Changing Up My Darkroom and Home Studio

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Nokton48

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Slate New James Bright 8x8 foot Background CFV16 100mm CT Star F11 Octobox 150 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I bought this James Bright Background "Slate" on Ebay, it was 10 foot by 20 foot. So I took it outside, and spread it out in the sun. Folded it over on itself to make two equal pieces, and cut it in two. Then measured two feet in on one side, and cut both backgrounds down to eight feet. Then using Gaffer Tape, taped one end securely to my background holding rod. Then rolled it up tightly and installed it to hang from the studio ceiing, along with my other muslin and paper backgrounds. This is lighting test Hasselblad 500C/M with CFV16 Digital Back, and 100mm CT* Zeiss Planar. Lighting by Broncolor Octobox 150 powered by Opus A2 1600J setting. F11 at ISO 100 recorded by my Broncolor Strobe Meter. The other background is folded up, I'll be using it elsewhere. Very good price for what I paid. I like this new background it'll get some use.
 
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Nokton48

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CFV16 30MM BLACK TSTAR DISTAGON EI F11 500CM by Nokton48, on Flickr

This Curved Beauty Reflector arrived months ago, yesterday I took out the pieces, and assembled it! It is lightweight, kind of big, but creates that nice beautiful catchlight in beauty shots. Since I'm getting all my Beauty Reflectors shored up, making this up makes good sense too. Hasselblad 500C/M 30mm black C T* Distagon Fisheye at F11. Broncolor Octobox 150 Supplemental Diffusion, Opus A2 1600J exposure. Good to use the Fishy Lens again.
James Bright Background.
 
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Nokton48

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CFV16 120mm f5.6 S-Planar C TStar Zeiss Proxar .5 Polarizer by Nokton48, on Flickr


Testing "floating" in blackness on FOBA glass sweep table. Hasselblad 500C/M with Zeiss 120mm f5.6 S-Planar with Zeiss .5 Proxar lens and Hasselblad Polarizer (rotated to eliminate reflections). CFV16 Hasselblad Digital Back (16MP) Broncolor Hazylight suspended overhead.
 
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Nokton48

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New Godox to Pulso Ceiling Storage works great by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I've wanted to mount some of my bigger Pulso Reflectors to the ceiling, Broncolor makes a Pulso Mount, it's quite expensive. I bought three Godox to Pulso Metal/Plastic Adapters $30 each. Mounted to a strip of wood, stores away the bulky heads but keeps them out of the way and at hand. I may make a few more of these to store away some of my other big bulky heads. That's from the left, my Pulso Silver Beauty Light with Honeygrids tight grid. Center is a Broncolor P45 degree with Broncolor Barn Doors. And on the right, an older Broncolor Pulsoflex 60x60 Soft Box. All nicely stored out of the way now. And I don't hit my head on any of them
 
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Nokton48

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New to me 3000J Broncolor Ringlight Olde Version AOK by Nokton48, on Flickr


I popped this new to me Big Broncolor Ringlight at 1600J a few times, it's working perfectly. Love it and it's basically an on-camera fill light, adjustable angle, and up to 3000J in one pop. Beeg Flashtube safely covered. This unit has seen little use and was quite a bargain. Balloon Below camera left, Broncolor Hazy overhead 1600J. Nex 7 50mm Zeiss Touit. Foba DIMIL Sweep Table tempered glass covered with architectural Vellum.
 
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Nokton48

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Six Godox Pulso Adapters suspending six Broncolor Relflectors by Nokton48, on Flickr

I really like how this is working out. Now I have six Godox to Broncolor Pulso Adapters screwed strongly to ceiling joists. Gets these bulky reflectors out of the way, yet they are right at hand. Opens up the studio space, not having them piled all around the studio. And plenty of room I'm not feeling crowded at all. In the front set, from the left, Broncolor P70 with Grid and Barndoors. Then a P65 sized Universal Blue with modern P65 Grid which fits perfectly. Finally on the front right, my Octobox 75, up and out of the way, but ready to easily take down to use. A lot of work to build two of these, but work that needed to be done.
 
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Nokton48

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Studio Renovation well equipped by Nokton48, on Flickr

Picked up two Broncolor Striplight Grids, have wanted a pair for a while. Also a Grid for the Octobox 150 is on it's way too. Studio is coming well together and well equiped. Getting more organized as I get everything boxed up and labeled. Plenty of shelf space available. There is a steel rolling shelf with my new Olde Macbook Pro, and cameras I use all the time. Below boxed up is all my Hasselblad stuff well organized. The 2009 Broncolor cool calendar was an internal only thing I was told, found this copy on Etsy.
 

Pieter12

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Studio or warehouse?
 
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Nokton48

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Some of my photo friends have said it's a photographic museum. LOL. It has more shooting space than appears here. Three different areas I photograph in fairly regularly.
 
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Nokton48

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Broncolor Olde Ringlight CFV16 60mm F13.5 Apus A2 6.5 by Nokton48, on Flickr



Back to the 1980's My stand-in "Shirley" gets the high fashion light treatment LOL. Broncolor Olde Ringlight, connected to Apus A2 Pack at 6.5 power, gets me F13.5 with the CFV16 Hasselblad Back at Ei 50. Distinctive ringlight shadows behind, this will be great for me as a frontal "fill" light. 60mm F3.5 C T* Distagon Anniversary 500C/M. Love it.
 
