subject: Darkroom Equipment: A Guide To What Everyone Should Own [print this page] A darkroom is simply a dark area where you can handle your film without exposing it to any light. For those just getting started in photography, this usually means converting a small area of the home to help setup your very own darkroom. But once you know what room you're going to use, what darkroom equipment are you going to need?
Starter Kits
A darkroom starter kit is for those who want to save time. It can provide you with all the equipment you'll need to get going and start producing photos. However, if you do have time then it can be well worth looking at the darkroom equipment separately.
Processing Tanks
When shopping for your darkroom equipment, the first things you're going to need are processing tanks. When you have roll film to be developed, you place them into a reel in the dark, place it in a light-tight tank and then continue other work in the daylight as your film is protected from the light.
The most common types are plastic and stainless steel. Stainless steel are more durable and last a long time, though sometimes the caps are difficult to remove. Plastic tanks tend to crack and break more easily. It's up to you to decide the best kind of tank for your budget.
Chemicals
Next it's time to buy the chemicals that will allow you to process your film. These come in liquid and powder form, the latter of which is often cheaper, but you need to be safe and only use powder in a well ventilated area.
On top of this, you're going to need a place to store these chemicals. They're sensitive to light, so you should only do this using opaque containers. You'll also find that chemicals react with oxygen in the air, eventually causing them to go bad. Some containers are designed with certain features to help avoid this problem.
Stop Bath
The last thing you're going to need for your darkroom is a stop bath - this lowers the pH level of the solution, to stop the process of developing the photo. You can use water to do this, but it's not the most efficient method. Acetic acid is the most popular choice, with a pH level of around 3.
Although it might look as if there's a lot needed for your darkroom equipment, once you're fully set up it'll get a lot easier. Just make sure you have a few good reference books to follow and you'll be developing photographs in no time!
