Buying film from overseas...

[gamincurieux]

Never mind holding the filter under the lens, you'll tire of that before you know it Molli - what about an Ilford Multigrade under-the-lens filter kit? It has the filter holder that you secure easily around the lens somewhere, pop whichever filter you want in and its 'Look Ma, no hands'! They pop up often enough on Ebay... matter of fact I'm gonna take a look right now. Then, with that you can just get yourself one kind of paper, Multigrade, easy

 

[wotalegend]

I'm still in.

 

[Molli]

I actually did look on eBay just a short while ago (they're $80 at Freestyle). It's an item that's simply out of my league. Don't forget, I haven't even bought black and white film yet!

 

[Molli]

I'm still in.

Excellent! Would everyone like to start handing in their shopping lists and I'll compile it all at Freestyle and see what we end up with?
Mine keeps changing (don't shop when you have an electricity bill sitting on your bench waiting to be paid - it makes you scrimp on the important stuff!)

 

[gamincurieux]

Mm, alrighty. Could probably make a below-lens holder easy enough...

 

[Molli]

I could probably make something myself but, to be honest, I've no idea where one would attach such a thing. Anyway, as far as printing goes, even though I've now been blessed with an enlarger, I've still a long way to go before I'd have everything needed for a darkroom and I've still yet to figure out where in this house I could set it up anyway. (Having said that, I still picked up a safelight yesterday )
So, for now, best I just work my way towards getting everything I need to a) take photos and b) develop the film.

 

[w9cae]

I could probably make something myself but, to be honest, I've no idea where one would attach such a thing. Anyway, as far as printing goes, even though I've now been blessed with an enlarger, I've still a long way to go before I'd have everything needed for a darkroom and I've still yet to figure out where in this house I could set it up anyway. (Having said that, I still picked up a safelight yesterday )
So, for now, best I just work my way towards getting everything I need to a) take photos and b) develop the film.

Molli I have all my darkroom stuff on an Ikea cart. Works great for storage & easy to roll into my bathroom & my enlarger has a nice level spot on top.

 

[Molli]

I thought of something along those lines - saw a nifty do it yourself instruction guide for making a trolley with storage areas in it for both wet and dry sides of the process as well as a great light safe drawer for your paper. I really like the idea. The problem I'm having is that the only room that seems viable is the laundry but there's no ventilation whatsoever. Given that I've never had so much as a whiff of hypo, would chemical fumes be that much of a problem? Before anyone goes suggesting major cosmetic changes to the building structure here, I'm renting, so that's out. Wherever I eventually set up, I'm going to have to invest in either lots of blackout material or something of the like but, yes, I keep reading about needing proper ventilation and this house just doesn't seem to want to comply on that count.

 

[w9cae]

My brother went right off on me not having the fan running & me coming out of the bathroom like clubber @ an underground party. So the ventilation is needed.

Bunnings has some great plastic very cheap that is total black out.

My Ikea cart isnt so luxurious but the empty wire racks do a great job drying my prints.

Even opening the laundry window should be fine for ventilation using the Bunnings black builders plastic. You might have to put one layer with some holes & another loose layer.

 

[Molli]

Thank you! That is very helpful to know. Totally novice here, in case that's not readily apparent.

 

[w9cae]

Thank you! That is very helpful to know. Totally novice here, in case that's not readily apparent.

I am still learning also. The best book's I have found are old 1940's era.

You should come to the MCC Melbourne Camera Club the print makers group. March is when a new developing & printing class starts. And being a MCC member give's you access to lots of help & facilities.

 

[gamincurieux]

I've just come home and opened the drawer of my desk to throw something in .... and guess what I found in there?? A bloody under-the-lens filter holder!! I can't believe it!! I must've gotten it ages ago thrown in with something else, I really don't remember what nor when though. I have absolutely no use for it whatsoever, really, so I'm gonna send it down to you Molli, all you need to do then is get your hands on a set of filters & cut em to 6.5cm square, they'll slot right in there, perfect! I'd attach a pic of it here but don't know how (it says enter URL of image but it isn't on the web anywhere, it's just here on my computer!)...

 

[Molli]

Paul, you're a gem! Freestyle has filters for about $8 and eBay has used ones for even less, so I might even be able to afford that!
Tell me, did APG just skim through Victoria, Australia and find only the nice people to join? I can't believe how helpful and generous you've all been. Thank YOU!

 

[Molli]

I am still learning also. The best book's I have found are old 1940's era.

You should come to the MCC Melbourne Camera Club the print makers group. March is when a new developing & printing class starts. And being a MCC member give's you access to lots of help & facilities.

I'd agree on the books I've gotten my hands on a great many that have been really helpful and they're all at least 20 years old and more. Someone loaned me one yesterday, actually. My only problem is when, like the book I have beside me, a lot of the steps in processing no longer apply because of improvements in technology, chemicals, films and papers but, otherwise, they're a fantastic resource and it's very nice not to be getting bogged down with someone telling me everything I never needed to know about pixel resolution!

The Camera Club sounds great but, aside from being a fair distance away, joining this forum is my big step towards sociability these days! Actually mingling with real, living, breathing-somewhere-near-me human beings is a tad further afield than my courage will take me!

 

[gamincurieux]

By the way, it attaches to the lens itself (I think!), it fits over the lens and attaches by way of 3 inward-pointing rubber-ended screws.

Just tried it on mine, it won't go on, though that's no surprise because of Durst's dumb design whereby the 50mm lens board is sooooo recessed that the lens itself almost disappears up inside it (so much that, depending on the lens, I have trouble changing or seeing the aperture). I doubt it'd be a problem with any other kind of enlarger, or yours.

Anyway, in theory that's how it works, it attaches to the lens barrel and the filter sits inside it just under the lens.

 

[gamincurieux]

My pleasure Molli, put it to good use

 

[w9cae]

The MCC has been around for over a 100 years and will be there when you feel comfortable to visit them. Some MCC members are here on APUG too.

 

[Molli]

I might have the same problem here. There's only enough of the lens protruding to access the aperture ring, no solid, non-moving barrel section to attach anything to... although I may very well be wrong. As we've established, it's not as though I know what I'm talking about!

If it works, here's a close up:

 

[Molli]

oops, a tad oversized. Sorry!

w9cae, ah well, since they haven't missed my presence in all of that time, I'm guessing another month or year won't hurt to absent myself

 

[gamincurieux]

How do you attach a photo??? I don't get it..

I see what you mean though, same as here.... am experimenting with it...

 

[Molli]

I used an almost forgotten photobucket account. If you want somewhere to stick photos so they'll show up in your posts, you're more than welcome to use it. This is the first time I've accessed it in about two years. I just had it for storing photos for my friends' bands when I was doing stuff for their websites. Anyway, let me know if you want access to an online junk folder. Then all you need to do is go to photobucket.com, sign in with the username and password, which I'll give you, and when you click on the image insertion button, just cut and paste the url into the pop up. It takes less time to do than to explain it

 

[gamincurieux]

Sure I'll give it a go, PM me the login details if you prefer..

 

[Molli]

Just in case you don't get notification via APUG, PM sent

 

[gamincurieux]

 

[gamincurieux]

It hasn't bloody worked, has it....