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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Darkroom / April 2005Contact printing alternatives?
I develop all my film at home using a film chaging bag and until now I've used the university darkroom to contact print my negs. I've leaving in a couple of months so I'm going to be stuck. I read somewhere someone contacted their negs using a digital camera? I've given this a go without too much luck so far, what's the trick? The quality doesn't have to be great, I just want to see if something is worth printing or not. Had a look into using local labs to do a contact sheet or 6x4's from my negs but they either can't or are charging £6 - £10! > I develop all my film at home using a film chaging bag and until now > I've used the university darkroom to contact print my negs. I've [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Had a look into using local labs to do a contact sheet or 6x4's from > my negs but they either can't or are charging £6 - £10! You didn't say whether these are 35mm negs or larger. I'll assume 35mm, since you referred to getting 6x4 prints, and probably b&w negs, too. The cheapest and easiest way is to buy a good 8X loupe. One that is capable of viewing the entire negative at one time (Cheaper loupes can only view a portion at a time, requiring you to move it around to see the whole image.) and learn to "read" negatives without having to make positives. To make viewing easier, buy or make a small lightbox. I have one the viewing area of which is about the size of a standard 35mm contact proofer and will hold 6 strips of 6 negs or about 20 or so mounted slides. If you want to use a digital camera to "proof", use a lightbox, lay the negatives on it, cover with a heavy piece of glass to flatten the negatives, take a picture of all the negatives at your camera's highest resolution, then "reverse" the image either in camera or with your image viewer to get positives for viewing.  SignatureStefan Patric NoLife Polymath Group tootek2@yahoo.com >... >If you want to use a digital camera to "proof", use a lightbox, lay the >negatives on it, cover with a heavy piece of glass to flatten the >negatives, take a picture of all the negatives at your camera's highest >resolution, then "reverse" the image either in camera or with your >image viewer to get positives for viewing. ... apr1605 from Lloyd Erlick, An alternative is a flatbed scanner. Depends on whether or not one has to buy the digital camera for this purpose, and how much one would have to pay for a scanner (which must be able to scan transparencies, might need some sort of accessory). I've scanned my negs on a flatbed since 1996. I put them in the usual plastic sleeves that are made to be filed in three-ring binders, and lay them on the scanner glass. I 'invert' them in PhotoShop, and then pick out the ones I like by copying that section of the scan to an appropriate directory. Then I can look over my choices, sometimes by turning them into a slide-show, at leisure. I like to do it this way because now I never go to the darkroom to do distasteful chores (I always hated making contact sheets, and it just became a piled-up impediment). Plus, the clarity of the image on my monitor is far better than I ever found in a contact frame. I can choose a portrait very accurately this way, and whenever I go to the darkroom I know which frame I will work on, and I also know it will give me a good print. With small contact frames, even with a magnifying glass, I was never absolutely sure about the content of faces. regards, --le Signature________________________________ Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto. voice: 416-686-0326 email: portrait@heylloyd.com net: www.heylloyd.com ________________________________ > I develop all my film at home using a film chaging bag and until now > I've used the university darkroom to contact print my negs. I've > leaving in a couple of months so I'm going to be stuck. > Had a look into using local labs to do a contact sheet or 6x4's from > my negs but they either can't or are charging £6 - £10! For "£6 - £10" (~$20) or so (~$40) you should be able to buy 3 trays, a sheet of glass, a bottle of paper developer and a bottle of fix. I imagine you already have a packet of paper, if not then add a pack of the cheapest RC paper you can find. Red Christmas tree bulb will work for a safelight if kept away from the paper, a white Christmas tree bulb about 3" from the paper will work for making the exposure (or flip the room light on for a second). Place an advert to buy someone's old darkroom equipment. For £10, if you get lucky, you may be able to pick up the whole shebang. -- Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics. To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/ >> I develop all my film at home using a film chaging bag and until now >> I've used the university darkroom to contact print my negs. I've [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > For ?10, if you get lucky, you may be able to pick up > the whole shebang. A red Christmas tree bulb will work as a safelight? >>> I develop all my film at home using a film chaging bag and until now >>> I've used the university darkroom to contact print my negs. I've [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > A red Christmas tree bulb will work as a safelight? Your average GRADED (not multi-contrast) photo paper is orthochromatic, that is, mostly sensitive only to blue light, and won't "see" red, which is totally at the opposite end of the spectrum. And while any dark red light may work in a pinch as a safelight with graded papers, I wouldn't want to risk an entire box of paper betting that such lights are "safe." Get a real photo safelight. Some are very small, particularly the battery powered LED types. SignatureStefan Patric NoLife Polymath Group tootek2@yahoo.com >A red Christmas tree bulb will work as a safelight? > Yup !! But...he also said (to keep it in context) : >if kept away from the paper cheers Signatureregards from :: John Bartley 43 Norway Spruce Street Stittsville, Ontario Canada, K2S1P5 ( If you slow down it takes longer - does that apply to life also?) John Bartley <oldrad@sympatico.ca> wrote in news:b6Y7e.6604$MZ2.950646 @news20.bellglobal.com: >>A red Christmas tree bulb will work as a safelight? >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > cheers The sun will also work as a safelight if kept away from the paper. I still wouldn't use it! :-) |
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