Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/07/22

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Subject: Re: [Leica] home b&w processing
From: "Ken Iisaka" <ken@iisaka.org>
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2000 22:48:25 -0700
References: <200007222036.AA227737854@mail.kishbike.com>

My "darkroom" is a laundry room, which is truly dark only at night.  The
area occupied by my equipment is about 3'x6', and within this space sit
two enlargers (LPL D6700 dichro and Fujifilm A450 condenser), a Nova
Quad processor, and a 11x14" tray.  Despite being in the laundry room,
there is no running water.

I have found the Nova processor, though crudely made and outrageously
expensive, was possibly the best addition to my darkroom, after an
enlarger, for its space efficiency and time efficiency.  If you just
have a closet, I could envision placing an enlarger on a small desk, and
a Nova processor under the desk.  Now, you could almost fit all of these
in a broom closet!

Jobo AT series processors give you automated processing, but they are
very, very expensive (in the thousands)  Unless you are processing tens
of rolls everyday, I do not see them as being cost-effective.  The same
amount of money could be better spent on a better space for a darkroom.
A good stainless steel tank with a changing bag is basically all you
need to do BW film processing.

Good luck!!!

Ken Iisaka  <ken at iisaka dot org> http://www.iisaka.org
Still lost in Mill Valley in Marin County, California
- ----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Kish <jim@mail.kishbike.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2000 8:36 PM
Subject: [Leica] home b&w processing


> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to have more of a hand in processing my black and white
photos, but don't have room for a full-on darkroom. I'd be happy to be
able to process and print contact sheets for now, leaving the final
printing to a local b&w lab. So, I have 2 questions...are there decent
film processors available (I hear "Jobo" mentioned) that allow one to
process in one step?
>
> Second, is there such a thing that will produce a contact print with a
minimum of cost/space?
>
> Reply personally if this is not of interest to the group, but I
promise to use a Leica producing the images...;>
>
> -Jim Kish
>

In reply to: Message from "Jim Kish" <jim@mail.kishbike.com> ([Leica] home b&w processing)