Would love to see your 8x10 Enlargers Darkroom

[SLVRGLTN]

Hey everyone for the ones who still enlarge 8x10 negatives with an 8x10 enlarger I would love to see your current setup and how difficult was it to setup or how much room you needed?

Which enlarger do you have?
How big do you print?
How much square footage for your darkroom did you need and ceiling height?
Do you have smaller enlarger formats in same darkroom?
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated

I'm moving soon and I'm relocating to California

I currently have a Super Chromega F 10x10 enlarger not setup at all no room in current living situation so I don't know if I should keep it or sell it and get something else?

I would like to see actual pictures of your setup and any other info you might be able to provide.

Thanks again Brian


PS: I'm only printing b/w maybe up to at least 30x40 or larger depending on what I find out

[IanG]

I have a 111.5 foot x12.5 foot darkroom at the bottom of my garden with a a floor mounted De Vere 5108, there's room for 3 or 4 more enlargers, a decent sized wet bench and sink etc. I also have a book-case and room for a PC scanner, printer etc.

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The building was empty when I bought the house, I lined it with polystyrene about an inch thick then plaster board, same with the floor then flooring grade chip-board, so it's warm and cheap to heat.

The De Vere needs about 8ft head room so I cut two a roof beams out and the enlarger head has space in the apex of the roof which is insulated and lined with plaster board.

This was the final floor plan, in practice the computer screen etc are where it says Durst A800 and the blank wall has a bookshelf unit.

http://lostlabours.co.uk/photography/darkroom/images/darkroom-final.jpg

The darkroom was featured in Amateur Photographer in an article on Ilfords's Local Darkroom scheme about 16 moths ago.

Ian

[brucetaylor]

Hi Brian, I have an Omega F but no pictures right now as I am moving my darkroom and I have taken the base and column apart to move it. It was installed in a good sized darkroom, but as you know it really doesn't take up that much floor space. Mine had a condenser head and lamp house which would require 9 to 10 ft ceiling. I replaced it with an LED light panel, but 8' is required to clear the column. I just barely squeezed it in. I haven't made anything bigger than 11x14 at this point, but mine has bumpers on the base to set the baseboard on, so I think at least 20x24 should be possible. Going to a 240mm lens it would go bigger- currently I am using a 300mm. I had 2 4x5 Beselers in the same room and a 10' sink for up to 20x24 trays. I am moving the darkroom to a one car garage, so it should be about 200 sq ft with 9 ft ceiling. Welcome to California

[photog_ed]

I recently built my last darkroom. I am an "advanced amateur." The darkroom is 8 ft x 14 ft with 8 ft ceiling. The enlarger on the left is a Beseler 45MX II with 8x10 conversion head that I bought on eBay last year. On the right is an Omega D2V for 4x5 and smaller formats that I bought new in about 1969. They are on a desk-height workbench that allows full extension of both enlargers. With a 240mm lens on the Beseler and 135mm on the Omega I can print 20x24 on the baseboard from 8x10 and 4x5, respectively.

I also have a brand new 30"x96" sink.

I got my first 4x5 camera and the Omega in about 1969 when I was 16. I always wanted to do 8x10 but cost of equipment and materials was always out of reach. I just recently started shooting 8x10, and after I finish this post I will be trying out the Beseler for the first time.

Ed

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[brucetaylor]

Ed, a 4x5 camera and enlarger when you were 16? You lucky dog. Best I could do was a baby Speed and a 6x6 Durst enlarger that I just could not keep dust out of. Nice darkroom. Like you I have come to 8x10 later in life, I am enjoying it when I get the time.

Brian, if you are thinking about changing light sources there is a thread on LED panels on the forum.

[photog_ed]

Ed, a 4x5 camera and enlarger when you were 16? You lucky dog.

Bruce, it wasn't luck. I was already doing freelance photography in my teens. One of my clients was a photographer who was transitioning to another business. He would farm out photography jobs to me, and often pay me with equipment. I saved up and bought the Omega brand new, though. My first LF camera was an old Speed Graphic. The shutter in the lens was broken, so I used the focal plane shutter. What a noise that thing made.

My first enlarger was a Durst M600. I, too, struggled with dust and occasionally Newton rings. I vowed that I would go glassless after that experience.

