jgrilo
Member
Hello,
Please help me create a minimum checklist of what is needed to develop (not print) my own B&W film at home. My "darkroom" cannot be more elaborate than a changing bag. What chemicals do you recommend if I use mostly Tri-X and Neopan?
Thanks!
Please help me create a minimum checklist of what is needed to develop (not print) my own B&W film at home. My "darkroom" cannot be more elaborate than a changing bag. What chemicals do you recommend if I use mostly Tri-X and Neopan?
Thanks!
Uncle Bill
Well-known
I recommend a D-76 developer, Stop, fix, photoflo, four graduates, one measuring graduate, either an AP or Patterson tank, a timer a place to dry your negs and you are set.
Michiel Fokkema
Michiel Fokkema
Changing bag is perfect.
developer tank plus reels
stopwatch
developer
stop bath
fixer
something to measure fluids
Bottles to keep your developer, stopbath and fixer.
photoflo
thermometer
Place to dry. I use the bathroom.
Pincers to hang the film
That's about it.
I use xtol as my standard developer.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
developer tank plus reels
stopwatch
developer
stop bath
fixer
something to measure fluids
Bottles to keep your developer, stopbath and fixer.
photoflo
thermometer
Place to dry. I use the bathroom.
Pincers to hang the film
That's about it.
I use xtol as my standard developer.
Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema
nikon_sam
Shooter of Film...
PrintFile negative sleeves & 3-ring binder for safe storage...
Sisyphus
Sisyphus
Here is my list:
1) Changing bag that does not leak light or a changing tent, which can be purchased through Calumet.
2) I would recommend stainless steel tanks. I use the larger tanks that can hold 8 reels of film. However, if you do not think you will be processing vast amounts of film I would recommend the tanks that can hold four reels at a time. These can be purchased through B&H Photo, also check various websites like Craigslist or ebay--used would be the way to go.
3) Stainless steel developing reels. I would recommend the Hewes stainless steel reels. They are designed to help you load the film easier than some of hte other reels.
4) Graduates: I use five 72 ounce. One for a pre-wash using permawash, water rinse at 68 degrees or cooler, one for developer, another water rinse also at 68 degrees, one for fixer.
5) Developer: You have a quite few choices here. D-76 is the standard, great developer. Xtol has some nice effects especially for making the skin look creamy, but I not really my aesthetic. Rodinal is my choice--1:25 processed for 12 minutes at 68 degrees or slightly cooler.
6) Stop Bath: you have two choices water, which dilutes the developer making it less affective or a chemical stop bath, which stops the developer chemically. I prefer water, accessibly available.
7) Fixer: You have a few choices here: With hardner or without. I prefer hardner. You also have pewder or liquid: I prefer liquid it already mixed for you. I also like the lauder fixer the one where it is already a stock solution and you dilute it 1:7 I believe.
A place to hang your film to dry: I use the bathroom, so if you live with roommates or an SO, make sure you put a lock on the outside of the door, and hide the key in a safe place.
8) A small but reasonably sized light table, which helps cutting your film into strips.
9) You need some sort of Archival sleeves--you have a lot of choices here too. Find one you like: I prefer the Print File sleeves, the one that holds five frames, and seven strips of film, and also has a sleeve for your contact sheets, which saves a lot of time when viewing your contacts--you know which negatives they already go to, and where that frame is.
10) Last you will need an archival box to hold your negatives: Again you have a lot of choices. You can find this at B&H photo or also Light Impressions lightimpressionsdirect.com
Hope that helps--these are just some recommendations. I would encourage to experiment to find the developer combination you like as well as the products that are available to suit your needs.
Good luck!
1) Changing bag that does not leak light or a changing tent, which can be purchased through Calumet.
2) I would recommend stainless steel tanks. I use the larger tanks that can hold 8 reels of film. However, if you do not think you will be processing vast amounts of film I would recommend the tanks that can hold four reels at a time. These can be purchased through B&H Photo, also check various websites like Craigslist or ebay--used would be the way to go.
3) Stainless steel developing reels. I would recommend the Hewes stainless steel reels. They are designed to help you load the film easier than some of hte other reels.
4) Graduates: I use five 72 ounce. One for a pre-wash using permawash, water rinse at 68 degrees or cooler, one for developer, another water rinse also at 68 degrees, one for fixer.
5) Developer: You have a quite few choices here. D-76 is the standard, great developer. Xtol has some nice effects especially for making the skin look creamy, but I not really my aesthetic. Rodinal is my choice--1:25 processed for 12 minutes at 68 degrees or slightly cooler.
