Worst piece of photography/darkroom equipment

[zenrhino]

Any of those cheap-ass ss reels that I have.

A couple of FSU rangefinders.

A windows-only photo/film scanner.

[Bob Carnie]

Lousy speakers for my sterio, I am always blowing them and looking for a set that I can listen to Black Sabbath at full volume without them craping out.

[Ole]

The worst thing I've used is the "Johnson Cutplate and Film developer tank". Ten vertical slots, no agitation possible.

But even that turned out to be useful for stand development of 9x12cm negatives - 90 minutes on the (heated) bathroom floor in dilute FX-2 and they came out great.

There are several "objects" I haven't used, haven't dare use, or haven't figured out how to use yet. Several of thes were "accumulated" in large packs of "stuff", some of which seemed neat at the time.
I still haven't used my Kodak Plate Drying Rack, for instance, but I have used the contact printing frame I bought along with it...

[Loose Gravel]

My old paper cutter, which Santa was nice enough to replace. A dual color, VC coldlight --- just not bright enough, but it is now long gone.

[John McCallum]

That would be the cat.

Oh and the Durst 800AC fully automated enlarger. Hand all enlarging control over to a piece of equipment that thinks it knows what it's doing (but doesn't really), without the option of telling it what you want it to do ..... and well...... frustration ensues. There were many times I felt the same about it as Neal about his daylight loading tank. It was just lucky I couldn't lift it.

[Flotsam]

There were many times I felt the same about it as Neal about his daylight loading tank. It was just lucky I couldn't lift it.

It would have been much harder to live with the resulting hole in the wall too.

Oh yes, and I don't endorse my technique as a way to deal with the cat either

[Aggie]

A new acquasition I made in the form of a polaroid conversion to 4x5 format camera. So far it is DOA. The shutter will cock, but not fire, and the F stop dial is frozen place on 1/30th of a second. Don't dare send it back, and have the problem of never seeing it again. I just have to sink more money into it to have it work.

[lee]

A new acquasition I made in the form of a polaroid conversion to 4x5 format camera. So far it is DOA. The shutter will cock, but not fire, and the F stop dial is frozen place on 1/30th of a second. Don't dare send it back, and have the problem of never seeing it again. I just have to sink more money into it to have it work.

I feel your pain.

lee\c

[rjr]

Mmmmh.... I know there is an darkroom item that makes me feel embarrased when I think it... I just can´t remember what it was.

On the exposure equipment side that would be the Tamron "Superzoom" that I got as a beginner, jumping off the 1,8/50 Ultron (actually Zeiss/Rollei Planar!) that came with my VSL1 SLR. I searched for other lenses but was told that there was not much in the market re M42... so I got the 28-200. WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP. I keep it just for collecting all the bad lighting and deceased developers ghosts from my other items...

Neal, is that tank a Rondinax 60U? I got one -after getting excellent results from the Rondinax 35U (35mm).... I messed up a film, had my problems with a second... just to learn the reason: a few film makers continue to make holes in the backing paper of the film. When pulling the backing paper out to separate it from the film this hole folds up and blocks the paper, making you pull the film out. Grmpf.

Works like a charm with Agfa and Efke films... no holes, no problems. There might be some artificial dumbness involved. ;-)

[Flotsam]

Roman, it was long ago and I don't recall the specifics but it only takes a couple of exposed rolls being ruined before they ever get the chance to touch the developer to send the d@mned thing flying. It was nicely built though, it really punched right into the wall.
My changing bag and SS reels have never failed.