Description
- Compact size (5.5″x8″)
- Agitation, temperature and timings control.
- Compatible with the Paterson super system 4 tanks: 2 reel, 3 reel and 5-reel.
- Fully customizable parameters.
- Internal memory records how many rolls have been processed and automatically compensates by adding extra time.
- Easy to clean and store when not in use.
- Spill-resistant construction.
Contents:
- PIRA – Darkroom Helper device. Developing tank not included.
- Magnetic disc with two column size adapter: for use with either 2 reel or 3 / 5 reel tank.
- Retaining steel clamp. Optional use when developing a single roll to keep reel from lifting up in the column.
- Removable low friction liners for the bottom of the tank (3pcs).
- 12VDC wall adapter. Ships with US, Euro, UK or Australian plug depending on destination.
- 6x additional removable magnets. Optional use when working with heavier loads like the 5-reel tank to increase magnetic strength.
Have more than one tank? Add an accessories kit to your order and process more film in a single session:
https://darkroomhelper.pira.mx/product/darkroom-helper-accessories/
NOTES:
For US orders there’s no additional tariffs or customs fees.
Other regions: VAT/GST/duties or taxes may be due before delivery.
American Express card holders: Please use PayPal to complete your order.
Last page update: 4-03-26
aarnolog –
The darkroom helper is just the perfect fit for me to start my own little lab and enables me to achieve professional and constant results.
Also, I am very stunned by the superb build quality of the machine.
Furthermore it is possible to swap parts inside the machine which paired with the top notch advice of the inventor enables long term use at its finest.
William Ryan –
Firstly, super impressed with the shipping. It took less than a week to get here to the U.S., which coming internationally and during The Holiday Season is frankly amazing. The item itself is well-made with easy to follow instructions. I probably won’t be using it for BW development as I find that easy enough to handle myself. But for color, this device will be so, so crucially helpful. I set my recipe in no time. The menus are very intuitive. All the settings and functionality work as they should. Good motor. Good heating. I’ll be using a 2-reel patterson (maybe Arista) tank so can’t speak to how well the motor handles/balances larger containers. But for my purposes, I can see exactly how this will make my life ten times easier.
The heat compensation is what really drew me, even if you have to bring the chems to temp beforehand. Having a mechanism to stabilize and account for small fluctuations is golden. Anyway, I justed wanted to write a preliminary review before I forget. It’s really heartening to see passion poured into a project like this, so well designed and thought out for what is essentially a niche community. We’ve got some good people on our side. I’ll update if anything malfunctions during the first roll, although if it does it’ll likely be my own error. This is the last piece in my home dev set up.
Philip Wright –
I’ve been developing film for 55 years and this little device comes as a breath of fresh air. Until I first used it today, I didn’t appreciate how great a relief from the tedium of standing by to agitate the tank could be. That it maintains the correct temperature is a welcome bonus.
Having watched the video and read the excellent manual that comes with it I felt confident from the start, and it really was an easy process once my initial nervousness was overcome. I ran one roll of FP4+ through to familiarize myself with it, and to my relief the roll came out perfectly developed. One thing I would have liked to have seen, and I’d like to request of Daniel, is a further step in the black and white program for those of us who use hypo clear after fixing.
By no means a deal breaker – it is simple to do this extra step away from the machine and then resume for the wetting agent step – just a nice-to-have if possible.
Shipping to Australia, packing and communication from Daniel were all first class. Overall I am so glad I bought this device and can’t wait to use it more – for me it has made film processing so much more enjoyable, just like when i first started all those years ago.
Lasaro Abalos –
This is a game-changer for film photographers. Once you program your development settings, the device makes the process effortless and consistent every time. It’s easier to use and more affordable than other options on the market, and the quality is outstanding. If you’re on the fence, don’t hesitate—this product is absolutely worth it. Support the creator and elevate your film developing experience—you won’t regret it.
Daniel DeSclafani –
Honestly, best money I have spent in film photography yet. Always used to just agitate by hand, but it was very annoying having to sit there waiting for agitation every 15 or 30 seconds. It felt like developing would take forever, yet I also had no time because I had to be there every couple of seconds to agitate.