6) Stop Bath: you have two choices water, which dilutes the developer making it less affective or a chemical stop bath, which stops the developer chemically. I prefer water, accessibly available.
7) Fixer: You have a few choices here: With hardner or without. I prefer hardner. You also have pewder or liquid: I prefer liquid it already mixed for you. I also like the lauder fixer the one where it is already a stock solution and you dilute it 1:7 I believe.
A place to hang your film to dry: I use the bathroom, so if you live with roommates or an SO, make sure you put a lock on the outside of the door, and hide the key in a safe place.
8) A small but reasonably sized light table, which helps cutting your film into strips.
9) You need some sort of Archival sleeves--you have a lot of choices here too. Find one you like: I prefer the Print File sleeves, the one that holds five frames, and seven strips of film, and also has a sleeve for your contact sheets, which saves a lot of time when viewing your contacts--you know which negatives they already go to, and where that frame is.
10) Last you will need an archival box to hold your negatives: Again you have a lot of choices. You can find this at B&H photo or also Light Impressions lightimpressionsdirect.com
Hope that helps--these are just some recommendations. I would encourage to experiment to find the developer combination you like as well as the products that are available to suit your needs.
Good luck!
charjohncarter
Veteran
If you want to make life easy use HC-110 or Rodinal.
srtiwari
Daktari
Sisyphus,
Sorry to sound dumb, but-
Does this mean you use the graduates, and then throw away all, since no bottles are mentioned ? Also, could you make a quick note about your process ? I know some people pre-soak, use running water, etc . ?
Sorry to sound dumb, but-
Does this mean you use the graduates, and then throw away all, since no bottles are mentioned ? Also, could you make a quick note about your process ? I know some people pre-soak, use running water, etc . ?
stuken
Established
If you run the hot water for 5 or 10 minutes in the shower and then let the room sit for 20-25 minutes before hanging film in the bathroom this will help to get rid of dust settling on the negs.
kmack
do your job, then let go
Almost all of my glassware came from Mountain Home Biological cheap and good quality glassware, nice people to deal with.
I have a single 250 ml graduated cylinder, a 10 ml syringe that I got at my local drugstore, two 600 ml graduated beakers and a few amber bottles in 250ml 500ml, and a couple 1 liter bottles for fixer and when I want to mix up some D76 and a few one gallon amber clorox bottles I got at a flea market.
You will get lots of opinions about chemicals, I use Pyrocat-MC for sheet film and D76 or HC110 for roll film, Ilford fixer, Kodak Photo-flo, no stop bath, I just use a water stop.
I keep a liter of working fixer in an amber bottle and discard it when it is exhausted.
I use a steel two roll tank and I keep a half dozen cheap steel reels on hand. If I bend a reel or it gives me trouble I toss it and grab the next one.
Dark bag to load the tank, a kitchen timer, a good partial Immersion lab thermometer, latex gloves (Sams club) and a large bag of glass marbles. (I use the marbles to top off my developer and fixer, just drop a few in as you use the stuff to reduce the volume of air in the bottle.) Wooden cloths pins to hang film to dry.
I can use my tap water, I have my own well and water conditioning system. I try to fill the clorox bottles with water the night before I am going to develop film. I then measure the temp of the water and modify my developing time based on the temp. That way my water and all of my chemicals are at the same temp. After fixing I use the "Ilford Wash" method so I can develop about 4 rolls of film with two gallons of water. I like to develop my film after I finish a roll so it is seldom that I have more than two or three rolls to do. I filled up one of my clorox bottles tonight because I have two rolls that I will be developing tomorrow.
I buy chemicals in small amounts, the volume of film I go through is not that high so I would rather not waste them.
I have a single 250 ml graduated cylinder, a 10 ml syringe that I got at my local drugstore, two 600 ml graduated beakers and a few amber bottles in 250ml 500ml, and a couple 1 liter bottles for fixer and when I want to mix up some D76 and a few one gallon amber clorox bottles I got at a flea market.
You will get lots of opinions about chemicals, I use Pyrocat-MC for sheet film and D76 or HC110 for roll film, Ilford fixer, Kodak Photo-flo, no stop bath, I just use a water stop.
I keep a liter of working fixer in an amber bottle and discard it when it is exhausted.
I use a steel two roll tank and I keep a half dozen cheap steel reels on hand. If I bend a reel or it gives me trouble I toss it and grab the next one.
Dark bag to load the tank, a kitchen timer, a good partial Immersion lab thermometer, latex gloves (Sams club) and a large bag of glass marbles. (I use the marbles to top off my developer and fixer, just drop a few in as you use the stuff to reduce the volume of air in the bottle.) Wooden cloths pins to hang film to dry.
