Pete, there's ALways a way to have a darkroom. I once used a piece of plywood on the bathroom tub with extensions to get it to a good operating height. Trays at the faucet end and enlarger at the furthest point away from the faucets. Even had the enlarger on the sink once cause I had lots of counter space. Make the plywood with bolts and nuts so you can knock it all down later. Obviously I was not married....

I used my bathtub in a similar manner in the early 1980s. The bathroom had a window with wooden surrounds. I sealed the window with medium density fibre board [MDF] coated with black felt. I stapled the felt to the MDF, and put a handle on the MDF so that I could easily pull the "blackout" from the window. The bathroom door was easily sealed with weather foam. I was even able to put a darkroom red light in the light fitting of the bathroom. Only trouble was that the whole thing had to be dismantled if I wanted to have a shower - which, being Australian, I do daily!!

I've got 21 Rolls of efke 100, 127 B&W film, from Batch 510605 Use by date June 2010 [that's the batch which left the the backing paper images on the film; plus I've got 29 rolls of Batch 710617 Use by date April 2010 which, apparently, doesn't leave the backing paper images on the film. I haven't used the efke because it is so "curly". It used to take me a very frustrating and sweaty hour in my darkroom, to load a single film onto a stainless steel spool. All rolls of film have been kept double wrapped in the vegetable compartment of my refrigerator.

I'd be happy to trade them for around 10 rolls of Rollei 80S, if it is easier to load onto a spool. I have two 127 cameras, a Grey Baby Rollei, and a Baby Brownie and would I am sure I would use the cameras if only the efke wasn't so curly and difficult to load.

In the meantime I have ordered a Holga Pinhole camera which takes 35mm film. At least, I know I can load that into my Patterson tank!!

Edited by author 10-15-2009 05:15 AM
Thanks for the various suggestions about setting up a darkroom in the bathroom - I'll have to give it some thought. Though I would be a bit worried about dog hairs. The dogs are not allowed in there, but the hair gets everywhere! When I previously had a darkroom, no dogs lived in the house. Given a choice between dogs and a darkroom, I'd have to plump for the dogs. But to have both would be nice. We shall see! Meanwhile I could start by developing film again. I still have a changing bag but keeping solutions at the right temperature would be a problem, especially in Winter. I used to use a special heater for keeping developing dishes or solutions warm, but in the UK electrical points in bathrooms, other than shaver points, are a no-no.

Regarding polyester film, I've never developed any so I don't know how the curling would be. Although the coating and the base come from Agfa-Gevaert, I suspect the cutting and packaging may have been done in the Efke factory, as they are equipped to deal with 127 film, and the spools appear similar. Or maybe they just bought the spools from Efke. The Maco outfit, who are behind the Rollei films, seem to source stuff from all over the place, no doubt of necessity.

But when it comes to Efke's own emulsions, the trouble is that their machinery is now well over 50 years old, which may be why there is what sometimes appears to be a quality control problem. So that's why I'm hoping the Rollei film will prove more robust all round. Further down the line, there has been talk of a Rollei film in ISO 800 speed, but I'm not clear if this is colour or monochrome. But for many 127 cameras (Baby Rollei's and the like excepted) that would probably be too fast. A film around ISO 400 though, would be useful for the Winter months. Fingers crossed!

Greg

I'll be happy to take you up on your swop offer, but try a roll of Rollie first - it may be just as curly as Efke.
To make it easier to load I usually bend the first 10mm of the roll back and crease it, then bend it back and forth a few times. This takes the curl out of the start of the film, and gives you something to feel when you are loading a stainless spiral. It helps with plastic spirals as well, and I've found that the older reels without the ball-bearing are easier to load than the Patterson ones.
It's nice to see Ag selling 127 film in addition to Retro, even if they are out of stock of Efke at the moment.
I used to use black plastic sacks and masking tape to black out windows - MDF and felt is definitely up-market :-).
By the way, If anyone has used a roll of Rollie film I'd be interested to know which developer, etc they used as I'm about to update my website to include the new film.