I have processed 12 rolls with this already. I think its priced incredibly well and every feature this has is actually useful. Keeping track of rolls processed, increasing processing time if you need it, and one I really enjoy that was a welcome bonus is the heater. I can keep temps so much easier when developing, its just very nice to have. 10 times out of 10, I’m going with the darkroom helper over the Ago processor. Way more cost effective and way more useful. Very happy with my purchase.
Jeff Craddock –
I was looking for something different than the simple rotary system I was using for C-41 and for various black and white films and developers. Saw an ad for the Darkroom helper and it appealed to me . I like that it replicates up right tank development like I used to do . I also really like the presets for setting up a development routine.
With the Darkroom helper you can turn on and select the routine you want, times , agitations , heat for c-41 or what particular black and white film your developing and push start and the Darkroom Helper does the rest. You can easily change the routine at any time. Takes up a much smaller footprint also Seems very we built and designed .
Steven Almanza –
Dan is the man! I have been looking around for a machine to better automate my work flow and save me some money and the darkroom helper by far is the best thing ever. I shoot a lot of slide film and it can be a bit expensive to develop at labs and it can also be challenging to do at home since temperatures have to be on point.
With the darkroom helper, developing slide at home has been a breeze. Words can’t describe how much of a help this little machine has been and Dan has been a help with questions about it too!
Craig W. –
Today I used this for the first time for 3 batches of B&W. I used Cinestill DF96 in a 3 reel tank and 2×5 reel tanks. I did the 3 reel upright and the 5-reel on its side. I used the extra magnet kits, all of them for the 5 reel tanks on their side. Zero issues with rotation in either scenario. DF96 is another story though. But that is my fault and not the device.
Rolls were all evenly developed on the side, even using a little more than half the developer and constant rotation with reversal.
Rolls were even developed, including the underdeveloped ones – I mixed too many different types of film and DF96 was a poor choice – so my fault.
Very easy to program the unit and I love how quiet it is. I can use this in the mornings going forward as it will not wake anyone up.
I do want to try my 8-reel tank but the timing of when I loaded these other tanks precluded me from doing that this time. The 5-reel rotation was very solid with 6 magnets, so I suspect the 8 will be no issue. I bought some extra adapters already and intend to buy even more as I own a lot of tanks and will equip every one with these. One small suggestion for the extra magnets – a removal device would be very helpful. I suggest a tube with another magnet of reverse pole that slips over the accessory magnet and can capture it. Leave the sides of the tube slit open for easy removal.
And perhaps just a slight taper of the inner circumference, not even a magnet, is all that is needed. Otherwise, a perfect unit that I hope lasts me a long time.
piotr.hernik@mailplus.pl –
The Pira MX film processor has opened up a whole new world of developing C‑41 negatives on my own—the device’s programming is delightfully simple. It lets me process more rolls at once while keeping everything consistent and under tighter control. Daniel is a wonderful person, responds to messages very quickly, and the unit arrived safely in Poland. I’m absolutely delighted.
Michael Haarstad –
I so far have only developed BW film at home but I’ve begun pushing my film further and further with xtol. This meant incredibly long dev times that made manual inversion a real hassle. The pira processor allowed me to set it and return when dev is complete. The interface is very straightforward and I appreciate it’s all done on the machine and not requiring any app. The only finicky part is a plastic stop that must be placed on the center column. It’s a must be a tight fit so it’s a little scary getting on and off. Outside that it’s a well put together package that has worked perfectly for me so far.
Jocelyn Simard –
After 2 weeks now, I can say that the Darkroom Helper is not only very affordable, very well thought out for its counter space, but of remarkable efficiency. Manual development is interesting at first, but the routine is installed, it quickly becomes a less interesting task, especially when you have several films to develop. With this wonderful instrument, I am now looking forward to the film development phase, no matter the number to be treated. Thank you Dan for the fast delivery, and the very detailed support on your advice. I recommend it without reservation, to all those who are looking to automate their work, at an affordable price and of very good quality.
Nicholas Proctor –
TBH, I enjoyed using the Darkroom Helper. At first it was tricky finding the right settings for my film, but now it’s a real time saver.
