My film scanner died and I will ...

[Sirius Glass]

My film scanner died and I will not be replacing it. I got me a darkroom. Much better. So, so happy.

 

[RPC]

I know my darkroom makes me much happier too. Have fun.

 

[bdial]

Apparently congratulations are in order?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Sure, have a round of drinks. In fact have several rounds of drinks on me.

 

[papagene]

My darkroom is my sanctuary. Congrats on getting one for yourself.

 

[mshchem]

My film scanner died and I will not be replacing it. I got me a darkroom. Much better. So, so happy.

I've got a little Coolscan I got for next to nothing. All I use it for is my Dad's old Kodachrome slides. I gave up long ago with the Microtek, Canon etc. I can make RA-4 prints faster than I can figure out how to calibrate the scanner. I'm done with all the Epson etc. fancy ink jets as well.
Most of my favorite times in photography are centered around my darkroom.

I made up some Kodak F6a hardener from scratch tonight. All my 40 to 70 year old Kodak books claim that hardener, after toning, helps keep the print from sticking to blotters and prevents maring. I'm going to give it a try next time.
Best Regards Mike

 

[Peter Schrager]

Hardener not needed...40 to 70 years films were not pre hardened. .now they are

 

[MattKing]

Hardener is great for prints that have been toned.

I just use the little bottles of Part B that come as part of the package of Kodak Rapid Fixer.

I mix the non-hardening fixer using just the Part A.

The little 3.5 ounce Part B bottles of concentrated hardener I mix up into a working solution of print hardener by diluting them 1+13.

I just wish I could find someone who could give me advice on the working capacity and keeping characteristics for that working solution.

 

[NJH]

My film scanner died and I will not be replacing it. I got me a darkroom. Much better. So, so happy.

I feel the same and mine (KM5400) is in fine working order just stashed out of the way, spending around 10 hours or so every weekend at the moment printing. Only started again after a 25 year hiatus this Christmas but its just so addictive.

Also all that time I wasted scanning and PS negatives just makes me feel a bit sad now on reflection, pretty much the 2nd print I did of one of my favourite negs looks nicer than the PS scan even before exploring masking and printing different areas at different grades or dodging/burning. Also real dodging and burning is much nicer than the heavy handed tools in PS. We could go on and on but the guys who aren't printing in a darkroom I feel really sorry for their loss.

 

[Chris Livsey]

My film scanner died and I will not be replacing it. I got me a darkroom. Much better. So, so happy.

Doesn't seem to be an emoticon for ENVY.

 

[etn]

My film scanner died and I will not be replacing it. I got me a darkroom. Much better. So, so happy.

I'll probably be crucified for saying the following:
Some enlargers can be converted into a repro-stand with some sort of camera adapter. Yours might fall into that category. If you have a DSLR, you can use it to "scan" your negs and slides. A good macro lens can be found for relatively little money, e.g. Nikon 55 AI-S or 60mm AF-D. They are even flat-field, which is perfect for that purpose.

This way you can have your darkroom double as a film scanning rig. No drum-scanner or Flextight quality but good enough for most purposes and certainly comparable to cheap flatbeds.

Congrats on your darkroom. Mine became operational a few weeks ago and I surely share your feelings

 

[JPJackson]

Pictures? Congratulations on getting set up!

 

[Wayne]

My film scanner died and I will not be replacing it. I got me a darkroom. Much better. So, so happy.

Are you sure it wasn't murdered?

 

[LAG]

My film scanner died ...

R.I.P.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I'll probably be crucified for saying the following:
Some enlargers can be converted into a repro-stand with some sort of camera adapter. Yours might fall into that category. If you have a DSLR, you can use it to "scan" your negs and slides. A good macro lens can be found for relatively little money, e.g. Nikon 55 AI-S or 60mm AF-D. They are even flat-field, which is perfect for that purpose.

This way you can have your darkroom double as a film scanning rig. No drum-scanner or Flextight quality but good enough for most purposes and certainly comparable to cheap flatbeds.

Congrats on your darkroom. Mine became operational a few weeks ago and I surely share your feelings

I carefully maintain my home and cars as digital camera free zones. I even operate my car radio in the analog mode despite it flashing a digital light telling me that digital radio is available. When I put the radio on digital it would drop the station and then take 20 to 30 seconds to recover the station and then down the road repeat the drop out cycle. Digital cameras are for spacecraft remote sensing and for sissies.

 

[Terry Breedlove]

Before I got my scanner I was using my iPhone to Photogragh my prints to share online . LOL

 

[Sirius Glass]

I had started on APUG and decided to use the hybrid path. I bought the scanner. I printed about a dozen prints with a stink-jet. The results were not so great. Since the color ink was out, it brought new ink for over $50 and good photo print paper. About twenty prints later the prints were so so, definitely nothing to brag about and I was out of ink. Every time I turned around I was out of ink and the print quality was definitely lacking. I looked on Craig's list and for $250 I got a Super Chromega Dichoric II 5D-XL with 50mm, 80mm and 150mm lenses, that is less then five sets of ink cartridges! The scanner was rarely used and I thing the power brick just died from being left plugging in for years. So today the scanner goes off the the electronic and hazardous waste disposal at UCLA.

