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Posted by Jeff Davis on September 28, 2002 at 14:14:31:
In Reply to: Building a Dark Room posted by Brenda MacFarland on September 15, 2002 at 06:56:41:
: HELP! My friends and I spend a fortune on film developing. Thinking of learning how to do it myself but don't know where to start. Have basement rooms with no windows, but whats next?
For Black and white the cost is not nearly as much as for color and you can easily make better B & W prints than most mass production labs however it's not cheap and for color it's much more difficult and much much more expensive than having the normal mass production lab do them. a breif list of equipment need after you have a CLEAN light tight area with electric for the enlarger and hot and cold running water :developing tank with reels for the film size you use I like the stainless steel reels but it takes some practice to learn to load them , next you need a enlarger the simplest are the one size 35mm type with the proper lens for 35mm, next and enlarging esal to hold the paper, then 3 trays large enough to hold the largest prints you intend to make 8 x 10 are most common,a safe light, and chemicals so saving money is not likely unless your shooting lots of B & W. before you start on your own dark room get a book or better visit someone with one. ask at your local real Camera store ( one that sells darkroom supplies ) for someone who does their own printing. much of the equipment can be purchased used I recommend Midwest Photo Exchange or Columbus Camera Group as I have delt with them both for about 20 years. e bay is another source for used equipment.
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