Best darkroom supplies according to redditors
We found 70 Reddit comments discussing the best darkroom supplies. We ranked the 37 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 70 Reddit comments discussing the best darkroom supplies. We ranked the 37 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
> Also how labour intensive would the process be?
It's not much work, the equipment is cheap and it's very easy to do.
I studied photography in the '80s and most of my friends and I would develop B&W film in our apartment bathrooms. Many of us had the exact kit you linked to. Some people had the stainless steel version, I had the plastic one.
If you have a laundry room or kitchen with about 3 feet of countertop that's all you need. You don't really need a dark room either, you can load the film onto the developing reels in a dark bag.
just as a sweet little biz case to see how far home development gets you.
let's say you want to keep it at colour. right now 36 shots cost you $11. with the little upfront investment you need to go home development (about $100) you can go quite far.
two minutes of an amazon search gets you to $2.80 per roll of 36. this 2L C41 kit costs $50 and should be yielding you at least 30 films if done correctly. assuming you have any kind of digital camera and a computer screen you can scan for internet size publishing just fine.
so that means you are now at $4.47 per roll (and that's not even pushing it with bulk loading and larger liquid developing kits), which would mean you'd have paid off your $100 startup investment after 15 films.
on top of that, it's really really easy to develop film at home, as long as you take care of yourself and the people you live with by NOT doing this in the kitchen and making sure you work cleanly.
I actually just bought the whole kit and started to develop at home again since I am no longer able to access the college darkroom facilities.
I will link you everything I bought (which was on B&H/amazon/walmart) in USD.
FOR B/W:
You can get around 20 rolls of film per 1 liter dev of D76 1:1 & TF-4 Fixer. This means you'll be spending 1 dollar per developed roll
FOR C-41 COLOR:
Check out the side bar for how to develop B/W & C-41. Or check out youtube videos.
Lightproof bag, $30 amazon Or you could use your bathroom if there’s no windows and stick a wet towel under the door.
Dev tank, $30 on ebay
You’ll need chemistry (best source, bhphoto.com) look around in your city, some photography shops stock some. Ilford, cinestill, kodak. You’ll need a developer, stop bath and a fixer. Probably the most cost consuming thing in your kit. About $60-70
a film retriever
a pair of scissors
something to hang the film up(just use a coat hanger from a hook in the ceiling or your shower frame)
PhotoFlo, you dont need it but it helps take off the water stains.
P.S. Check around for photography clubs at universities in your town. I found a club at my university and they have a darkroom and I pay $20/year for unlimited b&w dev. No supplies needed. Just time.
The current craze started sometime around 2015 and has been steadily growing in popularity since. We'll hit peak saturation, but I really don't see it ever going away, least of all any time soon. Before LED lighting happened, we were using cold cathode lighting instead. It's not that everyone's picking up on a passing fad, but that manufacturers have tapped into something that a lot of people have always kind of wanted in the first place.
I got one of these at kohl's for about 20 dollars on sale http://www.amazon.com/Innovative-Technology-Negative-Slide-Converter/product-reviews/B00264GNR2?pageNumber=3
It's got a couple knocks on the reviewers, but I don't know enough about digital archiving of slides to know if the images it saves are crummy because of the machine or because the slides are damn near 40 years old. I wouldn't have paid the hundred dollars it normally was though.
I've developed around 200 rolls of film and have never set foot in a dark room. You only need darkrooms if you want to make prints. To go from undeveloped to developed negatives you only need a "daylight" tank (Paterson is a popular brand) and a Dark bag.
Here is everything you need to get started with black and white stand development:
1 reel tank
Dark bag
Church key bottle opener
Scissors with long-ish blades
Adox Rodinal
Fixer
10ml syringe - you will need this to measure rodinal and fixer accurately
generic measuring cups
Optional but nice:
Film clips - you can also substitute laundry clips or use the clips on pants hangers.
Film Squeegee - you can also just use your fingers coated in a bit of water with a drop of soap in it.
Negative Holders
The process is pretty easy.
1) shoot film and rewind entirely into cartridge
2) put tank, reel, lid, cartridge, bottle opener and scissors into bag. Shut off lights - it doesn't need to be perfectly dark, just no intense light.
3) open cartridge with bottle opener, remove film, cut off leader, spool onto reel, put reel into tank, close lid, remove everything from dark bag.
