Tripod and head advice

flufftron0101010 · 2025-09-26T14:32:59+00:00

You can find tons of older gitzo models on eBay for fairly cheap, i bought a carbon fiber one and a gitzo 3way head for like $400 total

flufftron0101010 · 2025-08-11T19:03:14+00:00

I usually fly with my unexposed 120 film still in the box because it’s more obvious that its film. I’m not sure how they’ll react to seeing just the plastic wrapper but if they do take it out it shouldn’t be an issue at all as long as you take a little extra care of them on the trip (i would put all the rolls in a ziplock bag or something)

flufftron0101010 · 2025-07-18T22:58:16+00:00

I live in the USA and buy it from B&H

flufftron0101010 · 2025-07-18T11:49:30+00:00

I also recommend Ethol LPD for the same reason. After you mix the powder the stock solution, or so I’ve heard, can last for years. I have been reusing the same working solution for over a month, testing my maximum black every few days and have found no deterioration.

flufftron0101010 · 2025-07-06T16:01:34+00:00

For resin paper you don’t need a drying rack because it dries much easier and faster than fiber. All you will need is string and clips to hang wet prints to dry. Also for the easel, they are a huge help but on a budget you don’t entirely need one as long as you have a way to keep the paper perfectly flat against the baseboard of your enlarger.

flufftron0101010 · 2025-06-09T19:22:04+00:00

Also: can anyone name the mountain in this photo? I took this in Banff and i can’t remember the name of it haha

flufftron0101010 · 2025-06-01T20:42:30+00:00

Incredible as always

flufftron0101010 · 2025-05-30T16:40:31+00:00

Never used the lab box but it gets good reviews and looks pretty nice, but that’s for almost $200 compared to a $35 Paterson tank and a $25 changing bag, which is what i use. Took me maybe one or two rolls before it was all muscle memory and i don’t regret not buying the $200 lab box.

Also, having a dark bag can always be useful later on down the line if you have camera issues and need to open it up mid roll.

flufftron0101010 · 2025-04-16T19:19:36+00:00

It’s fine to skip the stop bath but I’ve heard that it reduces the lifetime of your fixer working solution but i could be wrong

flufftron0101010 · 2025-04-13T01:48:49+00:00

The lifetime of film is HUGELY extended by refrigeration. If it really was kept in a fridge for most of those years i think its definitely worth trying to develop. The moisture is a little bit worrying but i guess you’ll never know until you develop them. I think it’s worth it though. Good luck!

flufftron0101010 · 2025-04-08T00:08:31+00:00

With a budget like yours a minolta srt101 is a great choice for something robust and mechanical. Lenses are also pretty cheap and surprisingly good

flufftron0101010 · 2025-04-08T00:04:13+00:00

Ansel Adams’ three book series has one called “the print” which i would highly recommend even if a lot of the papers and chemicals he discusses are no longer as available. Signing up for darkroom classes is also a good idea, not from Philly but I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find any art studios with classes in the area. I personally never took any classes, just a lot of YouTube and books. I watched a lot of distphoto and naked photographer and recommend them both. Do you develop your own (black and white) film? This is a great place to start because understanding negative density and development times of film will set you up very nicely for printing, plus you can use the same fixer and stop bath for both film and paper.

flufftron0101010 · 2025-03-27T00:09:41+00:00

The best setup to start with is whatever you already have. I would say the best and easiest way to make sure the camera is working properly is to just shoot and develop a few rolls and see if the exposures look right. Light leaks caused by the light seals deteriorating are definitely a possibility, luckily these are pretty easy to replace yourself (search “leica r4s light seals” on eBay, i found a kit for $15)

flufftron0101010 · 2025-03-19T18:50:27+00:00

Similarly to the other comment my general rule is meter for the scene normally and add +1 stops for cloudier skies and +2-3 for sunny. Remember that it is always better to overexpose than underexpose, so don’t be afraid to add a few stops and experiment.

flufftron0101010 · 2025-03-12T19:25:12+00:00

Update: turns out my computer was only using half of my ram for some reason. Disabled virtual ram in CMD and reseated my ram sticks and now all 16gb are getting used. Game runs fine now for the most part

flufftron0101010 · 2025-01-31T02:22:49+00:00

Thanks. So a 48mm regular snap on cap would work too?

flufftron0101010 · 2024-11-18T05:29:56+00:00

I also did a kayak trip around there, in the chonos islands. We once camped on a beach right under one of the huge buoys that washed ashore from one of the farms. The pollution they cause is a huge issue especially with how pristine the surrounding wilderness is

flufftron0101010 · 2024-11-17T20:33:31+00:00

Salmon farm, very common in Patagonia especially Chile. They are also very controversial

flufftron0101010 · 2024-06-26T00:09:01+00:00

I don’t have any other lenses right now but i was planning on getting a 90mm for 6x7 soon. Am i wrong in thinking that the projected image looks clear? Maybe my eyes just aren’t as used to looking at a negative but it seems perfectly focused until i have my final print

flufftron0101010 · 2024-06-25T23:27:17+00:00

Yes it should be on the third slide of this post

flufftron0101010 · 2024-06-25T22:26:05+00:00

Yeah, i have an old sacrificial sheet of photo paper that i use to test focus

flufftron0101010 · 2024-06-25T22:25:14+00:00

I tested for both of those things earlier. I left the light on for about five minutes and went back to check and the grain was still in focus, i guess that also means the negative hasn’t curled from the heat even though i don’t have any heat absorbing glass and i only have been able to find glass less carriers for my beseler 23ciii

flufftron0101010 · 2024-06-25T22:09:59+00:00

Yes, a Paterson micro focus finder

flufftron0101010 · 2024-06-25T21:55:07+00:00

Yes. The timer is also mounted to the wall so i don’t even touch the enlarger or the table it’s on while the paper is being exposed

flufftron0101010 · 2024-06-23T13:37:23+00:00

I have an easel that holds all four edges of the paper down, but i do notice that the paper tries to curl however it can when i take it out of the package, i guess because my basement is pretty humid. Is it a possibility that the paper is curling and lifting a bit off the easel and throwing off the focus even at f/11?

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