I can use my tap water, I have my own well and water conditioning system. I try to fill the clorox bottles with water the night before I am going to develop film. I then measure the temp of the water and modify my developing time based on the temp. That way my water and all of my chemicals are at the same temp. After fixing I use the "Ilford Wash" method so I can develop about 4 rolls of film with two gallons of water. I like to develop my film after I finish a roll so it is seldom that I have more than two or three rolls to do. I filled up one of my clorox bottles tonight because I have two rolls that I will be developing tomorrow.
I buy chemicals in small amounts, the volume of film I go through is not that high so I would rather not waste them.
Last edited:
dap
Established
I think that the others have pretty well covered what you need - I'll just add one develper option to the mix. DIAFINE - almost foolproof (very easy for beginners to get great results), very forgiving as far as temperature is concerned, and as a bonus - the working solution lasts a LONG time. Diafine will also give your film a push (example, Tri-x is a 1250 iso film if developed in diafine).
If you decide to go with stainless reels, I would definately take Sisyphus's advice - get Hewes reels. They are much easier to load and much more durable than the cheaper brands. They may cost a bit more but they will save you major headaches.
Have fun!
If you decide to go with stainless reels, I would definately take Sisyphus's advice - get Hewes reels. They are much easier to load and much more durable than the cheaper brands. They may cost a bit more but they will save you major headaches.
Have fun!
Sisyphus
Sisyphus
Srtiwarti,
hi, it is a good question you ask especially if you are unfamiliar with how things work in the darkroom.
The graduates are reuseable for years on end, and if wash them really well after each use you can keep them fairly new looking. there are several types of graduates, from plastic to stainless steel. i have been using plastic graduates for years, which I think hold a Litre or is Liter of water equivalent to 70 ounces of liquid.
As far as my process here is what I do:
1) I label all of my graduates one for Prewash, one for Developer, one or two for the Stop bath, which is water, and one for fix. I do't really know how much this matters, but I prefer to make sure that the same chemistry continously goes into the same graduate as before, as they tend to leave a little residue no matter how well you wash them.
2) I mix all the chemistry that I am going to use ahead of time, including to make sure the temperature is at 68 degrees or little lower as the water tends to warm up a little while it sits there.
3) Prewash: I use permawash, I pour into the graduate as so i can measure according to the amount I need to use for developing. I pour it in the tank and agitate it for minute. I pour it back into the graduate and later back into my stock solution of permawash. A stock solution is about 125 ounces of water 3 ounces of permawash, according to the label on the bottle. the pre-wash, so i have been told, helps to prepare the film for the developer, it makes the film wet, which allows the developer to immediately affect the film. I am not sure if this true or not, but I have noticed that the development seems to be more even, compared to when I do not use a prewash.
4) Rinse: I then rinse the film of any residue from the permawash using water. I will continously agitate the film for one minute.
5) Developer, There are many ways to agitate your film with developer depending one what kind of results that you want. Here is my method, and agian i encourage you to experiment as there are so many possibilities.
Once all the developer is in the tank I will agitate my film not too soft, but not too harsh, it is so subjective that this difficult to describe, and many people on this forum all have their own technique. Basically if you do not want too much contrast then agitate lightly, or if you want a lot of contrast agitate the film quickly. or if you want it somewhere in between. One thing I do is to make sure that the canister is completely upside down before I turn rightside up and vice versa. Also if you know that your underexposed your film then I would agitate it a little more quicly or vice versa.
I usually agitate my film for the first minute, then 10 seconds at the 30 second mark. so when the big hand is at the 12 and 6 I start my agitation cycle for 10 seconds--I still use analog for film processing timers--I just liek the aesthetic and the sound of the clock ticking--it is a very sensory process for me.
Once the time is up, pour and pray your film came out. I pour it down the sink, as most developers can not be reused.
6) Again, I rinse with water, but before I pour the water in I check to make sure the temp is 68 degrees or 20 degrees celcius. I use a digital thermometer, one made specifically for the darkroom, also purchased from B&H or the Kodak thermometer that is about $30.00-40.00 USD, but I broke too man of those, and the seem to have become more expensive.
7) After the second water rinse or stop bath procedure, I pour the fix in, and use the same agitation--one minute for the first minute then every 30 second mark for 5-6 minutes if my fix is fresh. if it is a little exhausted then maybe 10-12 minutes.
Once I am done, I pour the fix back into the graduate as it can be reused for a while. I use one of many fix check to see if it is still usable. If it isn't the fix indicator will make a small area of the fix cloudy.
8) I then wash again in water for about a minute, then permas wash it for about a minute or two with continous agitation, then wash it using film washer for about 10-30 minutes.