4) mix up a 1:100 solution of rodinal to water making ~300ml (3ml rodinal, 300ml of water)
5) add mixture to tank (do not remove the inner lid), agitate a few times and set a timer for 1 hour
6) during that 1 hour you should mix up a 1:9 solution of fixer (30ml fixer, 270ml water)
7) after an hour, pour out developer, fill and empty the tank with water a few times. Then fill and agitate 5 times, empty, fill and agitate 10 times, empty, fill and agitate 20 times, empty
8) add fixer solution. Agitate for 30 seconds. Then for 6 minutes agitate for 5 seconds every 30 seconds. While you do this, run your shower on its hottest setting until done (this will eliminate most airborn dust in your bathroom)
9) pour the fixer in a air tight container and store it in a dark place (you can use the same mix of fixer about 3 times, adding 2 minutes each time) and repeat the rinsing procedure from step 7
10) open the tank, hang the film somewhere in your bathroom (I usually hang mind from the shower curtain rod using coat hangers), squeegee the film off in 2-3 passes and leave it to dry
11) after 1 hour you should cut the film into strips of 6 exposures each and store in your negative holders
And there you have it, you have developed black and white film! The process is very easy and gets easier every time you do it. Stand development is also VERY economically efficient as you barely use any rodinal per roll and you can reuse the fixer. It massively raises your films apparent sharpness and contrast and can correct for missed exposures to a ridiculous degree. Also, if you want to develop multiple film speeds in one tank, it can do that!
I am happy to answer any questions ANYONE has about home film developing.
I wouldn't recommend it, while i'm sure it could be done the results won't be that good. Save a bit of money and find a Paterson Universal tank and reel for $30 or probably less if you hunt on eBay, it will save you so much hassle and let you focus on getting the developing part right rather than worrying about having the equipment screw up your film.
As i always say with these things, when testing new equipment or techniques that could ruin your film DO NOT test them on film you have important or wanted shots on, shoot a test roll and develop that.
Hi everyone- long time reader, first time caller.
B&W Development
I'll be using HC-110 (liquid concentrate), tap water for a quick "stop" bath, and Ilford Rapid Fixer. I bought my current liter of HC-110 concentrate back in 2017 and I've maybe used ~5% of the bottle. If I only ever use Dilution B, some quick math says it's good for a total of 64 rolls of film (35mmx36 or 120). Some Googling tells me that it'll last forever in concentrate form, even if it isn't airtight. My bottle has some dark brown spots and streaks in the air portion of it and for the time being, I've squeezed the air out.
Question 1: What do y'all think about the HC-110? It should be fine, right? I'm going to get one of those accordion bottles and transfer the concentrate I have out of the original bottle and into one of those. (Unless anyone has an alternate suggestion?) I leave all my chemistry in a fairly dark cabinet in a relatively dry part of the house, but given that I shoot so little film, I'd prefer not to have to rebuy chemistry every year if I can avoid it.
Ilford's documentation for the Ilford Rapid Fixer is that a single batch diluted to 1+4 is good for 600 rolls, but if it's stored AIRTIGHT, it should be replaced after 12mo. Knowing that 12mo will always elapse long before I get through 600 rolls and because I couldn't think of a way to keep it airtight before stumbling across those accordion bottles, I basically use it as a single shot liquid, just like developer.
Question 2: Does fixer last longer in concentrate form? Should I leave it as a concentrate and dilute as needed? Does anyone have any suggestions other than those "accordion" bottles for fixer? It's been a full calendar year since I used what I have on hand and, frankly, I just don't trust it anymore so I want to be smart about how I use the next set that I buy.
Question 3: I've heard that developer and fixer shouldn't be put down the drain. I've been collecting spent developer and "spent" fixer in additional jugs; can anyone tell me how I could go about figuring out where I can take this stuff?
Color Development
Full disclosure: I've never done color development before. BUT we got a sous vide recently and some Googling confirmed that it can be used to get chemistry up to temp reliably for C41 processing, so I want to give it a shot. Now, I see these C41 "kits" that include developer, blix, and stabilizer and they say that the developer is good for 8 rolls.
Question 4: Since it all comes in a kit, am I correct in assuming that all three fluids should be replaced after 8 rolls? Also, they specifically say 8 rolls of 35mmx36, which according to my back-of-the-envelope math, is the same as 8 rolls of 120. Do I have this right? And since its only 8 rolls, I plan on just putting this stuff in some amber 1L bottles I have laying around from back when I attempted to make Kombucha. Do y'all have any thoughts on this?
Thanks everyone!!
