# Cameras in Darkroom?



## jon_fredric (Jun 8, 2011)

Hi, I just started at a new company and darkroom life is very new to me. We have 2 Durst Lambda 130 printers and the operators have to work in complete darkness in two different rooms. As a Manager I have some real safety concerns with that. What I don't like is if someone was injured in there and screaming, nobody would hear them, or if someone had a heart attack or something, how long would they be in there until anyone noticed? I would like to install some cameras in both of the rooms w/ monitors in the Art room so we can see what's going on in there. However, the cameras can't have any sort of light on them as the rooms need to be pitch black. Has anyone done anything similar to this or have any ideas? PLEASE HELP!


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## analog.universe (Jun 8, 2011)

Infrared is my idea.  That's all I've got though, I don't know anything about infrared photography  

(except of course that it doesn't require visible light)


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## ann (Jun 8, 2011)

why not use some sort of switch that could be used to engage a light outside the door to alert someone that help was needed in the darkroom.

People who work in these types of rooms are use to working in the dark and move around easily.


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## c.cloudwalker (Jun 8, 2011)

I have a very simple idea but I'm wondering why you really want to know what's going on in there and the lab people don't care for you to know... Frankly, if it was a simple question of safety, it's very easy.


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## compur (Jun 8, 2011)

High tech solution:

[knock, knock, knock]

"Everybody OK in there?"


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## unpopular (Jun 8, 2011)

I'm curious why you need soundproof darkrooms?

Folks have been working in the dark for a long time, I'm not real sure that there is an issue. Cheap ir cameras from eBay should work, cheaper probably better since they'd emit less radiation and limit any off chance of fogging films or paper. Likewise you could just have a policy that techs must work in teams.

Of course, I think it's a bit odd that your employees spend so much time in there. From my experience you come out periodically since it's kinda hard to judge results in darkness and it's easier to just exit the darkroom than to put everything away and turn on the lights.


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## compur (Jun 8, 2011)

Here's a Durst Lamba 130:







According to the Durst Lambda 130 promotional material darkness is only needed for loading and unloading paper.


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## usayit (Jun 8, 2011)

School lab I was at once had an (for lack of a better way to describe) a "double S" hallway painted flat black.  No doors but the room inside can be made pitch black.   There was safety concerns (I think) with having doors so they had this hallway instead.


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## ann (Jun 9, 2011)

Then of course there is the standard revolving door for a darkroom.  But as has been pointed out this piece of equipment can be used in daylight conditions after the paper has been loaded.


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## djacobox372 (Jun 9, 2011)

You know businesses operated just fine before employers stared recording every second of their employee's behavior.

If you absolutely must record people in the darkness a thermal imaging camera is an expensive option.


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## jon_fredric (Jun 13, 2011)

thanks everyone for the feedback so far, I appreciate it. The rooms are not soundproof, it's just that if anyone was yelling for help it would be very difficult to hear because of the surrounding conditions. These are in a room with a revolving door, but I guess I'm not sure why that was even brought up? Again, this is not to "monitor" my employees, it's just a safety concern to me. The light idea is a good idea, my only concern there is if someone was caught in something or if they had a heart attack or something like that, then it may be hard for them to get to the switch.
Back to my main question: Does anyone know of a good night vision security camera that doesn't have a light on it?


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## Josh66 (Jun 13, 2011)

analog.universe said:


> Infrared is my idea.  That's all I've got though, I don't know anything about infrared photography
> 
> (except of course that it doesn't require visible light)


It would work, provided that you installed an IR light source, and also provided that the film/prints being worked on were not IR sensitive.


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## unpopular (Jun 13, 2011)

Ir thermal is definitely going to be cost preventative and are totally uneccesary, they can be found at scientific imaging providers, like Edmund Optic. I think for basic safety reasons any cheap night vision camera from eBay would work. They use them for security or wildlife viewing. Bushnell makes a few varieties aimed at hunters and naturalists. Have your technicians test the paper for sensitivity, or contact your paper manufacterer before loading the machine with a whole roll of paper. I'm sure though that it is very unlikely that the paper would be ir sensitive, but it's not impossible as the wavelengths of the exposure needn't directly correlate like it did before computers, especially if this is a laser-based unit, it might make sense that the paper is sensitive to ir.The revolving door came up because s-shaped light traps are another option, and would allow you to more easily hear if a problem came up.


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## Paul Ron (Jun 15, 2011)

If you are truely worried about the employee's safety, then instead of you watching them, how about giving them night vission and maybe a wireless panic button, like a wireless door belll setup or even a baby monitor intercom? This will avoid getting hurt in the  first place and give the ability to alert someone in the event of an accident. 

Security IR survalence cameras have gotten very cheap, the wireless door bells are $20 at Home Depot. 

Spy or alert?


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## JBArts (Jun 27, 2011)

It's fun to know about what you have experienced in your group. It's like more interesting for me to try new things! maybe you need to trained your team first lol


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## Mike_E (Jun 27, 2011)

A simple baby monitor would work.


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## Tiger (Jul 10, 2011)

When I first read this post, I assumed it was a joke (perhaps it is?). In all honesty there's more chance of an accident in daylight than in a darkroom. As has been said, people working in darkrooms are used to working in the dark. It's when they emerge from the darkroom that an accident is more likely to happen, due to the sudden change in light conditions. I've worked in darkrooms for 40 years without any accidents, primarily because those around me know where everything is and any darkroom (including my own) has a red safelight so it's not 100% dark. As for having a camera watching me, well it just wouldn't happen and I hope the OP is not seriously considering this. My advice is, have faith in your employees and leave well alone.


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## sjp117 (Jul 10, 2011)

Tiger said:


> My advice is, have faith in your employees and leave well alone.


Rank number 5 of the most common cause of death are accidents, if you know a solution for curing it you'll get a Nobel prize.

I have no knowledge of how security camera works, but a quick google of "infrared security camera" came up with cameras that cost less then $200.

If I was employed, I would like to have some sort of safety measures implemented in my working space. I would have less faith in my employer if he/she didn't care about my well being. Anything is better then getting injured or die.


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## den9 (Jul 10, 2011)

theres no much that can go wrong where you cant just walk out of the dark room. 

would you put a camera in the bathroom? god forbid they have a stroke on the toilet and no one to come rescue them.

all this is just about a boss not putting trust into his employees


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