I hope this helps, if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them for you. I would encourage you to experiment if you have time especially with different developers, and please remember this is only one method to process film. Even if you vary your temperature to 75 degrees you can process the film for less time, and still yield interesting results--For the aesthetic that I am after in this moment of time i like the 66-68 degrees.
Ansel adams book the negative he also has the camera and the print.
And then another really great series are the technical pocket book series the editor is Sidney F. Ray. There are a total of six in the series---the ones I would recommend are:
1) Chemistry and Processing and Printing and enlarging. Just pick and choose what you think might applies to you, but I have found them useful. The other series are excellent, but a little too technical for my interest.
I hope this helps . . . once you processed some film, plese post some results.
hi, it is a good question you ask especially if you are unfamiliar with how things work in the darkroom.
The graduates are reuseable for years on end, and if wash them really well after each use you can keep them fairly new looking. there are several types of graduates, from plastic to stainless steel. i have been using plastic graduates for years, which I think hold a Litre or is Liter of water equivalent to 70 ounces of liquid.
As far as my process here is what I do:
1) I label all of my graduates one for Prewash, one for Developer, one or two for the Stop bath, which is water, and one for fix. I do't really know how much this matters, but I prefer to make sure that the same chemistry continously goes into the same graduate as before, as they tend to leave a little residue no matter how well you wash them.
2) I mix all the chemistry that I am going to use ahead of time, including to make sure the temperature is at 68 degrees or little lower as the water tends to warm up a little while it sits there.
3) Prewash: I use permawash, I pour into the graduate as so i can measure according to the amount I need to use for developing. I pour it in the tank and agitate it for minute. I pour it back into the graduate and later back into my stock solution of permawash. A stock solution is about 125 ounces of water 3 ounces of permawash, according to the label on the bottle. the pre-wash, so i have been told, helps to prepare the film for the developer, it makes the film wet, which allows the developer to immediately affect the film. I am not sure if this true or not, but I have noticed that the development seems to be more even, compared to when I do not use a prewash.
4) Rinse: I then rinse the film of any residue from the permawash using water. I will continously agitate the film for one minute.
5) Developer, There are many ways to agitate your film with developer depending one what kind of results that you want. Here is my method, and agian i encourage you to experiment as there are so many possibilities.
Once all the developer is in the tank I will agitate my film not too soft, but not too harsh, it is so subjective that this difficult to describe, and many people on this forum all have their own technique. Basically if you do not want too much contrast then agitate lightly, or if you want a lot of contrast agitate the film quickly. or if you want it somewhere in between. One thing I do is to make sure that the canister is completely upside down before I turn rightside up and vice versa. Also if you know that your underexposed your film then I would agitate it a little more quicly or vice versa.
I usually agitate my film for the first minute, then 10 seconds at the 30 second mark. so when the big hand is at the 12 and 6 I start my agitation cycle for 10 seconds--I still use analog for film processing timers--I just liek the aesthetic and the sound of the clock ticking--it is a very sensory process for me.
Once the time is up, pour and pray your film came out. I pour it down the sink, as most developers can not be reused.
6) Again, I rinse with water, but before I pour the water in I check to make sure the temp is 68 degrees or 20 degrees celcius. I use a digital thermometer, one made specifically for the darkroom, also purchased from B&H or the Kodak thermometer that is about $30.00-40.00 USD, but I broke too man of those, and the seem to have become more expensive.
7) After the second water rinse or stop bath procedure, I pour the fix in, and use the same agitation--one minute for the first minute then every 30 second mark for 5-6 minutes if my fix is fresh. if it is a little exhausted then maybe 10-12 minutes.
Once I am done, I pour the fix back into the graduate as it can be reused for a while. I use one of many fix check to see if it is still usable. If it isn't the fix indicator will make a small area of the fix cloudy.
8) I then wash again in water for about a minute, then permas wash it for about a minute or two with continous agitation, then wash it using film washer for about 10-30 minutes.
I hope this helps, if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them for you. I would encourage you to experiment if you have time especially with different developers, and please remember this is only one method to process film. Even if you vary your temperature to 75 degrees you can process the film for less time, and still yield interesting results--For the aesthetic that I am after in this moment of time i like the 66-68 degrees.
Ansel adams book the negative he also has the camera and the print.
And then another really great series are the technical pocket book series the editor is Sidney F. Ray. There are a total of six in the series---the ones I would recommend are:
1) Chemistry and Processing and Printing and enlarging. Just pick and choose what you think might applies to you, but I have found them useful. The other series are excellent, but a little too technical for my interest.
I hope this helps . . . once you processed some film, plese post some results.