You can't go wrong with a Paterson Universal Tank, and you'll certainly be able to find them used on CL or ebay. Beyond the appropriate chemicals for whichever film you're using, you don't need much more than a film squeegee, some binder clips, and either a clothesline or some wire hangers. Sort of related, you should look into buying 35mm B&W film in bulk 100' rolls and then load your own canisters.
Printing photos takes a lot more gear, so most of the time I scan my negatives and then digital from then on.
Since you didn't specify, I'm assuming color development. You'll need the following. I've linked some items to amazon for reference, but do your own shopping as these are likely not the best prices.
Unfortunately, no. If you’re completely new to developing and haven’t yet done black and white, there’s a bit of an initial expense. I’m going to just list off everything I use for developing. It’s actually pretty compact, I’ve thrown it all in my car on impulse and developed C41 at friends’ houses a few times. I store it all in a small cooler which I also fill with water while developing. Since the developer needs to be 102°F with moderated precision for the duration of the developing time, it helps to have a larger body of water that won’t lose temperature as quickly. So first step for me is to fill this cooler slightly upwards of 102° to put the tank in while I’m not agitating. If you’ve got a cooler, great; if not:
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I think that’s about it! You can definitely go cheaper if you look around. The one thing I wouldn’t cheap out on though is the tank/reels. I started with a really cheap stainless steel setup. My reels came pretty bent up and took ages to load, like half an hour at times. I’d often have film stick to itself. I tried C41 with it one time and got blix everywhere, plus it was leaking in the cooler underwater. Everyone says Patterson is the way to go, and I haven’t tried much else but it’s served me well.
http://www.amazon.com/Logisys-CLK12-Cathode-3-0mm-Diameter/dp/B0013OFJEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1409905165&sr=1-1&keywords=Logisys+cold+cathode
Enjoy, Brother.
Actually one of the only pieces of advise I have for audio/vid synching is: Get/Make a clap board.
Be meticulous about writing down the correct take numbers and saving them correctly marked in your DAW. When you're editing the videos this will be a GOD SEND.
Also, I've heard people saying that just have someone clap in the video. This works - but to get it as synched as possible (always a pro synch), a clapboard works better because the white/black arrows in closed position clearly indicate when the clap is fully closed. When watching someone clap without sound it can be hard to see when their hands actually make contact.
I know this advice sounds a little silly, but trust me. A video that isn't properly audio/video synched just kills the vid.
Citric acid is in the bulk spices section at whole foods.
Sodium sulfite is available as a darkroom photography chemical. http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-Hypo-Clearing-TM-gal/dp/B00009R7BB
I've been looking at prices for developing and it seems like it's going to be too much for me. I decided to just start developing on my own but I'm not sure where to start with the chemicals. Right now I'm shooting with Kodak Good 200 and after some googling I know i need some c-41. Would this be the only thing i need? Also after looking at some YouTube videos, it seems like there using more than just one chemical. What are the other ones?
Doesn't Amazon ship to Canada? C-41 kit for $30 with cheap shipping. That's like $1.40/roll if you develop 25 rolls.
https://www.amazon.com/Ultrafine-Unicolor-Powder-Developer-Liter/dp/B07G1R7KTT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=2HLTNSLVXU4DP&keywords=unicolor+c-41+powder+developer+kit&qid=1551231989&s=gateway&sprefix=unicolor&sr=8-2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TH5I2E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_8gK1Bb3S3KQCC
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SYHWAJK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_QhK1BbW2N8QS2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00017LSPI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_uiK1BbFEJRM97
Buy these three items, they go a long way so it’ll be a long time before you need to buy again. The blower will get most dust, for the tougher spots I wet a corner of one of the cloths with the liquid and lightly wipe the sensor, key thing is to only touch it with the cloth and nothing else
For developing you don't need a darkroom, just a dark changing bag.
If you'd like to enlarge those negatives, then yeah, darkroom, enlarger, sink, etc
That's bad in a few ways:
https://smile.amazon.com/Delta-Brightlab-Junior-Safelight-Universal/dp/B00013J8UY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=ilford+safelight&qid=1563904006&s=gateway&sr=8-2-fkmr0 This is probably the lowest-priced sure-to-work-well option out there. Remember to keep it 4'/1.25m from your paper (both the enlarger base and your development trays).
Also, here are 4 links saying the current draw for a Cold Cathode tube is 5.0mA:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1555170
http://www.vizo.com.tw/front/product/get_product_detail/32/5/1
amazon link 1
amazon link2
So doesn't this mean that to run 2 cold cathodes, i'd TECHNICALLY only need a wall wart with a 10mA rating?
