Newbie..help me out

[waitew]

I've been shooting B&W 35mm & 6x6 for years & am happy with the results.When I took my first photo class back in the earily '90's a friend of mine gave me (either I took it or he was going to throw it away) an Omega DII set up for 4x5.Not having a large format camera at the time I accepted the gift & put it in storage (couldn't use it without getting different condensers/lens cones and I already had a Beseler 23cII).A few years later I was given a 4x5 mono rail Cambo but only used it with a polaroid back.Now that I have young kids of my own (and the room),I'd like to combine the two and actually use the camera with sheet film & the enlarger together preferably to make 16" X 20" fiber based,archival prints (11"X14" is the largest print I've ever made before).What are the biggest challenges in my way?I especially want to know about tray processing sheet film & agitation?

[Bjorn Nilsson]

There are plenty of threads (and an article: darkroom-primer (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/darkroom-primer.html) on this site about tray processing.
But I recon the biggest challenges are finding pictures that will benefit from being blown up to 16x20". A picture isn't better just because it's bigger. What is needed to make great pictures is a lot of planning, a steady tripod etc. You don't say which 6x6 system you are using, but any medium format camera can produce negatives which will hold up to that kind of enlargement. It's just a matter of being very careful at all stages.
Now, the very nature of most LF cameras makes it more suitable for this kind of slow, thoughful work. I.e. what makes the LF camera better is the lack of speed, not that the negative is so much better in a technical sense. What you do get is a smoother tonality. (There is much less difference in between a 4x5" neg and a 6x6 neg than it is when you compare 35mm with 6x6.)

//Björn

[Nick_3536]

Tray developing 4x5 is a choice not a requirement. Daylight tanks of various types exist. If you're using Jobo 2500 type tank for MF/35mm all you need is a new reel.

One challenge is you'll need more of everything. Bigger trays. More chemicals. More space for the trays.

[Ralph Barker]

Reading the articles on the home page here ("LF Home Page" in the blue navigation bar) will definitely help in getting you started. The Big Problem, and thus potentially your biggest challenge, is that there is something close to an infinite number of variables in equipment, style and technique. Making sense of it all, and deciding on a combination of gear, style and technique that work well for you is the challenge. Next, is mastering those elements well enough to create images worthy of making large prints, I'd say. But, the adventure along the way is well worth the trouble.

[cdholden]

A picture isn't better just because it's bigger. //Björn

Maybe not better, but it can certainly be more captivating. Take a look at any of Clyde Butcher's work. Some would say "Oh, it's another picture in the Everglades." Try standing in front of one measuring 4'x8'. The viewer begins to notice the detail of the bark on the tree, the fish in the water, the alligator in the background.
Depending on what you're trying to do with the photo, bigger just might be better.

[John Kasaian]

Maybe not better, but it can certainly be more captivating. Take a look at any of Clyde Butcher's work. Some would say "Oh, it's another picture in the Everglades." Try standing in front of one measuring 4'x8'. The viewer begins to notice the detail of the bark on the tree, the fish in the water, the alligator in the background.
Depending on what you're trying to do with the photo, bigger just might be better.

Of course the dust spots and pinholes get bigger too! :o

[aduncanson]

One option you might want to consider is to look for one of the "cold light" diffusion sources for the Omega such as the Aristo. With one of those you would not need a new condenser. I have never noticed a condenser vs diffusion war here on the forum (although one breaks out every time I remind my father-in-law what I did to his D2).

Adherents of diffusion sources report a more linear relationship between negative tone and print density resulting in more open shadows as well as less print spotting due to less obtrusive dust. Condenser fans claim more sharpness and contrast.

[Gary L. Quay]

Of course the dust spots and pinholes get bigger too! :o

I second this. Dust will be the biggest challenge. Nothing ruins an otherwise perfect negative like a few dust spots. Fortunately, there are a number of posts, and a few articles, on this site about avoiding dust. One thing I found out recently was that small flakes of emulsion are sometimes left between sheets of film. tapping the sheets on the tabletop before sliding them into the holder should take care of this.

--Gary

[ic-racer]

From what you posted it seems you may need:

135mm or 150mm lens and cone
4x5 negative carrier for the enlarger
4x5 film holders for the camera
Something to hold the film up to dry

If you already do darkroom work, you should have the rest. Have fun! I have found that photography gets easier as the negative gets bigger.

[ejohnson]

It seems to me that the biggest challenges will be to build a big enough sink to handle the trays, getting a print washer large enough, and getting very good negatives, having good lenses on your camera, and understanding how movements work on your camera so everything is sharp.

I learned tray processing from an article on the View Camera site. The method there does not require counting which sheet is which in terms of developing time.

Can people suggest what size sink would be required to handle 16x20 trays because I may want to try and build one myself.

eric

[Bjorn Nilsson]

...

Can people suggest what size sink would be required to handle 16x20 trays because I may want to try and build one myself.

eric

This all depends on how your planned darkroom looks in terms of space, water supply etc. You need to plan for at least 3 trays which in reality needs about 20"x24" each. Then you also need somewhere to wash the prints.
If you have the space you can either try to find who in your vicinity is giving away an existing sink which is about 2½' x 7' (for the 3 trays alone). This is the "smart" way of taking advantage of the digital craze. There are pro lab sinks which are given away for very little money or for nothing. These are often supplied with pro grade water mixers with good filters etc. I recon that in the US many thousands of these have already gone to some landfill. :(
If you are crammed for space you could build some kind of shelf system, but that takes a lot of planning and some clever construction work. It is doable though and that will only need say 24"x30" or so (plus space for the shelves to come out a bit). As these big trays needs quite a bit of chems, at least a gallon or so, they are very heavy to handle. Using a hose to get the chems flowing is a good idea.

Else there is a little bit messy technique where the trays only need to take the 16" width and then only be some 4-6" wide. Then you get the whole sheet developed by taking one 16" edge into the tray and then drag the whole sheet through the dev and so on back and forth. (A common technique for really large enlargements.)

This was some ideas. I recon the best advice is to plan, plan, plan and then plan again. There's a very good thread on Apug.org on top of the "Darkroom equipment" section named "Darkroom portraits". It has lots of advice from which we all can learn, as many of the contributors have seen a lot of darkrooms and the experience is invaluable.

//Björn