Safelights, any recommendations?

Tori · Mar 13, 2007

I'm redoing my darkroom and want to buy a new safelight. If you could have your dream safelight, what would it be and why is it so great. I appreciate any responses, I've lost my mind trying to find any recent articles about this on the web. Thanks!

Loose Gravel · Mar 13, 2007

I recently redid my darkroom. I went with lots of standard (5x7 and 10x12) with low wattage bulbs, lower than normal, 15W. I have 6 or 7 safelights in a 9 x 12 darkroom. This give nice light and the corners are not dark or shadowy, but I don't get much light directly under the enlarger. Most of the walls are very dark except by the sink where they are white. I'd like to change some of the bulbs to red LED bulbs as I did have some foggy with some papers and ortho film. On some of the safelights that I use for ortho film I have extra #25 red lighting gel to clean it up and darken down.

jgjbowen · Mar 13, 2007

Look at the Thomas Safelight and the Zone VI led safelight. Both are available on the Bay

Jim Jones · Mar 13, 2007

If you use incandescent bulbs in your safelights, have a dimmer in the circuit. It's handy for ortho film and very long print exposures.

Mark Fisher · Mar 13, 2007

I have red LED bulbs in my darkroom now, but I used to use amber Optiled LED bulbs. They both seem pretty darn safe with the papers I use (red for the Forte paper I use).

Here are a couple of sources:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=MR16

http://www.lightworld.com/optiled/index.asp?id=4

I suspect that the amber ones from lightworld would be fine too, but I have not tested them......they are much cheaper ($10!) so I'd give it a try.

Snapshot · Mar 16, 2007

Hey, does anyone know if those 15w florescent bulbs are safe to use as replacements in systems that use standard 15w bulbs. My understanding they would not but confirmation would be nice.

Don Grindstaff · Mar 16, 2007

Snapshot, I use the compact fluorescents in 2 5x7 Dorans and an 8x12 Kodak with no problems. They (the bulbs) are much brighter per watt, so look for equivalences marks on package or get much smaller lower wattage bulbs. Mine work excellent, generate almost no heat and with a 4500 hour life will last forever.

If you rig a dimmer you must use standard incandescent bulbs rheostat dimmers blow florescent bulbs or cause them to fail to start and dramatically shorten there lifes.

Snapshot · Mar 16, 2007

Don Grindstaff said:
Snapshot, I use the compact fluorescents in 2 5x7 Dorans and an 8x12 Kodak with no problems. They (the bulbs) are much brighter per watt, so look for equivalences marks on package or get much smaller lower wattage bulbs. Mine work excellent, generate almost no heat and with a 4500 hour life will last forever.

If you rig a dimmer you must use standard incandescent bulbs rheostat dimmers blow florescent bulbs or cause them to fail to start and dramatically shorten there lifes.

Thanks. Now, I just have to find a florescent bulb that's rated for 15W.

Dave Starr · Mar 16, 2007

Mark Fisher said:
I have red LED bulbs in my darkroom now, but I used to use amber Optiled LED bulbs. They both seem pretty darn safe with the papers I use (red for the Forte paper I use).

I'm using one Optiled red-amber in mine. My darkroom's 10x11, and I've got the bulb mounted near the ceiling about 8ft from the enlarger and the end of the sink where the developer tray is. It lights the whole room quite well.

Tori · Mar 16, 2007

Thanks to everyone for the advice, and Mark, thanks so much for the links!

Safelights, any recommendations?

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