Best new darkroom equipment: iPhone

[psvensson]

I just wanted to tip people off about a gadget that's made my darkroom more enjoyable: the iPhone. I read e-books on it while waiting for the prints to develop. In the Barnes & Noble E-reader app, you can set the text color to red on a black background, for minimal light pollution. In the Kindle app, that's not possible, buy can at least set it to white on black, which should be fairly harmless unless you hold the phone right over your print.

The iPod Touch works just as well as the iPhone in this regard, and there are probably other smartphones that work well too, though not all have e-reading apps that let you set darkroom-safe backgrounds.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

You can do the same with a computer monitor or TV screen by putting a sheet of rubylith over the screen.

 

[CuS]

iphone - massive developing app

this app is simply wonderful.

its got most of teh massive dev chart combos and you can customize film/dev/tim/temp as well as agitation - great thing.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

The iPhone portfolio, just using the image software that comes with the device, seems to have caught on particularly for photographers who are always looking for models.

 

[filmamigo]

Any other suggestions for iPhone apps, like a developing timer, etc?

The App Store search function is pretty weak, and it seems like there must be some good photography-related stuff that I'm missing.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

I would suggest a talking countdown timer, if it's possible to write an app for that. I have two or three in my darkroom.

 

[PhotoJim]

The "Massive Development Chart" app is good. It costs a few dollars, but I found it to be indispensible yesterday and it was only my first day using it. Much more convenient than remembering to take a netbook to the darkroom

 

[brofkand]

I can't believe the Massive Dev Chart is available on the itunes store. That's great news. Even has a built-in timer.

Worth the $6 to me. Probably the best $6 I'll spend on the app store, everything else I've bought has been great for a few minutes then eventually loses its novelty pretty quickly.

I've been using a tea timer on my Centro since my dollar store timer broke. Now I can use my iTouch.

 

[PhotoJim]

Glad to be of help I thought it was well worth the price too.

 

[Dan Henderson]

I have become fond of using the Massive Development Chart on my iphone for developing film in trays. By turning the brightness all the way down, turning the display red in the MDC ap, and keeping the phone on the other side of the darkroom I am not worried about fogging the film.

But I was worried about an incoming phone call lighting up the screen, so I developed the habit of putting the phone in Do Not Disturb mode. So imagine my surprise when her call came through this morning while I was developing! Fortunately the brightness and distance factors worked in my favor.

Some research informs me that "Do Not Disturb" is not actually enabled unless the phone is locked, making it difficult to use the MDC timer. A little more research informs me that "Airplane Mode" might resolve this problem, since it prevents the phone, email, etc, from working but allows the use of other aps. Gotta test it out first, but anyone else have experience?

 

[MARKNABIA]

Any other suggestions for iPhone apps, like a developing timer, etc?

The App Store search function is pretty weak, and it seems like there must be some good photography-related stuff that I'm missing.

Try "Chronology" Great darkroom apps...

 

[LJH]

A little more research informs me that "Airplane Mode" might resolve this problem, since it prevents the phone, email, etc, from working but allows the use of other aps. Gotta test it out first, but anyone else have experience?

That's what I do. No issues at all in Flight mode.

Mind you, I know that the App continues in the background when you do receive a call (i.e. the timer keeps running).

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

With every Iphone, you get a free negative viewer. I like contact sheets myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OUwkNMvOA

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Y'all should warn a brother when you resurrect threads. I started reading the first post and did a double take to make sure I wasn't in the twilight zone....

 

[ChristopherCoy]

With every Iphone, you get a free negative viewer. I like contact sheets myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OUwkNMvOA

Ok this is the ticket! Neatoooo!

 

[jk0592]

When in the darkroom, it is much more convenient to call family members through the iphone than to yell to them from the basement to the 2nd floor!

I now swear by the massive development chart, i now use it all the time, but i put it in "plane mode" just so i do not get called during film development.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I bought the MDC app for Android. I love it, too.