Options:
(1) Squelch.
(2) External microphone + mixer.
(3) Multiple cameras, one on the NFlightcam cable, the other using its microphone. Sync them somehow (clap your hands, or go Hollywood), mix the two audio tracks together in Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere or whatever you're using (the GoPro Studio software itself might be able to accomplish this, too).
Actually cathodes. I used velcro to adhear them to the case. I actually prefer them over led's because it spreads light so well and has an awesome cool blue glow.
Here's a link to the set http://www.amazon.com/12-Cold-Cathode-Case-Lights/dp/B000BUDHOA
EDIT: they use the four pin ATX to connect bty, no usb.
Welcome to film!
Probably the easiest/cheapest thing to do starting out is get some cheap Fuji or Kodak film from your local drugstore and get it developed there or at Costco/Walmart. These places will also scan your film but don't expect much from that service, a lot of people get bummed out when the scans aren't that great but that's because those places usually just auto scan the negs (you will have to do some post processing). If you like film a decent used scanner can be had for $20-40 these days.
Long term, black and white is cheaper, but you might have to invest about $10-$100 upfront for a developing tank and chemicals off Craigs list/ebay/amazon. But then you will be shooting for about $3-$5 a roll, and it's way more fun to develop your own stuff (you don't need a darkroom, a lot of people develop film in their washrooms and about 90% of it can be done it the light).
Come check out /r/analog, there is a weekly ask anything post (might be a little late this week) where you can get tons of information, as well as see what people are doing with film. There are still a lot of people using it and we're always looking for more people!
Congrats! If you want to avoid water streaks you should get a squeegee, or you can get hypoclear and do a thirty second wash of the film at the end of the cycle.
https://www.amazon.com/Kodak-Hypo-Clearing-TM-gal/dp/B00009R7BB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468793196&sr=8-1&keywords=Hypoclear
This is way overpriced, I'm sure you could find it somewhere else cheaper.
You can get a nice slate and a sharpie for that.
I just bought a Powder C-41 Processing Kit and I have first-time developing questions:
Any help and advice is very much appreciated! If there is also anyone who can who has experience with developing with this kit, I would love to get in touch!
Try this. I haven't personally tried it, but it looks exactly like the same thing.
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/search?q=unicolor+1+liter
http://www.amazon.com/Ultrafine-Unicolor-Powder-Developer-Liter/dp/B00OU6LXUG
You're gonna need chemicals
Other materials:
I was able to obtain most of these except the developing tank, dark, bag, and chemicals cheaply. But the FPP does offer a full kit for sale through their store.
They also have a pretty helpful video, and there are a bunch of walkthroughs online. I'll list a couple.
The first guide has you warming your chemicals in a bath, I use a home depot bucket.
I shot film before digital. That's how they did it in my high school photo class 14 years ago. I think it was a good experience, because like you said, you can't cheat. It definitely makes you try harder and you don't know if you got the shot immediately, so you really have to set up the shot before you take it. Then you're just praying it comes out.
But there is something magical about it. The physicality of it. The fragility of your photos that could be lost in an accidental exposure to the light. The fact that you are paying so much for each shot means you value each of them so much more. This is ideal for improving your skill.
If you really intend to keep shooting film, you should try developing the film yourself. To get the full experience, as well as save money. You don't need a complicated set up if you aren't printing. And you can just scan the negatives. You'll need one of these. And some developer, stop, and fix solutions. Then you just need to make your bathroom light proof. Cover the cracks in the doors and such. You'll be walking around the house with that canister as you do other things, shaking it every few minutes. But you'll get to see those pictures come out the day you took them and you'll wonder why you paid so much for some else to do it for you.
And I'd get some black and white film. Maybe Tmax. The thing about B&W is that it makes you focus more on the basics. Texture and contrast matter that much more. When I have the time and money, I'd like to get a medium format camera and start shooting B&W film again. For me, it doesn't get much better than Nick Brandt's work with 120mm on a Pentax 67.
i thought that too but they are cheap, if they dont work as well as i want i'm gonna get this cathode tube thing. http://www.amazon.com/Logisys-Dual-Cold-Cathode-Kit/dp/B002EOD52A/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1426803051&sr=1-2&keywords=cathode
The blue light is just an old blue cold cathode kit from my case modding days. ~$9 shipped on Amazon
http://amzn.com/B0013OFJEO
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002EOD52A/ref=pd_aw_ty_recs_10?pi=SL500_SS115
Sorry forgot the actual link
It was so dark in there before. The H100i light is actually red, just the way my phone caught it.
