Changing bags for sheet film are a problem. You need to get the film into the holder and the darkslide in place without depositing any of the thousands of specs of dust and lint and hair etc. that's in the bag on the film. This is complicated by the fact that it's really easy for sheet film to pick up an electrostatic charge. I have been forced on occasion to load 4x5 film in a changing bag and I have been badly bitten. I guess I should have vacuumed it out a few more times?

You say you have a bathroom with no windows -- you should be able to make that dark. Work at night and turn off lights outside the bathroom. Load the film there as well as the daylight tank.

Daylight sheet film processing tanks are a problem. I doubt if anyone is still trying to design one that allows for intermittent agitation while evenly developing the film without streaks. One that rolls with constant agitation may be OK. When I used to use one that was designed for intermittent agitation what I did was use that dark bathroom and place the tank in a tray with the lid off. Then using my gloved hand I would reach into the tank and grab the film holder and manually agitate it -- that worked.

Bathroom hint: Fighting dust on larger film surfaces is a hassle. If a dark bathroom has a shower then run the hot water in the shower for a few minutes and get some moisture into the air, then wait a few minutes to load or dry film. That moisture will help settle out the dust and you'll have cleaner film.

Best of luck to you.

Why create a makeshift enlarger from your camera when decent real enlargers are free for the taking. Just gave away a perfect D2V with carriers and lenses. You may hafta drive a half day each way but its worth it. My D2V went by car from NY to Indiana.

If (big if) you can find one, there used to be enlarging conversion kits for Graflock backs. Harder to find but at least its reasonable to pack and ship, although probably not free for the taking.

While very patiently waiting for either of the above, just get a scanner. You might love it.

Changing bags for sheet film are a problem. You need to get the film into the holder and the darkslide in place without depositing any of the thousands of specs of dust and lint and hair etc. that's in the bag on the film. This is complicated by the fact that it's really easy for sheet film to pick up an electrostatic charge. I have been forced on occasion to load 4x5 film in a changing bag and I have been badly bitten. I guess I should have vacuumed it out a few more times?

You say you have a bathroom with no windows -- you should be able to make that dark. Work at night and turn off lights outside the bathroom. Load the film there as well as the daylight tank.

Daylight sheet film processing tanks are a problem. I doubt if anyone is still trying to design one that allows for intermittent agitation while evenly developing the film without streaks. One that rolls with constant agitation may be OK. When I used to use one that was designed for intermittent agitation what I did was use that dark bathroom and place the tank in a tray with the lid off. Then using my gloved hand I would reach into the tank and grab the film holder and manually agitate it -- that worked.

Bathroom hint: Fighting dust on larger film surfaces is a hassle. If a dark bathroom has a shower then run the hot water in the shower for a few minutes and get some moisture into the air, then wait a few minutes to load or dry film. That moisture will help settle out the dust and you'll have cleaner film.

Best of luck to you.

When I was a teen, I owned Graphex Crown Graphic 4 X 5 camera. I loved it because of the razor sharp black and white images and the versatility. Later, I traded it in for a Canon Pellix 35mm. BIG MISTAKE. Canon is a great brand buth the Pellix had to be one of the worst cameras on modern history.

I always wished I still had the Crown Graphic.

Well. I finally bought a used one on ebay and it should arrive in a few days. It is the only one I have seen that appears to be in very good condition.

I can calibrate the shutter using a solar cell and an oscilloscope or, at least document any shutter error.

Next, since I no longer have a darkroom, I will need a lightproof bag for loading the film and loading a lightproof developing tank. Can anyone give me advice about the best lightproof bag.

Next, I have two choices for making prints. I can scan the negatives to a digital file and make prints using Photoshop; or, I can make a lighted back for the camera and make prints the old fashioned way in developing solutions. I have a bathroom with no outside windows that I can set-up as a makeshift print darkroom.

I guess I am looking for suggestions.

Is there an Ugly Hedgehog section devoted to film photography. I also have a Rolleiflex twin lens that I will be using.

I am 79 years old and am on a nostalgia kick; trying to relive my long-lost youth. I guess I have too much free time in my life.