Brian

http://www.secalis.co.uk/P127/Tips.html

Pete C. Thanks for the tip about the Rollei film from AG in Birmigham, just ordered some rolls. They are destined to be souped in PMK, home brew 2 bath, perceptol and rodinal. All fave dev's that I have in the cupboard.

Hey Jollybox. Sorry to have been such an inconstant correspondent. Can you give me an approximate cost of the Rollei AG from Birmingham? If it is easier to use than 'efke' I could send you the stuff I have in my fridge, gratis - seeing I reckon I got a pretty good deal on the Baby Gray - and postage to somewhere in Brisbane would be a lot cheaper than sending it overseas!!

Brian P. In the past I did try your tip of bending the leading edge of the 'efke'. It did help. But then I ran into another problem. The curly efke jumped the tracks and ended up making love to itself half way down the roll. I couldn't sense that in the dark and ended up with blended negatives. It was then that I gave up on efke and left it in the fridge. Recently I turned to a Pentax Lumix with a Leica lens and 12x optical zoom. The Macro gets down to about one centimetre from the subject and the optical zoom equals a 300mm telephoto. The real plus is that it is Vest Pocket sized; but it would be really nice to have a VPK with film which I could develop!!

Edited by author 10-16-2009 06:15 AM
Ag in Birmingham are charging £4.95 a roll for Rollei 80S in 127 size. Before they started impoting it, I got my rolls from Macodirekt in Germany and at the current exchange rate it worked out to around £5.95 a roll, so I won't be buying it from there again! Though it has to be said they are carrying an amazing range of films in other sizes, many of which seem quite reasonably priced, even at the current exchange rate. There is always a premium for 127 film unfortunately, and currently in the UK the Efke film seems to vary from £3.99 to £4.49 a roll, with usually a discount if you buy 10. There is also an infra red version of it, which is also available in 127. But I have only seen that listed in a few places in Germany and the US.

Regarding Retro, looking at their site, the number of items carried has dramatically dropped. Currently they are reducing their remaining range of Ilford products to, quote, "in order to reduce inventory". If you search the APUG site about them, you will find a thread which contains many tales of woe. My two orders to them, both 3 or more years ago, both had problems which were resolved but didn't install confidence, so personally I won't use them again.

Greg, Once they send it and invoice me I'll let you know. See how I get on with their service.

Pete C - Is that Retrophotographic you refer to? Last I looked at their site they have moved from Woodstock to Oswestry. Been ages since I last ordered stuff from them, when I did Rosalind and Nigel were always very helpful.

Greg, Ag have charged 6.5 UK pounds for postage to Brizzy. The sent the rolls on the 15th Oct.

Jollybox. I'll send all my efke to you for nix. Provided you spell Brizzy as Brissie!

I can't imagine another lonely hour in the dark fiddling with snake like 'efke'.

Send me a Postal Address by email at winterflood@bigpond.com.

I'm off to the Cook Islands for 10 days where I have a Cousin who wants to sell me a catamaran business for $100,000.

Any idea on how much a 10 year old catamaran should cost?

The film will come; but the photos from the Cook Islands will be via my Pentax Lumix. It's a Tax deduction, as it takes photos of ?cancerous skin lesions.

I don't think 127 would qualify for that?????

Hi Jollybox,

Yes that's the same people. They did move from Oxfordshire. I can't add anything further except that it's worth searching the Apug forum for the thread about them. It's a long one, but worth reading and then people can make up their own minds. It has to be said that all the films, papers & chemicals that Retro still list, can now be obtained from alternative sources in the UK, mainly Silverprint and Ag Photographic.

Hi everyone, I just want to say hello from Southern California, USA.

I recently got a Yashica 44 and tomorrow I will have a chance to shoot a few pics with it.

I don't know yet where I can get the film developed and I don't have a scanner for 127 but that's what makes hobbies and adventures fun.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

-Bill