Laura
Hello everyone,
I bought a Focomat V35 a while ago and would now like to set up a small
darkroom. The next step is to buy the right materials. In theory,
I’ve understood everything I need, but when you have hardly any experience, things look
quite different in practice. When I had a look in the FOTOIMPEX shop, I was suddenly
confused by the sheer range of chemicals, paper and so on. As I have little to no experience
with developing so far, I’d be grateful for a few tips on which chemicals to use
with which paper, and so on, and what’s most practical for a ‘beginner’.
Many thanks in advance for your advice.
Best regards,
Laura
HenningH
Hi Laura,
You can only use the Focomat if you’ve developed the negatives in Leicanol. As for paper, the only option is really Focobrom in 40x60 format, developed in D35. Unfortunately, none of these materials are available anymore, so your enlarger is useless and I’ll dispose of it for you at a reasonable price...
And now, for everyone who’s been reading this in disbelief: That was a joke!!! B)
Congratulations on this great enlarger!
To give you the right advice, you’ll need to tell us a bit more.
What do you want to enlarge (landscapes, portraits, architecture, ...)?
Are the pictures intended for an album (10x15) or for the wall (30x40 or even larger)?
Will they be standard black and white prints or special effects such as toning and lith?
Do you want to use only liquid concentrates for the chemicals, or would a powder mixture be acceptable?
Does your enlarger have a black and white, multigrade or colour head?
Do you already have developing trays? What size?
Off the top of my head, I’d recommend a pack of Fomaspeed Variant in 13x18 for experimenting and one in 24x30 for the ‘more serious’ prints. Alternatively, ADOX Easy Print would also work.
Then a pack of Adotol Konstant (N113) and a bottle of Adofix. For a stop bath, you can use vinegar essence or citric acid from the chemist’s (or Adostop).
Once you’ve got all the equipment – such as enlarger frames, trays and tongs – you’ll be ready to get started.
But there’ll probably be a few more tips coming in here...
Best regards
Henning
michael-kielgmxnet
Hi Laura,
When it comes to paper, everyone has their favourites. As a beginner, I’d generally recommend starting with PE paper, as it’s easier for processing. I’ve had good results with ADOX MCP. It’s not the cheapest, but it produces good results straight away. I can also wholeheartedly recommend the N113 – or whatever it’s called now, ‘Adotol Konstant’ – a really good developer that lasts a very long time and goes a long way. And as for fixers: see the thread further down.
Generally speaking, I’d stick to one type of paper and one developer for the time being, until you’ve got the hang of working in the darkroom. Then you can always try out other types of paper or developers. By the way: the influence of the developer on the result is nowhere near as strong with paper as it is with film.
If you still need some help deciding: why not have a look at Wolfgang Moersch’s site? He has an extensive online gallery where you can find examples of many of the papers currently on the market.
christer
Hello everyone,
I bought a Focomat V35 a while ago and would now like to set up a small
darkroom. The next step is to buy the right materials. In theory,
I’ve understood everything I need, but when you have hardly any experience, things look
quite different in practice. When I had a look in the FOTOIMPEX shop, I suddenly found myself
confused by the sheer range of chemicals, paper and so on. As I have little to no experience
with developing so far, I’d be grateful for a few tips on which chemicals to use
with which paper, and so on, and what’s most practical for a ‘beginner’.
Many thanks in advance for your advice.
Best regards,
Laura
christer
Hello Laura,
You’ve got a top-of-the-range camera! With a black and white module?
My advice: keep it as simple and inexpensive as possible. At least for the first year.
In detail, that means:
- Use the chemicals you can find anywhere; don’t bother with (expensive) specialist solutions.
Eukobrom would be a good choice for a developer; it’s also inexpensive. Don’t keep diluted chemicals (i.e. working solutions) for too long.
You don’t need a stop bath. Rinsing is enough; that way, the fixer will last longer too. With film, however, it’s a different story, as the film isn’t fully developed like the enlargements.
As for the fixer, thankfully the choice isn’t that wide. Go for standard ammonium thiosulphate.
- Use the cheapest paper available, Fomaspeed Variant. Whether the enlargement turns out stunningly good or not depends more on you than on the paper (and chemicals) at the start. Don’t keep too many different paper sizes in stock. It’s better to make a few prints than many, but make sure they’re good ones and at least 24x30 cm.
- A good enlarger frame is important, but expensive, even second-hand. A wide border (at least 2 cm) around the image looks great, but unfortunately not all mask frames allow for this at the top and left. Many mask frames only have one 90° angle (top left); the others are warped. You should therefore check the bottom right angle from time to time – it’s easy to do with a piece of card.
Have fun and good luck!
Laura
Hello everyone,
Thank you very much for the helpful replies. I found everything in the shop and realised that, fortunately, it isn’t
as expensive as I’d thought.
Why is it recommended to use PE paper rather than baryta paper when starting out?
Baryta paper is of higher quality, but is it simply more difficult to work with?
@Henning:
I think I’d like to start by enlarging mainly portraits and perhaps a few landscape shots
. To begin with, black-and-white prints in 24x30. Everything else can come later :)
What are the pros and cons of a liquid and a powder process?
The enlarger has a multigrade head.
I don’t have any developing trays yet; I wanted to order everything in one go.
Then probably 24x30 to start with.
I’ll definitely get started as soon as I get home.
Best wishes from Vietnam,
Laura
HenningH
Hi Laura,
24x30 is a good size. A litre of solution is plenty for the trays.
Baryta paper is just a bit more fiddly to process. It takes a bit longer and you have to make a conscious effort to be precise. With PE paper, if you’re experimenting and playing around, it’s not such a big deal if you rinse for too short a time or don’t stick quite exactly to the times in the developer and fixer. I usually enlarge a whole roll of film to 13x18, selecting a few images along the way that I then enlarge to 18x24; however, I only do the proper processing on baryta paper during the next session, when I set aside four or five images that are then carefully printed.
You could order a pack of ten baryta sheets as well; it’s quite a special process, which in my opinion can’t really be done ‘just like that’.
The multigrade head is really good. The times remain largely constant across the entire range (even at 4 and 5). You could try printing an image at 0, 3 and 5 (with the same exposure time) to get a good feel for the gradients. The light from the Focomat is very soft; so don’t be surprised if you have to print at 3 or 3.5 to achieve the desired result, even though many publications suggest that a true fine art print can only be produced with a gradient of 2...
Powders have the advantage of being lighter (you don’t have to carry a litre of water), taking up less space and having an almost indefinite shelf life when unopened. However, you first have to mix the powder; this creates dust and can sometimes take a while. With liquid concentrates, you simply take the required amount from the bottle, top it up with the appropriate amount of water and can get started straight away.
Positive developers can usually be reused several times, so the ‘problem’ of needing an extra bottle for the developer solution applies to both powders and liquids.
Best regards to Asia
Henning
christer
A quick tip: DuKa lighting – simply use a red LED with a standard E27 or E14 socket, costing around €5. Use as few LEDs as possible – 12 will do – and point them towards the ceiling for some lovely indirect lighting.
dagobert
Hello
Personally, I think ADOX’s Neutol substitute is brilliant, and that’s what I use
However, when it comes to paper, I have to say that even as a ‘beginner’ you can manage quite well
So, based on the Multicontrast module, I’d recommend Kentmere paper, which I think is very good
Best regards
Uz Lovis