1) You may not need a changing bag. Since you have a bathroom with no windows it is much easier to just cover the edges of the doorway to make it light-tight. Use that for loading your film holders, and then later go back in to unload the exposed film and put it into a daylight developing tank.

Once the film is in the tank you can process the film under normal room light.

2) Your bathroom probably has an exhaust fan and hot and cold running water. I’d get a plastic bucket or something similar, with a flat bottom, and do my developing in that, rather than trying to get the developing tank to sit flat in my bathroom sink. Drips and splashes stay in the bucket until I flush them down the drain. If you can fit a small table in there, you’ll have a tiny, but functional workspace. That table might fit in a bathtub or shower stall.

3) 4x5 enlargers are rather expensive these days, mostly due to shipping costs. Instead of that, look for a ‘Graflarger back’. Remove the ground glass on your Crown Graphic and insert this device instead.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364122263519?

It is a fluorescent light and negative carrier which goes on the camera. The ballast and transformer are in a second ( heavier) unit that sits on the table. With the camera on a copy stand you have an enlarger. You can fabricate something similar with an LED screen and a negative carrier from a Besseler or Omega enlarger the negative carriers are aluminum and can be cut down to a smaller size. Either fluorescent or LED will run at a much cooler physical temperature than an incandescent bulb, but the color temperature of either of these is not compatible with multigrade enlarging paper.

If you want to fabricate an incandescent ‘head’ for your camera/enlarger I’d suggest starting with a large clamp light and reflector from a hardware store, and a PH 211 or PH212 enlarger bulb from B&H photo. The smaller 75 watt bulb should be plenty bright, and you can use this with the polycontrast/multicontrast filters and photopaper sold by Ilford.

4) With black and white film, any of these light sources make nice backlights for copying the negative onto a digital camera. If you use color film then use either a tungsten bulb or an LED panel which has a very high CRI ( Color Rendering Index) of 95 or higher. The graflarger back isn’t meant for color.

5) Look for a 120 roll film back for your press camera. These come in 3 sizes: 6x6 (12 exposures), 6x7 (10 exposures), and 6x9 cm (8 exposures per roll. You can load a fresh roll of film in daylight and process it alongside the film from your Rollei.

6) Yes. UHH has both a film area and a Black and white section. The latter deals with both film and digital originals.

Enjoy your return to the darkroom

I have a Speed Graphic (flashbulb sync only) and a Crown Graphic (that also has X sync). I use both occasionally.
Load and unload your film backs in absolute darkness, but I've had no issues using a changing bag. Daylight tank for developing, gently agitate 10-15 seconds every minute for no streaks.
I scan the negatives at 3600 DPI on an Epson scanner, and Digital ICE removes ALL the dust spots.
Transparencies get mailed to a commercial lab for processing only. I scan them myself when they are returned.

When I was a teen, I owned Graphex Crown Graphic 4 X 5 camera. I loved it because of the razor sharp black and white images and the versatility. Later, I traded it in for a Canon Pellix 35mm. BIG MISTAKE. Canon is a great brand buth the Pellix had to be one of the worst cameras on modern history.

I always wished I still had the Crown Graphic.

Well. I finally bought a used one on ebay and it should arrive in a few days. It is the only one I have seen that appears to be in very good condition.

I can calibrate the shutter using a solar cell and an oscilloscope or, at least document any shutter error.

Next, since I no longer have a darkroom, I will need a lightproof bag for loading the film and loading a lightproof developing tank. Can anyone give me advice about the best lightproof bag.

Next, I have two choices for making prints. I can scan the negatives to a digital file and make prints using Photoshop; or, I can make a lighted back for the camera and make prints the old fashioned way in developing solutions. I have a bathroom with no outside windows that I can set-up as a makeshift print darkroom.

I guess I am looking for suggestions.

Is there an Ugly Hedgehog section devoted to film photography. I also have a Rolleiflex twin lens that I will be using.

I am 79 years old and am on a nostalgia kick; trying to relive my long-lost youth. I guess I have too much free time in my life.