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New to MF!

Mike996

By Mike996
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Mike996

Mike996

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Hi all, I've been a digital camera user since around 2001, when I sold all my film gear/darkroom stuff except for my Leica M6 (my favorite camera of all the various cameras I owned used).  I hadn't used the M6 for 20 years until about a month ago when I got casually interested in shooting some film and dragged it out.

Turned out I thoroughly enjoyed it - much more than I ever enjoyed digital - and decided to get back into film/darkroom but, for the first time, to venture into medium format.  So I purchased a Bronica SQAi with the 80mm PS lens and have found it to be even more fun than the M6 was.

So I went nuts - I'm setting up my first darkroom since '01.  Probably crazy but the camera was not particularly expensive nor was a "new" still in the box Omega B22 enlarger I came across.  I know that many folks, myself included back in the day, consider(ed) the B22 to be a "student" enlarger but I figured that since I got it for nearly nothing, it would be a good one to start with to see if I really want to deal with the darkroom again!  

Anyway, I was pleased to find this forum!  😃

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Bettendorf

Bettendorf

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Yes indeed!  Welcome back to film photography.  I would love to find an Omega B22, new in the box.

But you can relax, and rest easy.  Why just last February I took off my shoes, picked up my B66 enlarger and went outside and walked in the snow.  All that was left behind was white snow.

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laurencecochrane

laurencecochrane

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Enjoy the SQA Great wee camewra I own one too. Still I prefer my Mamiya RB67 and Mamiya C33 over the Bronica. WARY OF ELECTRONIC CAMERAS as they cannot be repaired and the wee batteries are expensive. I had a 50mm lens electronic failure with my SQA. Had to buy another lens. Luckily I got a VERY SCRUFFY, RUBBED but technically perfect 50 PS at THE RIGHT MONEY. Funny thing, this scruffy lens looks the part when fitted to the Nice condition Bronica

Edited by laurencecochrane
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Gary Naka

Gary Naka

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I have yet to complete my darkroom.
I really miss working in a wet darkroom.  It is so much more relaxing than sitting in front of the computer.

Well a B22 is a "student" enlarger, compared to the 4x5 D series.
But a B22 is much easier to deal with in a small home darkroom. 
My own enlarger is a similar Durst M600, 6x6 enlarger.
If you don't shoot larger than 6x6, why hassle with the BIGGER enlarger.

And used top line enlarging lenses are very affordable.  So no excuse to not get a GOOD lens.
I replaced my old "economy" lenses with a set of El-Nikkors, for a price that I could not match 25 years ago.  😁

Edited by Gary Naka
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Mike996

Mike996

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Thanks!  Good point re the B22! 6x6 is the largest format I will enlarge and the B22 is a good size for what is going to be a  rather small darkroom.

"Many of us use film scanners now-a-days for convenience and low carbon footprint."

I understand the convenience of scanning as opposed to a darkroom but I must admit I've never understood the concept of shooting film, developing it and then scanning it to make a print.  It's a lot easier to do that with a digital camera.  But hey, that's just me.  🤔

 

 

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kmac

kmac

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43 minutes ago, Mike996 said:

"Many of us use film scanners now-a-days for convenience and low carbon footprint."

I understand the convenience of scanning as opposed to a darkroom but I must admit I've never understood the concept of shooting film, developing it and then scanning it to make a print.  It's a lot easier to do that with a digital camera.  But hey, that's just me.  🤔

 

Yes it seems to be counterintuitive to scan a film negative into a digital image but the prints come out pretty good and they still have a "film" look about them. Of course a decent scanner and printer are needed to get the best out of film, in much the same way a good quality enlarger lens is needed for quality wet printing. I used to love wet printing, but technology moved forward and I tried various scanners and soon got into the habit of using them for old family negs and photos. The prints I was getting from those scans were quite satisfying once I'd removed dirt and scratches in an external editor.

