Temporarily moving back to Warsaw: Qs

Vilk · Sep 20, 2012

Czolem Warszawiacy,

I will be going back to my town for extended periods, planning to take part of my workflow with me (not to be buried under a pile of rolls when I get back to my darkroom). I haven't "darkroomed" in Warsaw for 30 years--therefore, a few questions...

1. Is the Stodola camera show stil on?
2. Can you get HP5+, DD-X and Rapid Fixer there (or anywhere else) without a problem?
3. What's the water quality? Hard and spotty? Soft and smooth?
4. Any good B&W labs, with film scanning services?

All input appreciated, the more recent the info the better!

Buziaki!
Vilk

PS. Anyone up for a mug of mulled poltorak at Pasieka?

Vilk · Sep 21, 2012

ok, the first round on me

Jeff L · Sep 21, 2012

This may be old news for you but there's a Flickr Polish Analog Group. They may have some answers.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/polishanalogue/pool/with/7386181044/#photo_7386181044

himself · Sep 21, 2012

hey,

Stodola is still there (Sunday 'till 14:00), and I'm not sure what it was like last time you were there, but prices are quite high. You should be able to get what you need there tho'. There's also a photo store near Rondo ONZ called Czarno Biale http://www.czarno-biale.pl/sklep/ that has a lot of chemicals and film, probably the best I found. They should do scaning too, other than that there's the chain ProfiLab which I never had good relations with, but you might get better results, there's one behind the Empik on Marszalkowska.

The bad news is the water is terrible, very hard and spotty, full of heay metals too - you can almost taste it.

Hope that helps.

Vilk · Sep 21, 2012

Gentlemen, just what I was looking for, thanks infinite!

Good to hear about Stodola (I'm staying at Batorego ), even better to know there's backup. The prices are high indeed, but I should be able to sustain it for a short while; water quality may turn out into a success story, too--if I leave my mom a nice filtering system as a souvenir!

Overall, looking forward to giving it a try. (OK, I'll bring some X-Ray bags, too, in case it doesn't work out.)

Thanks again!
Vilk

himself · Sep 21, 2012

so that's perfect then. I used to live on Dąbrowskiego so know the area and can confirm the water is so bad... 5ltr bottles of water are cheap tho

forgot to mention it was 4.50zl to get into stodola in June, so I imagine it should be the same now.

Vilk · Sep 21, 2012

which side of niepodleglosci? my school was the 37, at narbutta

himself · Sep 21, 2012

I was on the oppo side, but I know the place. was yours that soviet still building?

Vilk · Sep 22, 2012

you mean the school? yeah, it was early 1950s vintage. i visited it last year--pretty gloomy, begging to be used as a movie set... or at least a model shoot location!

Trask · Sep 22, 2012

I was in Warsaw about 7 months ago for a conference, and found time to do the Stodola show and to visit Czarno Biale. I didn't find anything of particular interest at the show, though I was tempted by a few Russian lenses. But who doesn't like going to a camera show, if only to see what's going on locally and meet some people? I don't speak Polish, and the lady in C-B didn't have strong English, but we managed to communicate just fine, and I walked away with some developers, including a pouch of D-74 by Calbe -- haven't tried it yet.

I also managed to catch a concert at the national concert hall, and drink some terribly rich chocolate. All in all, I enjoyed the visit!

himself · Sep 22, 2012

could be, but i only ever saw the outside and like a few places, it's grey-ness was a bit overwhelming.

trask,

Stodola is ok, but it depends on your timing, I've been there and there's been nothing there and other weeks there's all sorts of interesting stuff, pricey tho'.

the chocolate - Wedel hot chocolate cafe by any chance?

Vilk · Sep 22, 2012

naaaaah, he wouldn't be calling the wedel swill "rich" is the wawel store still there in the dom bez kantow on krakowskie? now, that is euro-class choco!

himself · Sep 22, 2012

yep, it's still there.

never heard anyone claim wavel is better than wedel.
this is confusing...

Vilk · Sep 22, 2012

i'm addicted to danusie, if that explains anything...

anyway, i'll be there in a month or so, ready to prove wawel's superiority if you're around!

himself · Sep 23, 2012

that would explain it.
I never really liked either to be honest - too nutty

I'm not going to be there until maybe christmas time now, even if then, so maybe some other time eh

Trask · Sep 23, 2012

It was Wedel -- I tried this chocolate drink you could stand up a spoon in. Like drinking a chocolate bar -- too rich for me! But I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the place, and a Polish military officer there with his son saw my Leica III and came over to talk about photography. Great time.

himself · Sep 24, 2012

I really like chocolate, but I couldn't swallow one of those things, even with the glass of water.

doktor · Sep 24, 2012

Stodala is working and You can finad in the main hall, on the right side a guy (usually with his daughter) selling filns, papers and dev. They are afv.pl, so You can can make a choice on the net and get it in the weekend. Another guy is on the right side just after You enter.
BW in cold process You can bet in Czarno Białe or at ProfiLab (main office ul. Dzika). Mentioned Foto Relax at the back of empik is not developing in cold process any more, but c41 or scanning/prints You can get for sure.

jvo · Sep 24, 2012

sounds like you folks are gonna have a lot of fun! makes one want to tag along!

himself · Sep 24, 2012

doktor said:
Mentioned Foto Relax at the back of empik is not developing in cold process any more, but c41 or scanning/prints You can get for sure.

oops, that's the one... sorry to profilab.
wasn't one of their's near Hala Mirowska, but if I remember correct that was gone in June?

doktor · Sep 25, 2012

Nop, Profilab has a big store on Dzika and the one near Hala Mirowska is still existing, but is not as big as it was before. More complicated stuff (including cold proces or non-machine prints) is settled on Dzika. But for cold process, maybe the better way is do it by yourself?
Answering the question not asked: It's not true, water in Vistula is not capable to develop a BW film.

himself · Sep 25, 2012

oh for sure it's better to do it yourself, scanning would be ok tho'.

you could use the water but it's a bit hard don't you think?

Temporarily moving back to Warsaw: Qs

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