Philips HUE + Kodak amber filter for a darkroom safelight

[Mike Gonzalez]

I have converted a spare bedroom to a darkroom and I'm in dire need of a safelight that'll provide me with enough lighting to operate my enlarger and whatnot. I'm thinking of making a light-sealed wooden box where I can slide in the Kodak amber filter in front and have a Philips hue bulb inside there that I'll control with my phone and leave on a dim setting. The bulb itself is supposed to be 8.5 W sooo I'm wondering if anyone has anything for me to watch out for? I'm thinking of starting with a coin test once I've bought a filter and made the housing for the bulb.

 

[MattKing]

I have had good results with a 16 foot red LED rope light, but their availability is better at Christmas time!
Whatever you do, you need to do a complete safelight test such as the Kodak version: https://www.kodak.com/uploadedfiles..._motion_products_filter_K4_Safelight_1106.pdf

 

[Patrick Robert James]

You can get a few of these. Most people use red, but a few use the amber.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...equivalent-led-globe-bulb-27-lumens/440/1477/

 

[tezzasmall]

I too use a single red LED bulb as a safe-light and the one bulb is brighter than the previous THREE Paterson safe-lights that I used to use. I'm thinking of getting a second to light another part of my darkroom, but right now it is a little dim but still lit well by the one LED that I have.

Terry S

 

[Jim Jones]

A safelight test that is little more complicated but more informative than the Kodak test cited in post #2 is to first make strips of varying white light exposures in one direction across a piece of photo paper, and then make strips of varying safelight exposures at right angles to the first strips.

In detail, raise the enlarger head to its maximum height and stop the lens down to its minimum opening. There should be no negative in the negative holder. In total darkness place a sheet of fresh paper in the easel. Cover the 1/6 of the bottom of the paper. Make a 1 second exposure. Cover 1/6 more of the paper and make another 1 second exposure. Cover 1/6 more, and make a 2 second exposure. Repeat the process with 8 and 16 second exposures. I find it easier as well as quicker to move the covering material up at the 1, 1, 2, 4, and 8 second intervals. This will also eliminate any error due to the intermittency effect and light lag in the enlarger lamp. Now place the easel and paper under the safelight and cover 1/6 of one side of the paper. Turn the safelight on. After 1 minute, cover another 1/6 of the paper. At additional 1, 2, 4, and 8 minutes expose more 1/6 strips. After 16 minutes of safelight exposure turn off the safelight and develop the paper in darkness.

With your darkroom setup you may not need the longer enlarger and safelight exposures. You may also want more precision than provided by these one stop increments. If so, make the exposure steps of 1, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.4, 3, and 5 units. Yes, that’s too complicated for me, too.

Analyzing the results of this test may aid one in predicting the effect of pre-exposing film or paper to alter the toe of the characteristic curve of those materials. The results of this surprised me.

 

[Pieter12]

I have converted a spare bedroom to a darkroom and I'm in dire need of a safelight that'll provide me with enough lighting to operate my enlarger and whatnot. I'm thinking of making a light-sealed wooden box where I can slide in the Kodak amber filter in front and have a Philips hue bulb inside there that I'll control with my phone and leave on a dim setting. The bulb itself is supposed to be 8.5 W sooo I'm wondering if anyone has anything for me to watch out for? I'm thinking of starting with a coin test once I've bought a filter and made the housing for the bulb.

I don't think you'll need both the color light AND the amber filter. Personally, I'd go with the filter and a low-watt tungsten bulb. I would line or paint the box interior a light color, too.

 

[wiltw]

I have converted a spare bedroom to a darkroom and I'm in dire need of a safelight that'll provide me with enough lighting to operate my enlarger and whatnot. I'm thinking of making a light-sealed wooden box where I can slide in the Kodak amber filter in front and have a Philips hue bulb inside there that I'll control with my phone and leave on a dim setting. The bulb itself is supposed to be 8.5 W sooo I'm wondering if anyone has anything for me to watch out for? I'm thinking of starting with a coin test once I've bought a filter and made the housing for the bulb.

The 8W rating is merely an indication of the ELECTRICITY CONSUMED and has no direct bearing on how BRIGHT/dim the light will be!
For example, an LED which consumes 8W will output as much light as a 60W consuming incandescent bulb...700-800 lumens!
The Kodak Brownie safelight from the 1960's used 7W incandescent 'night light' bulbs with an amber plastic dome. https://www.ebay.com/i/372650135678?chn=ps
The Kodak Darkroom Safelight used a 15W incandescent bulb.

It is the LUMENS that are output which matters for safelights, not the electricity consumed.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I have converted a spare bedroom to a darkroom and I'm in dire need of a safelight that'll provide me with enough lighting to operate my enlarger and whatnot. I'm thinking of making a light-sealed wooden box where I can slide in the Kodak amber filter in front and have a Philips hue bulb inside there that I'll control with my phone and leave on a dim setting. The bulb itself is supposed to be 8.5 W sooo I'm wondering if anyone has anything for me to watch out for? I'm thinking of starting with a coin test once I've bought a filter and made the housing for the bulb.

I find the coin test sufficient and reliable. start with a few coins on a fresh piece of paper and remove after 1,2,4,8,16 minutes.then,develop and process normally. this should give you a pretty good idea about the 'safe' time.

 

[MattKing]

The critical thing about the Kodak version of the test is that it tests both pre-exposure and post-exposure safelight fogging.
It takes a fair amount of time to do, but it is worth it.