Nevertheless I wouldn't discourage you from wet printing. I still have my Durst enlarger to remind me of those good ol' days of sloshing prints around in trays. I won many a club competition and I never regretted all the time and effort for one minute.

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hjoseph7

hjoseph7

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On 11/13/2022 at 10:31 AM, Mike996 said:

Hi all, I've been a digital camera user since around 2001, when I sold all my film gear/darkroom stuff except for my Leica M6 (my favorite camera of all the various cameras I owned used).  I hadn't used the M6 for 20 years until about a month ago when I got casually interested in shooting some film and dragged it out.

Turned out I thoroughly enjoyed it - much more than I ever enjoyed digital - and decided to get back into film/darkroom but, for the first time, to venture into medium format.  So I purchased a Bronica SQAi with the 80mm PS lens and have found it to be even more fun than the M6 was.

So I went nuts - I'm setting up my first darkroom since '01.  Probably crazy but the camera was not particularly expensive nor was a "new" still in the box Omega B22 enlarger I came across.  I know that many folks, myself included back in the day, consider(ed) the B22 to be a "student" enlarger but I figured that since I got it for nearly nothing, it would be a good one to start with to see if I really want to deal with the darkroom again!  

Anyway, I was pleased to find this forum!  😃

When I was in school we used, the B22's as well as the D45's. We also used Beseler enlargers. To me, the Omega enlargers were much better built, but I went with a Beseler(23C) for my home darkroom due to the convenience of obtaining parts, plus they were cheaper at the time.  Something I regret to this day BTW.  I started buying darkroom equipment like there was no tomorrow back in 2001-2005, when people like you started dishing off their equipment on eBay for peanuts. I still have my darkroom, but it's mostly for Hobby stuff and Fine Art. For Professional work, I stick to Digital because it's faster, cleaner, takes less effort and is cheaper. 

The quality of Medium Format and Large Format film is still up there with Digital, however the costs are outrageous though !

I still have my darkroom and it get's better day by day, year by year. The Bronica SQA is a rare and tresured MF camera, so consider yourself lucky. I have a Mamiya 1000s which works for me. So far I have only been using it for B&W film photography,  but that might change in the near future.  

The biggest problem with darkroom work is the cleanup afterwards and the limiting editing options. I mean, if you screw-up a negative, then there not much you can do in the darkroom. With digital, you can turn your screw-up into a work of Art !   Darkrom work is a great way to RELAX if you keep it as a Hobby and after you realize that getting good prints from your Digital workflow is not any easier. 😊

 

Edited by hjoseph7
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andyfalsetta

andyfalsetta

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On 11/13/2022 at 11:31 AM, Mike996 said:

Hi all, I've been a digital camera user since around 2001, when I sold all my film gear/darkroom stuff except for my Leica M6 (my favorite camera of all the various cameras I owned used).  I hadn't used the M6 for 20 years until about a month ago when I got casually interested in shooting some film and dragged it out.

Turned out I thoroughly enjoyed it - much more than I ever enjoyed digital - and decided to get back into film/darkroom but, for the first time, to venture into medium format.  So I purchased a Bronica SQAi with the 80mm PS lens and have found it to be even more fun than the M6 was....

Mike,

Welcome to the forum and back to film.  It seems we have a few parallel interests (I'm Tuttebenne at that "other" forum)   :)  The SQAi is a wonderful camera and the lenses are quite good. You should really like using that system.  I have moved through the Bronica line and an SQAi as well. 

On enlarging/printing vs scanning, that is a matter of taste.  It surely is fun printing your own negs and so to each his own. For me, I don't need to have a darkroom if all I do is load film and process it, then scan the negative.  I have an inexpensive scanner that does a fantastic job of capturing what is on the negative.  This gives me the flexibility to do post processing and then ship the image off to either share it with someone or to a lab that will print it.

Happy shooting!  Andy    

 

Edited by andyfalsetta
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