What are your thoughts on Ilford Pop-Up Darkroom? Are they actually reliable?

[Thinh__Le]

I'm considering getting into developing my own negatives and am interested in somehow creating a small space inside my apartment that can be easily installed and de-installed.. The Ilford Pop-Up Darkroom came to mind and am curious as to what everyone's thoughts are on how light proof this darkroom space actually is?

Another option I am considering is the Delta 1 Black Out Heavy 6 Mil Plastic Opaque Material (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...t_Heavy_6.html) to black out the windows in the room. The room I am working in has two large windows and I am wondering if you guys have thoughts on this plastic material? Also, if I went with the material instead of the pop-up darkroom what sort of tape would you use to adhere the plastic material to the wall to ensure that they do not fall down and are lightproof? Let me know, thanks!

[Tin Can]

I have one on my studio floor, my studio is very dark already.

I bought on sale last year, soon I will erect.

Black out plastic works, some is white, but Never trust it and I add layers of plywood and more

I check my darkrooms often by sitting inside for 1/2 hour

and check every area, it's a bedroom, now tornado shelter too

[faberryman]

Here is my advice. Load your film at night in a bedroom closet with a towel at the bottom of the door. As an extra precaution, load your film with your back to the door. Then process your film in the bathroom or kitchen. This approach worked for me for many years during those times I did not have a darkroom.

A number of years ago I converted a spare bedroom into a darkroom. I used five or six layers of black plastic sheeting over the windows, including the window frames. I recommend using wide painters tape to attach the black plastic sheeting to the wall adjacent to the window frame so you don't ruin your paint job when you take it down. Tape each sheet separately. Painters tape may not hold the weight of five or six sheets together.

[Drew Wiley]

Portable darkroom tents might also be available military surplus somewhere. Dunno. The problem with blackout sheeting is making sure there aren't any light leaks in the corners and seams. Rolls of 6-mil black poly are available most serious construction supply places. Why buy it in a 4 ft wide roll at a ridiculously marked up price from a photo source? You'll want something wider anyway. You'll need red builders tape for any seams too. Ordinary tapes won't hold for long.

[malexand]

I Use construction type foil-faced foam insulation boards in the window of my darkroom. Cheap easy to find at hardware stores and home centers and very easy to cut. Cut it 1/2 in. larger than the opening and force it in, foil side out - it deforms around imperfections and has been 100% light tight.

[Kiwi7475]

I have the Ilford pop up. It works. Light tight if you set it up correctly (not hard).

I bought it as a portable tent for shooting collodion outdoors. It’s a bit too small for that so I stick to my Eskimo tent even though it is not quite light tight and requires work and maintenance to use.

Ok, for use in a house. It’s tall, and won’t fit in low ceilings, so check that. It’s tedious to set up. I mean it’s not terrible but I wouldn’t want to set it up and remove it twice a week — if you have a semi permanent spot where you can leave it weeks or months a time, or permanently, then it’s great.

There’s no ventilation/air circulation so depending what you do inside you may want to add the ability to circulate air. Or use ventilators. Safety first.

Now, another practical aspect: if you’re just going to develop, I wouldn’t do it. Get instead a film changing tent (Harrison or similar) and use any of the gazillion developing tubes/tanks that exist that allow you to develop in daylight. You can do that in a bathroom easily and there’s nothing to set up. You bring the chemicals, the tank, develop it, and put it away when you’re done.

But if you have a permanent space and you are going to set up an enlarger and make prints then I’d say go for it. If you don’t know yet then wait until that desire comes around, if it does.

[Joseph Kashi]

I'm considering getting into developing my own negatives and am interested in somehow creating a small space inside my apartment that can be easily installed and de-installed.. The Ilford Pop-Up Darkroom came to mind and am curious as to what everyone's thoughts are on how light proof this darkroom space actually is?

Another option I am considering is the Delta 1 Black Out Heavy 6 Mil Plastic Opaque Material (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...t_Heavy_6.html) to black out the windows in the room. The room I am working in has two large windows and I am wondering if you guys have thoughts on this plastic material? Also, if I went with the material instead of the pop-up darkroom what sort of tape would you use to adhere the plastic material to the wall to ensure that they do not fall down and are lightproof? Let me know, thanks!

I found the Ilford tent to be difficult and awkward to erect by one person.

[ethics_gradient]

Like Kiwi, I use mine for collodion outdoors. I find it adequate for 4x5 and 5x7, 8x10 would also probably be fine but for those I'd need to make a separate trip back to the car to accommodate the greater chemistry/water/gear required (normally I shoot out of a van), so I generally don't. But it's invaluable for getting into locations away from roads/car parks.

From the marketing stuff I read up on it before buying, it's meant to be short enough to be set up in a room with a normal residential ceiling. I don't really find it to be too onerous to set up solo, but I am on the taller side (185cm) and was coming from trying a hydroponics tent, which was an order of magnitude worse. It has inlets for ventillation but you need to supply your own, personally I don't bother and just leave the door open whenever I don't need absolute darkness.

If you can leave it up semi-permanently, a hydroponics tent can be used as a darkroom and is a fair bit cheaper/can be bought in larger sizes. You wouldn't enjoy having to set it up/break it down on a regular basis though.

You don't need anything fancy to black out those windows. Go to your local fabric store and find some blackout curtain material. You can buy a cheap grommet punch + brass grommets for a couple bucks more - use these to hang them from some 3M Command Hooks, and some gaffer's tape to seal any leaks you need to. Remember, it's a lot easier to get a lightproof seal with two "OK" layers of lightproofing than trying to do one absolutely perfectly.

[Tin Can]

Eskimo Red Ice Fishing Tents are used by wet platers


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=eskimo+te...f=sr_nr_p_72_1

[r.e.]

B&H is selling Ilford’s popup darkroom for US$210, which is $130 off. Ilford and others have made videos about setting it up.

I live in an apartment and use a bathroom. From a comfort perspective, I think that the Ilford popup would be an improvement. I’ve also considered using four C-stands and black fabric or plastic blackout sheeting. That might be easier/faster to set up and take down, would let me choose the dimensions to suit, and would be cheaper because I already have the C-stands. I also have a Jumbo Harrison tent (48 x 28 x 19"), which in my case is also a factor.