://www.novacon.com.br/revela.htm
http://www.novacon.com.br/revelapar.htm
Another way is to go to silk screen techniques where you can up to prepare your own paper home!
Colour films are another department and must be made with special kits. Although 1906 Lumichrome were developed in Rodinal.
There are several Russian enlargers of the Upa series but I find them weak ans subject to oscillations during printing
I like Meopta Enlargers as best ones to work.
At Abramov's site there are several interesting enlargers and associated equipment that easy surfaces at Molotok ru.
My best regards
LP |
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Yuri Boguslavsky
fedka
USA
201 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 12:23:15 AM
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Vlad,
There are two parts here:
1. Film development. For b/w film this is a very easy process. You need a developing tank, a couple of 1L jars for developer and fixer, a thermometer - very little equipment. No need for a dark room even, you can use a changing bag or simply load the tank in a dark room, and the rest is done in a lit room. I'll be happy to tell you more about it if needed. And developing film is where the real fun is, the part when you open the tank after the fixer and see the negatives for the first time. I've done this hundreds of times, never gets stale.
I used both Soviet made and "foreign' tanks. Soviet tanks are much, much better. Most of the tanks sold in the US have some sort of loading aids, gizmos really, made for marketing purposes. I was amazed how silly and and complicated a tank can get. Well, don't get me started:-)
2. Printing pictures. This is quite involved. Enlarger, trays, safe light, timer, a set of filters if using multicontrast paper, etc. Now you need a real dark room with running water. And there is not as much excitement. If you have good negatives, good paper and good chemicals you must produce good prints. Oh, and then you have to dry them.
In short - I suggest you start with developing film and take it from there. Long before digital cameras professionals would develop film and then scan it, and take the printing into digital domain. This is what I was doing when I still shot film.
I managed to bring (with help, of course) my Leningrad-2 enlarger from Odessa to NY, and even used it a few times. Leningrads are the best enlargers since they have 'pantograph' - not sure about the English word), and not a simple post. Easy to work with, nice mechanical design. I used a Leitz Focomat a few times. It is, of course, a Leitz - perfect mechanics, but I was not impressed by it much.
A few years ago you could find the entire darkrooms on Craigslist cheaply. I am not sure if people are still selling them or simply dumped this stuff.
quote:
Originally posted by Vlad
With the rise of prices and the scarcity of film developing labs in U.S. I have decided to get myself darkroom equipment and try to do it myself.
Well since I'm a total newbie to the process (I am of digital generation, I only helped my father develop stuff when I was a kid), it makes sense for me to get all Soviet equipment because that can also be part of my collection as well. So I have the following questions for the veterans of dark rooms:
1. What essentials do I need to get (list of equipment)
2. What is the best of the best Soviet equipment that I should be looking for (in terms of enlarger, film developing tanks, etc)
Thanks!
Vlad
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Vladislav Kern
Vlad
USA
3296 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 09:35:01 AM
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Luiz, Yura, thank you very much for your suggestions. I may indeed start out slow and just get a film developing tank and at least start scanning the negatives. Can someone suggest a good Soviet film tank? Yura do you have any in your shop maybe?
Thanks,
Vlad. |
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Vladislav Kern
Vlad
USA
3296 Posts
My Collection
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Luiz Paracampo
Luiz Paracampo
Brazil
1202 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 5:12:16 PM
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| this is an excellent tank |
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Vladislav Kern
Vlad
USA
3296 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 8:00:32 PM
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| Thank you Luiz, I've bought it! Now need to order some chemicals. Going for Kodak B+W developer and fixer.. |
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Eric
Robotnik
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 9:22:59 PM
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How often will you be developing B&W? If not 12 rolls in 3-4 months, I would get a concentrate developer instead of a powdered. (Powdered will produce a stock solution that does not last forever, you have to make the whole packet)
What kind of film will you be using? Different B&W film emulsions process differently in each type of developer...look at samples for the film you will be using.
Developing B&W is not hard, just methodological. Its fun too.
Oh, and remember to use distilled water if your areas water is hard.
That tank looks pretty good, similar to my AP tank made in spain. The reels look like the kind with 2 small ball bearings that grab the sprockets of the film. Really easy to use. |
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Vladislav Kern
Vlad
USA
3296 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Mar 08 2012 : 10:31:29 PM
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Eric, I am using Kodak B+W Professional film that I have quite a few rolls of, I did already ordered some powder fixer and developer, we'll see how it comes out... thanks for your suggestion, I may try liquid after powder.
Vlad |
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Henk Mantel
Jo Lund
Germany
21 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2012 : 02:34:34 AM
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Hello to you all,
Being new here on this forum and never ever posted anything in any forum, things could go wrong. Iīm sorry for that.
I would like tto answer to Vlad about his question about darkroom equipment. About half a century ago I worked in a photo laboratory.
Being rather diassappointed with the results of digital cameras I started taking pictures with a newly acquired FED 1 and a Zorki camera. Thats why I am on this forum. What I would like to say to Vlad is when you take pictures on 35 film open the cassette and take out the film, donīt pull the film out of the cassette. This will result in unremovable scratches and spoiling eveything. The same with finger prints, donīt touch the surface of the film.
If soviet enlargers canīt be found Meopta is a good choise.
Good Luck
Jo Lund
HM |
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Vladislav Kern
Vlad
USA
3296 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Mar 10 2012 : 12:16:07 PM
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Thank you Jo/Henk, this is really good advice!
Best regards,
Vlad. |
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Amix9
Romania
1 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2012 : 04:48:04 AM
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| So how did it work out? I'm very curious about how it went ... |
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Vladislav Kern
Vlad
USA
3296 Posts
My Collection
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Posted - Jul 19 2012 : 4:34:15 PM
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Hi Alex,
I did buy all the tanks and all the supplies and thermometer and it's ready to be used, but I got really involved with restoration of two ARFO cameras so maybe when the second one is fully restored I will start developing. I even got an EPSON film scanner too . Too many things, too little time . I will report the results.
Cheers,
Vlad. |
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Topic |
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Help with Soviet darkroom