NZXT red led kit .. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046Y1622
Logisys red ccfl kit - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EOD52A
https://www.amazon.com/Ultrafine-Unicolor-Powder-Developer-Liter/dp/B00OU6LXUGn - you can probably get 8 - 12 rolls out of this before it's used up. You'll need a lot misc supplies for at home dev; the more you do it the more items you "realize" you need. My current list:
I probably missed something but that's all I can think of. Watch Ted Forbes' video on at - home C-41 dev to get a better idea of the routine. Hope this helps. I estimate I spent somwhere between 30-70 on the whole thing, but it's definitely worth it versus the 10 dollars per roll I have to pay at a lab.
You also have to, though, factor in scanning. I have a scanner at my College's film lab that they let me use, but if you don't have access to one that's something else to consider. If you don't care too much about quality, most libraries have printers with decent scanners.
Good luck!
Do you think i should use these?-http://www.amazon.com/Logisys-CLK12-Cathode-3-0mm-Diameter/dp/B0013OFJEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1418966064&sr=1-1&keywords=pc+case+light
or these?-http://www.amazon.com/Long-Blue-Light-Strip-Adhesive/dp/B00JR3UXXK/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1418966064&sr=1-9&keywords=pc+case+light
Thank you! In particular I mean when I'm done shooting what do I physically do with the film? Do I put it in these canisters?
Kodak Photo-Flo, a bottle will last a lifetime. https://www.amazon.com/Kodak-Photo-Flo-200-Solution-16oz/dp/B00K335F6S
definitely in camera (or extraction) - not developing.
grab some blackout fabric and velcro and you can make your own bag with arm holes that'll be easier to use... or just buy one. i worked in photo labs in the 90s and we used these leader cards so we never had to touch the film. you can even keep the canister attached (small piece of tape holding the lead to the card) and pull the film out as you develop. use this to get a lead to attach.
The L-110 in my experience gives the same results as HC-110, and with the same dilutions and times that are listed everywhere for HC-110. It also has a consistency between water and milk, which makes it much easier to measure and mix. I don't have hard numbers for the shelf life of the L-110, but I opened a bottle of it last october when I ran out of HC-110 syrup and it was still going great when I processed a roll a couple days ago.
​
It is also available through amazon prime in the US. Make sure you get the L110, not the L110R (which is the replenisher)
What do you already have? I really like lighting personally; LED, RGB, etc. fans are a plus, because you get good lighting AND some extra cooling. I also like the [cold cathode] (https://www.amazon.com/Logisys-CLK12BL2-Dual-Cathode-Light/dp/B0013OFJEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497370306&sr=8-1&keywords=cold+cathode) light bars you can put in too. It adds a lot of nice lighting effects.
I think just the bulb would be coolest, with a shape kindof like this one here, more flat than rounded on the top and a little longer if that makes sense
You can use a clacker old school style :D
Just do a clack at the beginning and end of your recordings and then look for the spike in the waveform whenever you go to sync up your audio. I do this whenever I record with my camcorder so I can get cleaner audio than the onboard mic. Works great!
Or if you don't want to buy a clacker... just clap your hands in front of the camera and look for the spike that way where your hands meet.
But the clacker is more fun lol.
That's what a "clap board" is for but you can also just have the subject in the video clap their hands. This gives a spike on the audio that we can use to sync so the person's hand clap and the spike match up. Usually this is close enough for speech so it looks like the persons lips are moving in sync with the audio.
Clap Board: https://www.amazon.ca/Neewer-Acrylic-Plastic-Directors-Clapboard/dp/B00S4QRBZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459216178&sr=8-1&keywords=clap+board
Edit: If you are interested here is an explanation of the why's and how's of video / external audio sync.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZVNEo2dH9I
Hello all! I'm going to be developing film for the first time and have some questions about chemicals and proportions.
I'm going to develop black & white film (Kodak T-Max 400) using these 5 chemicals:
There's challenging opinions as to how much I should dilute these chemicals in water and temperature. If someone is willing to help me decide on what proper ratios I should be mixing these chemicals with, that would be amazing!
Thank you! :)
In a modern build sure - but not in a retro build. Use the lighting from the era.
Edit:
And they are cheap! They were $40-$50 USD back in the day - now you can get them Amazon prime for $12!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BUDHOA/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_ykgDDbPRBB411
If there are a large number of old negatives, check out a negative and slide scanner for your computer. They're generally around $100, but this one is on sale right now.