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RalphLambrecht

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AgX said:
In a similar situation of an Apug-fellow there was critique on the open cealing, with danger of dust coming through or from withing the ceiling.
Hard for me to evaluate.

What are those black tubes in wooden holder in the tanks rack?
Click to expand...

Your're off to a good start;make getting cold and warm water into and oout of the room a priority, otherwise, you'll regret it.
 
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Nokton48

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HI Ralph,
I have a large square Kreonite Printing Plate Washing Sink I bought for $40 (basement of MPEX) I had a Contractor plumb in and carpenter. Develop a lot of film in that sink.

In the other side, I have an 8 Foot Plastic Delta Darkroom Sink I dragged out of a Friend's garage for $50, it was hanging out the end of my car, roped in, to get it home. A Contractor plumbed that in, I made a sturdy base out of plywood and 2x4's.

The "Laboratory Rack" my former repairman made me to hold eight 4x5 Black Plumbing Pipe Developing Tubes. I fill the bottom cap with Developer, then load the tubes with film in the dark. Then I can flip them over and develop like using a BZTS tubes type system.
 
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Nokton48

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Plaubel Makina II 21cm Telephoto Hyperfocused Kentmere Push 800 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Plaubel Makina II with 21cm Makina II Telephoto, focused per the instructions from Plaubel (translated from German). Yellow Plaubel Filter and Plaubel Lens Hood. Viewfinder fitted with Makina II Black 21cm Mask. Kentmere EI 800, processed to EI 1600. 5x7 Silver Print on Arista #2 RC, developed in Ansco 130 1:3. Nex7 50mm Zeiss Touit, Broncolor Impact Strobes at 45 degrees camera left and right. Polarizer on Touit, and on the strobes as well.
 
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Nokton48

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SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Hated to throw away these Olde Universal Strobe Outer Cans, so I recycled them into Overhead Can lights. Shown with Olde Broncolor Calendar I kinda like.
 
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Nokton48

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Standard Makiflex N51 Russian 21cm f4.5 F8 9x12cm Ortho D23 8x10 Arista Ansco 130 by Nokton48, on Flickr


Several years ago I loaded a number of 9x12cm RADA Normalfalz Metal Cassettes, with Kodak 9x12cm Film Inserts. Ilford Ortho 50 9x12cm. Bought five or six types of 9x12 sheet film in a bundle from PhotoImpex in Berlin. Standard Plaubel Makiflex with 21cm f4.5 Russian N51 at F8, blisteringly hot Summer Day, Maki on Manfrotto Jumbo Ball Head, and Manfrotto Legs. Plaubel Makiflex 9x12cm Metal Cassette Film Back, it's a bail back with metal "hooks" to hold the cassete flat. Light leak evident, from now on loaded cassettes go into light proof black plastic bags! This holder was exposed to normal room lights for several years. So I have learned a lesson.. Test could have used more depth of field, but the lens passes the test, I like it! I focused on the base of the tree and it's sharp.
 
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Nokton48

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Studio Organized Heads Monolights Tested and Labeled Mac Tethered by Nokton48, on Flickr

All of my Broncolor Strobe Heads and Monolights have been throughly tested, two Power Packs replaced. All equipment boxed and labeled, easy to find everything now. Olde Mac Pre-2013, hooked to Hasselblad CFV16 Digital Back and functioning well. Need a large mousepad for the rolling steel work table. Hasselblad stuff is boxed down below. You can see I finally got a Grid for my Octobox 150! Love it. I tried three times to buy a used one from Adorama, the webpage was jacked up, they sent three times another Octobox 150! which I sent back each time. Finally ordered one direct from Broncolor. Oh Well. You can also see my Olde Beauty light on the Manfrotto Boom Arm, over the top of the Octobox, ready to use, leave it set up all the time.
 

MattKing

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Do you have shares in the corporation that makes those plastic bins?!
By the way, my wife likes how much organization you do!
 
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Nokton48

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MattKing said:
Do you have shares in the corporation that makes those plastic bins?!
By the way, my wife likes how much organization you do!
Click to expand...

Hi Matt!

Nope, but I get an 11% rebate from Menards, which I use to get free stuff there.
The small boxes are my preference, they are a bit over Three US Bucks each, I was buying them in stacks that would fit in my car. But NOW I can find things!! Rubbermaid makes good stuff, I looked at much more expensive bins, but I don't need to move these around or anything like that. Cheap Cheap IMO
 
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Nokton48

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Last week I made an offer and it was accepted. $12,000 USA Olde catalog prices, for a bit under $1000. Two top of the line Pulso Focusing Heads 3200J and two brand new Black P70's. This turned out to be the Grafit A4 PLUS, which could potentially be controlled from my Olde Pre 2013 Macbook Pro. Designed for digital shooting, three completely adjustable ports, adjustable flash duration and color temperature as well. Quite a step up from my Primo Apus and Pulso Packs. Much newer possibly too. The pack arrived Fedex DOA, no go at all. And one of the heads is shutting all the packs I plug into it, don't want to mess with it. And, the 3200J UV Coated Glass dome broke off the the base. Glazers is sending replacements, I'm exchanging it, now finally all shipped out. I think this will be a game changer for me, as I get interested in Olde CCD Digital Backs. Also affordable and much fun to play with. And there is always film. Another Broncolor Bonanza.
 
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