Hi from Rochdale

[Graeme]

Hi all,

I was introduced to APUG by Cheryl Jacobs. I have been lurking for a while as I cannot post as currently I am digital (Canon 300D). I am a student of the NYIP and currently working on unit 4. However, I have developed a love for Black and White and have realised I cannot reach the standard I want to achieve digitally and want to "progress" on to film. I realise that to shoot black and white film and have it process and printed commercially is a waste of time and money and I guess I just need a little persuasion to take the plunge and buy a darkroom.

My local Photography shop has a second hand darkroom with a Meopta Optemus? enlarger for sale for £100.00.

Should I?

Can anyone convince me?

Is there anyone local to me in Lancashire/Greater Manchester who can show me the ropes and get me started?

Regards

Graeme

 

[BarryWilkinson]

Hello Graham,

Welcome

There are huge amounts of darkroom equipment being sold on eb*y UK. Have a look there first.

Barry
London UK

 

[Cheryl Jacobs]

Graeme -

(**** Plunge, plunge! ****)

Good to see you here! It's a great place to learn. It's not a bad idea to check eb*y, but really, however you do it will work just fine. Film B&W is a whole different animal, and it's incredibly satisfying (at least for me) to create prints with my hands rather than my computer.

- CJ

 

[Dave Miller]

Hi all,

I was introduced to APUG by Cheryl Jacobs. I have been lurking for a while as I cannot post as currently I am digital (Canon 300D). I am a student of the NYIP and currently working on unit 4. However, I have developed a love for Black and White and have realised I cannot reach the standard I want to achieve digitally and want to "progress" on to film. I realise that to shoot black and white film and have it process and printed commercially is a waste of time and money and I guess I just need a little persuasion to take the plunge and buy a darkroom.

My local Photography shop has a second hand darkroom with a Meopta Optemus? enlarger for sale for £100.00.

Should I?

Can anyone convince me?

Is there anyone local to me in Lancashire/Greater Manchester who can show me the ropes and get me started?

Regards

Graeme

Barry's advice is sound, however I doubt that you will go far wrong in buying the set-up that your local shop is selling, I'm sure they will come down on the price if you show a little interest, and you should end up with everything you need to get going immediatly.
The Yorkshire Monochrome Group meets not too far away from you. I recommend that you book a place at their next meeting. Check their web site for details, they are a good bunch that always mount a good days entertainment:
Dead Link Removed

Apart from all that welcome.

 

[roteague]

I was introduced to APUG by Cheryl Jacobs. I have been lurking for a while as I cannot post as currently I am digital (Canon 300D). I am a student of the NYIP and currently working on unit 4. However, I have developed a love for Black and White and have realised I cannot reach the standard I want to achieve digitally and want to "progress" on to film. I realise that to shoot black and white film and have it process and printed commercially is a waste of time and money and I guess I just need a little persuasion to take the plunge and buy a darkroom.

Graeme,

Welcome from the great state of Hawaii. I hope you enjoy your time here, and I hope you learn a lot. I think for me, it's not how much I have learned here, but how much I have been inspired. As for the darkroom equipment, if it is not out of your budget, it would be worth purchasing, even if it is just for the experience you gain from using the equipment.

 

[FrankB]

Hi Graeme and welcome,

The kit you've been offered sounds pretty good but there is a lot of choice out there at the moment and you would be well advised to look around before deciding that this is the right deal for you. Ebay is one option, but also check out Loot and the local small ads.

I'm not familiar with the NYIP; could you supply a little more detail?

I got started on an NCFE Practical Photography course at my local college. I arrived wanting to learn how to shoot, not interested in processing and printing and three months later I bought a secondhand darkroom...! It'd be worth checking whether the course still has trad darkroom on it, but now is the perfect time of year to opt in.

All the best for your endeavours and I look forward to seeing your work in the galleries when you get your feet on the ground.

Regards,

Frank

 

[roteague]

I'm not familiar with the NYIP; could you supply a little more detail?

New York Institute of Photography - a mail order course here in the US.

http://www.nyip.com/

 

[TPPhotog]

Welcome to the group and YES go out and buy yourself an enlarger!

I can recommend the Meopta's and several others here use them also. You'll get plenty of advice and all the help you need from everyone here, so you have no excuse not to take the leap. There you go sales pitch over so do you want that wrapped or take it as it is?

Tony

 

[FrankB]

I should have also mentioned that the NCFE PP course is an evening class, not a full time course.

 

[BWGirl]

Welcome Graeme!

It's sooo nice to hear that you are becoming enchanted with B&W! I think that once you develop a roll of film, you will start to be hooked...then...when you see your first print start to appear in the developer...well...can you say "Nirvana"???

Welcome aboard!
Jeanette

 

[Flotsam]

The internet is a great resource in these times of dwindling availability of traditional materials but I always give the local merchants or sellers first crack at a sale.

Spend some time hanging around here and you will be a Luddite Elitist (or at least be called one), in no time.

 

[Graeme]

Thanks all. What a friendly bunch!

I'm almost convinced. I guess I know already that I am going to buy the darkroom stuff. That's the way I am. Once I get something like this in my mind, it won't go away until I've done it.

So can anyone advise a good starting point. Which film? Which Paper? which chemicals? I have recently acquired a Pentax MZ50 so will be shooting 35mm........For Now......(The next thing creeping into my mind is a Bronica... No! No! stop it! AAAArgh

Graeme

 

[papagene]

PSSSSSSSSSSSSST, go for the Bronica!
Since you are thinking MF now, I would suggest an enlarger that would handle that size. Check out the archives, there is plenty of info on what enlargers to buy there.
And there is plenty of ongoing talk about films, papers and chemicals here.
Don't be afraid - take the plunge! You'll be glad you did.
Gppd luck.
gene

 

[sparx]

Welcome Graeme. I have just bought a Meopta Opimus 6 for £10. By all accounts a good enlarger and it take me through my 35mm phase up to 645 and 6x6 so worth getting. Also have the word bronica buzzing through my head at the mo but can't decide on SQ or ETR but thats for another thread!

 

[FrankB]

Quick plug for the LPL 7700. Handles 35mm up to 6x7, pretty well screwed together, readily available in the UK...

More importantly, get yourself a good lens - Nikkor EL or Schneider tend to be names to look for.

 

[Joe Symchyshyn]

Greetings from Canada!

My suggestion... If you're serious about doing your own printing is to buy the best enlarger you can afford.

If you're planning on doing medium format, even down the road... and have room, look into 4x5 enlargers. The stability afforded by a larger chasis is well worth the extra money. I'm on my third and last enlarger... First a 35mm, then a medium format, and now a large format chasis than I can do up to 8x10 if I choose. (I wish I'd put the money from the first two into the third right from the start)

Good luck in your quest,

joe

 

[Adrian Twiss]

Graeme

Hello and welcome. I'm based in Wigan myself and have found this forum to be one of the finest of its kind. Not only is there a wealth of knowledge but a very high standard of correspondence that makes browsing through the posts a real pleasure. I have owned an opemus in the past and can recommend them.

However (shameless commercial plug coming up), I have a spare Kaiser VP6006 which I want to sell. It will probably come with a 50mm and 80mm lens and wall mounting kit. More expensive than the Opemus but a belting piece of kit.

Drop me a line at avtwiss@ukonline.co.uk if you are slightly intrigued.