[brucetaylor]

Yes! I had the same M600. Next enlarger had a glassless carrier. The Omega F has a 10x10 glass carrier, less trouble than when I was a kid, but a LOT of surface area to keep spotless. I like the Beseler Negaflat carrier for 4x5, wish I had one for 8x10.

[John Jarosz]

Probably not what you are looking for, but here's what I do.

Darkroom is 11'x13' with an 8' ceiling. 27"x72" sink and a 34"x44" sink. My 8x10 horizontal enlarger is homebuilt from the guts of an Argyle 23 process camera. Vacuum easel. The enlarger is a 19" x 68" wood slab sitting on plastic shelving. I only do 2x to 2.5x B&W enlargements. My 4x5 enlarger used to occupy this space as well, but I've moved it out because I no longer need it. Plently of room for my purposes.

[Jeff T]

Very cool set up John. Can you elaborate on detail of the light source and the film stage of your Argyle enlarger? I have an Argyle that I would like to it into an enlarger. Thanks for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tin Can]

Probably not what you are looking for, but here's what I do.

Darkroom is 11'x13' with an 8' ceiling. 27"x72" sink and a 34"x44" sink. My 8x10 horizontal enlarger is homebuilt from the guts of an Argyle 23 process camera. Vacuum easel. The enlarger is a 19" x 68" wood slab sitting on plastic shelving. I only do 2x to 2.5x B&W enlargements. My 4x5 enlarger used to occupy this space as well, but I've moved it out because I no longer need it. Plently of room for my purposes.

Very interesting. Love that bellows support made from bellows!

What is your light source?

[ic-racer]

When I first got my enlarger it had an Aristo head which allowed the head to go to the top without hitting the ceiling.
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After I got the CLS2000 head, I needed to reorient the base of the enlarger so the head fit up between the rafters.
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[John Jarosz]

Randy & Jeff:

Rather than hijack this thread with my DIY stuff, I started another thread in the DIY section. Hope this answers your questions.

[Luis-F-S]

I'd keep the 8x10 Chromega F, I had one and regretted selling it. Yes, it does need a full 8' ceiling for the column. The Durst L-184 and the De Vere 5108 can get by with 91" for the column. I'm posting a shot of my old 8x10 Chromega F in my first darkroom, and my Devere in my current darkroom. I do not print large, typically 8x10 or 11x14 but have the capability of up to 16x20. Larger than that, I run out of sink (same as the one in the first shot. The head on the DeVere can be raised up to the last 9 or so inches since it would hit the cealing. My current dark room is around 8 x 11' and it also has an LPL 4500-II that I use for roll film. L

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[SLVRGLTN]

WOW I'm envious of everyone's darkroom and can't wait to get mine setup. Now to give you guys an idea on my 8x10 enlarger the column is 10 feet long yes that is a whopping 120" and the baseboard is 60"x42" the people I got it from said its a professional version of the Super Chromega F enlarger. My plan is to have at least the 8x10 and a Beseler 45 setup in the darkroom so I can do smaller negs on the Beseler enlarger and bigger on the Chromega F. My current work is 6x7 up to 8x10, but I have a few trips planned for overseas in a year or so. If you want to do huge prints I recommend custom made trays out of plexiglass and a kanoodle from the pool department to roll up the print and processing like Clyde Butcher does. It seems to work for him. My current plan is to use reclaimed barn wood for the outside of the building for my darkroom/studio but completely separate from one another via a door. The inside will be modern/old setup, including the studio for portraits and still life photography. It's been a dream of mine for years and I look forward to finishing it.

Hopefully more will share their darkrooms so I can plan on what I want to do with it.

[Dan Dozer]

I have a setup pretty much like John's where I converted my old 8 x 10 Kodak 2D camera into a horizontal enlarger. Platform that the camera slides in sits the counter top with a drop down panel that goes to the floor. Light source is a 10 x 10 cold light head from an old enlarger - just push it up against the back of the camera. I removed the ground glass. Negative holder is an old wooden 8 x 10 film holder (with the black frame that holds the film in place) with the internal cardboard septum in the center cut out with about a 1/8" edge around for the film to sit on. Push it all together and cover it with a large piece of burgundy fabric so I don't have to worry about any light leaks. Project on to the wall of the darkroom and I'm doing enlargements up to 16 x 20 with ease.

Can't find any photos of it but can take some if you are interested.

Dan