To anyone looking for a good processor this is it and it’s very affordable.
Jack Agopian –
In my opinion this is the best automated developing station I have ever used. It is simple where it needs to be, and has well thought out touches in the programming. The build quality feels superb, and it works with my Paterson tank as if it were an OEM product. I appreciate the heat control and automated nature, which has helped immensely in further simplifying the process of developing at home.
Scott Hogan –
I hate developing film, mostly the time waiting between long agitation. I owned a Jobo and Photo Therm SK8 for years to much work and chemistry need for the small amount of rolls developed not worth the trouble.
After careful consideration I purchased the Darkroom Helper before it was even available, I looked at other brands but this seemed to be what I was looking for small footprint and plenty of features after a few uses I ordered a second for backup and color film or to develop multiple rolls at one time.
This is a great little machine that can deliver as intended for a very reasonable price!
If you are looking for a film developing machine get this you won’t be sorry!!
Also Daniel is great and responsive to all questions in very timely manner.
James Sharp –
Easy to use. Better than other “automatic” developer/processors I (or friends) have used. Really consistent results. A couple of months ago I developed my first C41 film using the Helper – it made it a breeze and gave great results.
So far used it to develop mostly 35mm but have done 110 and 120. I haven’t used my 4×5 camera in a while but plan to try the Helper for that too and compare to the Stearman tank. I worked out I can use less chemicals with the Helper and tank on its sides. So looking forward to see the results.
Bill Reynolds –
Great product, tank heater works well to keep temperatures consistent. I get the best results using the slow speed agitaion setting, have been developing 120 and 4×5 film with good results, highly recommend.
Kacie –
Very innovative, compact, and easy-to-use machine. Perfect for film processing in small volumes, with less hassle than having to manually invert the tank yourself.
Eric –
What a great device! I used to develop C41 B&W by hand and the darkroom helper makes things so much easier. Just pour the chemicals in and let it do its thing. Customizing programs for different film types is easy and flexible, especially how it automatically adds development time when reusing chemicals or pushing/pulling film. I chose the darkroom helper for its ability to maintain the tanks temperature because I felt like it gave the most control.
I’ve developed 35mm, 120 and 4×5 film all with great results. I don’t miss having to do manual inversions, watching the clock or having to burp the stupid Patterson cover to prevent leaks.
Customer support is also great. I emailed Dan with some questions and suggestions and he hooked me up with a bunch of test stuff free of charge.
Nicholas –
I was very new to developing film myself but was already shooting a whole lot of formats and types. 35mm, 120, 4×5, B&W, C-41, E-6, ECN2. It was costing me a ton to develop at a lab, so decided to figure out how to do all this myself. I was recommended the Darkroom Helper by a couple other people who had one and I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t had a single thing go wrong with development yet, and I attribute a lot of the success to the Darkroom Helper eliminating the possibilities for human error out of several of the steps. Once I hit start on the DRH it is smooth sailing. I very much enjoy developing all my film now and save a veritable ton of money. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to develop their own film.
Marc –
I was looking for a solution to help me in my processing, and I couldn’t find a machine that really was tailored to my needs. I usually do a very long process (B&W reversal) with a lot of different chemicals and I didn’t wanted a continuous rotary system, so most of the usual machinery were not for me. Then I found the Darkroom helper and it ticked all the boxes. Can’t be happier now. Consistent, effortless results in any process I do. And it has a very good price too!
JT –
Makes my life so much more efficient. I don’t have to sit around for 10+ minutes (sometimes 20+) making sure I agitate the tank. The darkroom helper is really one of a kind.
Amund Blix Aaeng –
This thing is remarkable, makes it so easy to develop film, could not be happier! The review above said most, 100% agree.
angelo koyfalas –
Hand-developing B&W film takes a good amount of time; and C-41 requires a great deal of precision. Now I can let the Darkroom Helper handle the tedious work and enjoy effortless, consistent results.
With a fully customizable, in-depth process, this machine preserves the creativity of film developing while eliminating the unpredictable flaws and inconsistencies of human operation.