I have never used the Ilford Pop-Up Darkroom, but if you just intend to use it for developing film, then I'd probably just buy a dark bag and some daylight developing tanks instead. If you are also going to make wet prints, then the Pop-Up darkroom could be useful.
Could you recommend me some of the daylight developing tanks? I would like to experiment with making wet prints. I would be doing all of this in a room which has two windows. An alternative I had thought about is getting some lightproof curtains to cover those windows although am unsure of how lightproof the curtains actually are to seal off the light in this room. Would you know of any by chance? Thanks!
The Paterson tanks/reels seem to be pretty popular:
Jobo is another very popular and flexible system. I use Jobo 1500 series tanks and reels for developing my film and love them.
Jobo 1520 UniTank with 1501 Reel
Buy Jobo 1520 UniTank with 1501 Reel featuring Includes One 1501 Multi-Format Reel, For Up to Two Rolls of 35mm or 120, Supports Inversion or Rotation Processes, Plastic Design, Light-Sealed, Daylight Tank, Expandable with Optional 1530 Accessory. Review Jobo nullwww.bhphotovideo.com
Some people prefer stainless reels/tanks. If you go that route, the Hewes reels are considered by many to be the best:
Hewes 35mm Stainless Steel Developing Reel
Buy Hewes 35mm Stainless Steel Developing Reel featuring Durable, Easy-to-Load, Handy Sprocket Tabs, Superbly Engineered. Review Hewes nullwww.bhphotovideo.com
You can find used steel tanks from brands like Nikor on eBay for reasonable prices.
I personally find Jobo reels easier to load than steel reels, but that's just me.
To black out my darkroom space, I installed 6 mil plastic material over the windows. No light penetrates that material.
Delta 1 Black Out Heavy 6 Mil Plastic Opaque Material 4 ft.x 16 ft. Roll
Buy Delta 1 Black Out Heavy 6 Mil Plastic Opaque Material 4 ft.x 16 ft. Roll Review Delta 1 nullwww.bhphotovideo.com
There are many blackout drapes/blinds sold on Amazon that claim 100% opacity, but I've never personally tried them.
I used black gaffer's tape. It doesn't allow light to penetrate and is very sticky. The only issue is, if left up for too long, t can be difficult to remove without removing some paint along with it. One thing you could try is to use painter's tape first (which is not generally lightproof) and then put the gaffer's tape over it. That should make it lightproof and it will be easier to remove since it won't be stuck directly to the paint.A question I have is what sort of lightproof tape do you use to adhere these to the wall so that they don’t fall?
I used black gaffer's tape. It doesn't allow light to penetrate and is very sticky. The only issue is, if left up for too long, t can be difficult to remove without removing some paint along with it. One thing you could try is to use painter's tape first (which is not generally lightproof) and then put the gaffer's tape over it. That should make it lightproof and it will be easier to remove since it won't be stuck directly to the paint.
One thing you could try is to use painter's tape first (which is not generally lightproof) and then put the gaffer's tape over it. That should make it lightproof and it will be easier to remove since it won't be stuck directly to the paint.
Currently I have a set of panels that I made out of thin plywood to fit my windows. They slide in and friction fit. An additional L-shaped plastic profile keeps virtually all of the light out; on very bright days I can pull some blackout material roller curtains for additional proofing. The advantage of this setup is that it takes less than a minute to go from darkroom to daylight and back again. I wouldn't want to go back to a permanently blacked out room.
I'm considering getting into developing my own negatives and am interested in somehow creating a small space inside my apartment that can be easily installed and de-installed.. The Ilford Pop-Up Darkroom came to mind and am curious as to what everyone's thoughts are on how light proof this darkroom space actually is? Let me know below, thanks!
You might want to use the Changing Room for loading film onto reels and into the tank.
Photoflex Changing Room
Photoflex Changing Room - The Photoflex Changing Room is an upgrade from the traditional dark bag.This double walled, light-tight changing bag includes an internal frame that provides plenty of room to work and an internal, removable "trash bag" for film…www.freestylephoto.com
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I used the Harrison changing tent for 4x5, and the SP-445 for developing the sheets.
Harrison Standard Film Changing Tent (36 x 27 x 14")
Buy Harrison Standard Film Changing Tent Review Harrison nullwww.bhphotovideo.com
Stearman Press SP-445 Compact 4 x 5" Film Processing System
Buy Stearman Press SP-445 Compact 4 x 5" Film Processing System featuring Developing Tank with Two Holders, Holds Up to Four 4 x 5" Sheets at a Time, Requires 16 oz of Solution, Liquid Level Indicators, Inversion Agitation Method, Light-Sealed, Daylight Tank, ABS Plastic Construction, O-Ring...www.bhphotovideo.com
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