izziadog

How many of you still have a darkroom set-up and running? Mine is in boxes for the moment...

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I discarded most of my set up several years ago.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I have a full color darkroom, but with the demise of CibaChrome, I just develop and print B&W occasionally

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

A pipe leak in my basement flooded out my darkroom, ruined everything and all the dark leaked out

Najataagihe

I never had one.

My stuff was on Kodachrome.

The papers’ had their own darkrooms.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

My dark room is all in boxes too...

I can't bring myself to sell it for as little as it would bring today: 4x5 Omega D5 enlarger with color and diffusion heads, plus all the lenses and other gear for both color and B&W film and print work with 35mm, medium format and 4x5 film. I think the largest print size I was set up to make is 16x20" (enlarger can do a bit bigger prints, but I wasn't set up for it). I guess the color work is a problem now, due to lack of available chemicals and printing paper.

One of the most interesting jobs I did with my darkroom was make big B&W prints from electron microscope scans for a company that did failure analysis. The prints were dry mounted and used in court. The printing was tricky because it was from a type of Polaroid film that made both a positive and a negative. I had to work from the latter, but they were typically pretty thin negs so it took some work to make usable prints. I was fascinated with the bizarre world that the scans showed at extremely high magnification. I kept a few of the more interesting extra prints. Maybe some day I'll dig them out of storage, frame them and hang them on the wall.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Maybe the outlook isn’t so bleak Alan. I was at my local camera store awhile back and mentioned I had a MF RB67 Pro S system. One of the young workers there expressed an interest in buying it, and when I said I had a full darkroom with 2 Dichro enlargers, another one chimed in and said he’d be interested in the equipment if I ever wanted to sell it. Now, for all I know, he might have offered me $50 for everything, but there does seem to be some resurgent interest in film. 3-5 years ago you could buy an RB67 system for less than $300, and I see they’re coming back up to the point where I see systems (body, back, finder, one lens) in the $700 region now.

izziadog

That's my issue as well...only value is intrinsic....Hopefully one day I'll set up another darkroom...there's just something about pulling the film off of the reel....as you all know...

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I still have all the stuff I acquired from 1965 to 1993, minus chemical bottles. I have not used the complete setup since '93.

I do, however, still print my negatives — digitally. I'm using a macro lens on a digital camera and a light source, film holder, and copy stand to capture images. They are recorded in raw, processed through Lightroom Classic using the Negative Lab Pro plug-in.

See the PDF attachment, if you're interested in a bridge between film and digital imaging.

20 page PDF file
Attached file:
(Download)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I do.
--Bob

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

As a long time darkroom person I am happy to relate that I escaped the fate of the four others that worked with me for years in a darkroom. They all died of cancer, they were non smokers.
I am happy to say I will never again go near a darkroom.
I am very happy with Photoshop and Lightroom.

Doyle Thomas Loc: Vancouver Washington ~ USA

same

sgt hop Loc: baltimore md,now in salisbury md

mine was donated to a high school where a pal of mine wanted to teach a non-credit photography....

Bayou

I used to print in Cibachrome. Such a shame that it's gone. And no, my darkroom is long gone, nothing left but a 20x24 tray that was used to wash prints. It's too cool to throw out...always thought it would be useful for something. LOL.

Photec

I had (for me) a dream darkroom complete with a Omega D6, Bessler 23C, 2 roller transport processors, lenses for 1/2 frame to 4X5, sinks, lights, etc. At the onset of digital, one of my students just had to have my complete darkroom, so I boxed it all up and put it in my truck and sold it to her at a very reasonable price. I had been aquiring that equipment for over 25 years. I have never look back.