 

[etn]

I carefully maintain my home and cars as digital camera free zones. I even operate my car radio in the analog mode despite it flashing a digital light telling me that digital radio is available. When I put the radio on digital it would drop the station and then take 20 to 30 seconds to recover the station and then down the road repeat the drop out cycle. Digital cameras are for spacecraft remote sensing and for sissies.

Congrats I expect you also own a vinyl turntable, don't you?

 

[rthollenbeck]

About twenty prints later the prints were so so, definitely nothing to brag about and I was out of ink. Every time I turned around I was out of ink and the print quality was definitely lacking.

I think there are certain hybrid paths that are worth consideration. Especially because it means not needing to maintain an 8x10 enlarger/and the coresponding space for such a monster. There are truly advantages and disadvantages no mater what choice you make. Mind you, I doubt that digital is any better. I consider myself an analog photographer at heart and so I would love to discuss that here under the scrutiny of other analogies (so to speak). However I've been down that road and it's established dogma here at APUG that digial talk is "flaming" and is off limits.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Congrats I expect you also own a vinyl turntable, don't you?

Yes, actually a Dual turn table that tracks at 0.1 grams.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I think there are certain hybrid paths that are worth consideration. Especially because it means not needing to maintain an 8x10 enlarger/and the coresponding space for such a monster. There are truly advantages and disadvantages no mater what choice you make. Mind you, I doubt that digital is any better. I consider myself an analog photographer at heart and so I would love to discuss that here under the scrutiny of other analogies (so to speak). However I've been down that road and it's established dogma here at APUG that digial talk is "flaming" and is off limits.

I do not maintain an 8"x10" enlarger, I economized with a 4"x5" enlarger. I have the space but not the need for an 8"x10" enlarger. In fact I probably have space for a 16"x20" enlarger but I just never felt the need.

I leave the digital work for ... just look at my signature.

 

[M Carter]

Oooh, I love me some digital for work. Magazine/editorial stuff, product photos, web site stuff. Much happier than the film days for just-straight-reality stuff. I think I've shot 200 huge paintings for a local artist this year, and I remember doing that work with film... no thanks.

I do a lot of corporate video and I freaking love putting my old Nikkors and Canon FL glass on a 4K camera. Really lovely. I love what I can do in After Effects these days, it's insane, the hollywood-level power sitting on my desk. I love going out and doing interviews and meeting new people and hearing their stories (I hate lugging all the damn gear around though). Digital has been good to me.

But I'd retire in a minute and never touch a DSLR again if I could. I'd just spend my days in the darkroom and shooting film.

 

[mshchem]

Hardener is great for prints that have been toned.

I just use the little bottles of Part B that come as part of the package of Kodak Rapid Fixer.

I mix the non-hardening fixer using just the Part A.

The little 3.5 ounce Part B bottles of concentrated hardener I mix up into a working solution of print hardener by diluting them 1+13.

I just wish I could find someone who could give me advice on the working capacity and keeping characteristics for that working solution.

Matt, I don't want to hijack the topic. I have a 1951 Kodak book, says Kodak Liquid Hardener diluted 1+16 used after sepia or brown toning. This is their same recipe for a hardening stop bath. Capacity is vague but it looks like 100 8x10 prints per gallon working solution. The F5a or F6a Hardener stock solution is diluted 2 + 16. Back in the day it sounds like common practice was to make up bulk hypo solutions, if you wanted a hardening fix you took your standard hypo and added hardener solution. I use a belt dryer. I've noticed since I started using just straight Ilford rapid fix, the prints have started sticking to the belt. I never had a problem when I used the old school Kodak powdered fixer. Anyway I've got a ton of old Eastman books and I have found a couple references to using hardener post toning to prevent prints from sticking to belts and blotters.
Now back to... how much I despise scanners and ink jet printers!!
Best Mike

 

[MattKing]

Thanks Mike for the capacity information.

I use it after sepia or brown toning because I see a real difference in the fragility of the emulsion during the final washing and drying steps, although I just air dry my RC prints.

The 1 + 13 recommendation came through APUG. It is reasonably consistent with your suggestion and with the normal dilution recommendation for those who mix up the Part B for hardening fixer.

And boy do I prefer a well toned print over an inkjet print designed to emulate one.

 

[Cholentpot]

I've got my Dark Room all setup and rearing to go. I just need some chems and paper that are from this decade.

I never used a scanner, always used my DSLR to scan...