Anyone ever had or still have a darkroom? And do you still use a film camera?
I used to have a darkroom back in the early 70's. Had a Durst enlarger, but always wanted a Beseler 23C.

Well, someone just gave me an old Beseler 23C enlarger that I use as a conversation piece. You wouldn't believe how many people ask me "what's that?".

Every once in a while I whip out the old Olympus OM-2N SLR and snap a few pics.

 

Unfortunately my GF of the day (in the mid 70's) made off with about $3000.00 worth of my photo equipment.
I never did replace it but I used to do a lot of film photography right up until 1991.

I prefer doing B & W.

 

Yep, still using film. Never had a darkroom, but played w/the one in high school. Seriously looking into going digital now (SLR, of course).

Randy

 

Mil1ion,
That's all I did was black and white. Some how I found that B & W photowork more interesting and intriguing than color. Just look at Ansel Adams' work. Darkroom work you had hands on involvement from film developing to the final wash and hang drying of YOUR photo that YOU took. Yep. Those were the days.

 

I'm also thinking of going digital. Only problem is that there is sooooo many cameras to choose from. It's mind boggling.

 

I currently shoot Minolta, but they have really dropped the ball on digital SLR's. I'm looking at Canon right now (20d and 1dmkII).

If I owned newer Canon or Nikon, it would be an easier decision!

Randy

 

I still have an enlarger up in the attic someplace. Like most that get into it, I took the photography class in High School. I went on and took the college class. I also took a crime scene investigation class that was heavy into large format cameras. I like large format..

Anymore, the hobby has moved to digital. My Minolta XG-1 is gathering dust, but is still on a hook next to the door, (old habits). I still burn a roll every once in a while, but for the most part it's a loaner for the kids to use at class. Fortunately, they still teach film in school.

In the old days it cost 3 - 4 grand for camera, (lens, misc.), enlarger, chemicals, timer, etc. to get started. Today the price really hasn't changed much, just the equipment. A good digital camera, Photoshop and a good printer have replaced a lot of the old stuff. Nice thing is I have lots of memory and can hold 100's of shots, (no more lupe and light table after developing, to find I had a hair on the lens.)

The digital isn't that tough. My Olympus is 4 megipixals and it seems fairly comparable to my 35mm. It seems slow, because of the amount of data, but it's really good for snapshots for prints or backgrounds and can handle a little enlargement on paper.

To me, a good digital will have more than 4 megapixals, have a glass lens with lots of optical zoom and macro, and look something like the 35mm SLR that I grew up with.

Here's a link to some examples, the prices are always dropping:

http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/prof...s-ratings.html

 

Yeah, I had a darkroom when I was a kid back in the 70's. I still have my enlarger, trays, tanks for developing film and all that stuff too. I think it's now ebay material; technology seems to obsolete film and all of the headahces associated with it. I also realize there are "purists/die hards" that stick with that old fashioned stuff called film. Even I shoot a roll of the vintage stuff now and then. Variety is still kind of nice.

 

My dad used to do photography. He had a darkroom in the basement with an Omega Dichroic D enlarger, an Adams retouching machine, and primarily worked with a Mamiya RB-67 Pro-S or M645 medium format camera. He hasn't done any of that work for years, and probably still has all that equipment stored away in his basement! I loved to hang out and help him in the darkroom as a kid. It was really cool to see the b/w prints slowly emerging while you rocked the developer tray.

 

I am half-n-half, I shoot film then scan it and then correct, crop edit, etc. via Adobe Photoshop. Looking at buying a Canon 1DS eventually but still like the pictures I get with film.

 

I enjoyed using film for 10-years, some of my best work was done with b&w film, but I enjoy the flexibility I get with digital. Neither is bad, both are fine. Use what you enjoy most.

Alvie.

 

I am a photography teacher and maintain a 12 enlarger darkroom daily, it is very popular where I teach, young people enjoy the hands on experience, and, while I do some digital as well, nothing beats the beauty of a nicely printed B&W print. Darkroom techniques are interesting, something about using light and chemicals, the experience is quite different from a keyboard.

 

Some of my favorite work was in B&W. Back in High School we shot all B&W and developed our film in the dark room. Those were the days. I had a Pentax K1000 with a few lenses (still have it). Now it's mostly digital, I rarely bring the cameras and their assorted 'stuff' around these days.

 

If anyone of you ever find an old Hasselblad, buy it !

I loved that camera format.

Even after buying my Olympus 5.0 mgp digital last year,I still use my Nikon equipment.

 

Man how I'd love to have an old Nikon F. Great cameras!

One thought I had with my lenses (uses pentax mount) was to see if I could use them with a digital SLR. I had alot of attachments that worked great.. such as you can have alot of fun with a sepia filter, etc. I've been out of the camera loop for a while though.