Some "newbie" questions for printing

[Stephen Prunier]

I have started putting together my darkroom. I'll be converting my 6'x10' office/fly tying room. I now own a minty Beseler 23C II XL, and I will be adding things over time. I do have what I need to get started, except for the paper and developer.

1. Seeing I will probably be printing more mistakes than keepers, would I be better of starting with a 5"x7" VC RC paper instead of 8"x10"? I can get 100 sheets for half the money. Or will the smaller size mask mistakes I may be making?

2. I know there's as many developers as there are flavors of ice cream, so would Kodak Dektol be a good choice for a "newbie" or something else? I plan to mix up the stop and fix from what I have. I know I need to mix it in different ratios than film.

This should be enough for now.

Thanks

[R gould]

I would start with 8x10 as the smaller 5x7 could be tricky to get dodging and burning, important skills for any printer, you would easier see any mistakes and successes on the bigger paper, as for paper developer,dektol would work, but there are other choices, I use the fotospeed wt 10 warmtone paper developer, but possibly Ilford multigrade would be a better choice,. as for stop, you use the same dilution rate for film as for paper, and I mix up a litre at a time and use it for both film and paper,.
Richard

[jnanian]

get a box of 8x10 paper and when you feel confident printing 5x7 ( 8x10 cut in 2 )
print 8x10 if you want.
prints small have a nicer feel to them than prints large.
i have printed 2x3 upto 20x24 and enjoy smaller prints more ...

ymmv

have fun !
john

[ChristopherCoy]

1. Seeing I will probably be printing more mistakes than keepers, would I be better of starting with a 5"x7" VC RC paper instead of 8"x10"? I can get 100 sheets for half the money. Or will the smaller size mask mistakes I may be making?

2. I know there's as many developers as there are flavors of ice cream, so would Kodak Dektol be a good choice for a "newbie" or something else? I plan to mix up the stop and fix from what I have. I know I need to mix it in different ratios than film.

Yes, to both.

Its been 15 years since I did any darkroom work, and like you, I just set up my own darkroom.

I opted for the developer that I knew and used in high school, Dektol. I'll venture into other developers later.

And I also went with the Arista Private Reserve RC VC 5x7 100 sheets for $25 from Freestyle. I thought along the lines that you did, and I'm glad I did. I've ruined a few sheets thus far, and couldn't bare the thought of ruining that much money and 8x10 paper. And I've dodged/burned a little just find with 5x7 paper. I'll buy some 8x10 and larger stuff after a few months of practice.

[Stephen Prunier]

I will be heading to a local shop tomorrow and see whats available. They aren't overly friendly to traditional photography. They only have one of those 2 sided 8'x4' floor shelves for chemicals and paper. Even less for film choices. I may get a 25 pack of 8"x10" to get started this week and then order more from Freestyle. I still have 35 rolls of their Legacy Pro film. I like using them, and will continue to support them for their commitment to the traditional photographer, but their 3500 miles away I do use the 2 popular NY shops too.

[jnanian]

stephen

hunt photo in melrose used to have traditional department.
their store near me they still have a bunch of film and paper and developers &C,
so i would guess they would too ... if they don't go to calumet in cambridge ma,
or newtonville, or zeff, or ep levines ... they will all treat you right ...

good luck !
john

[Stephen Prunier]

stephen

hunt photo in melrose used to have traditional department.
their store near me they still have a bunch of film and paper and developers &C,
so i would guess they would too ... if they don't go to calumet in cambridge ma,
or newtonville, or zeff, or ep levines ... they will all treat you right ...

good luck !
john

LOL

That's who I was referring too! I go to their Melrose location. I may try E.P. Levine now that they are located in Waltham. I bought a used camera at Newtonville Camera. Nice shop, just a pain to get to for me.

[jnanian]

LOL

That's who I was referring too! I go to their Melrose location. I may try E.P. Levine now that they are located in Waltham. I bought a used camera at Newtonville Camera. Nice shop, just a pain to get to for me.

newtonville and ep levines are owned by the same folks ...
i'd call before you venture down there, also check out calument ..
its halfway between you and waltham ...
both calumen and levines cater to the pro-crowd so keep in mind
they will both have a large electronic division .. but they also have
analog as well ...

[Stephen Prunier]

newtonville and ep levines are owned by the same folks ...
i'd call before you venture down there, also check out calument ..
its halfway between you and waltham ...
both calumen and levines cater to the pro-crowd so keep in mind
they will both have a large electronic division .. but they also have
analog as well ...

Thanks

I need to go to Malden tomorrow, so Hunts may be my first stop. Plus until they finish Rt 93 I think Waltham will be easier to get to for me.

[Rick A]

My print ratio is probably around 20 5x7's to every one 8x10. I love the smaller print size, but if I feel one negative is exceptional I will print up in size, even as large as 11x14. I run through a box of 500 sheets of 5x7 about every six months, including what my kids use up, so maybe close to 1000 sheets a year, and maybe 150-200 sheets of 8x10 per year. I buy the cheapest 5x7 VC/RC I can find and spend on quality 8x10 paper