Not Again! Another Firsttimer B+W Film Developer...

[wjlapier]

Actually, I'm more interested in opinions about chemicals for a firsttimer, and not so much how to do it. There is plenty of info and videos on the net for developing. I did read the other thread about buying a kit, and the link to freeestyle, which got me thinking about it again.

So, here is what I have coming from a used equipment sale:

SS tank and reels for 35mm and 120
SS clips
opener and squeegie
Timer

I have Kodak Tmax 100 and some 400, and more Tmax 100 coming as well as neg sleeves too.

I'll buy a changing bag and chemicals from freestyle:

Arista bag 27x30

All chemicals Kodak for now as I learn the developing first:

Developer HC110--makes 2 gallons
Stop Indicator 16 oz.
Fixer Kodafix liquid makes 1 gallon
Photo Flo

I'll find storage and graduated containers local.

Should this be fine for a firsttimer? Anything I'm missing?

I have a Coolscan V I'll might use for scanning, but I would like to now how well I did with exposure and developing--would a trip to Walgreens for prints be fine, or will the negs scan OK?

Bill

 

[David William White]

You might do okay scanning your negatives, but the scanner adjusts each scan, so it's hard to know if you are getting uniformity of exposure. The contact sheet is the best way to see if your exposure and development are in the right ballpark. If you are going to make a habit of developing yourself, you should probably make your own contact sheets, at least for the first few rolls.

I won't go into the details of the process, but you will need very little on top of what you're already buying. Just add some 8x10 paper and some paper developer, a tabletop, a piece of glass, a safelight of some sort. You don't need an enlarger, just a consistent light source, and a timer that beeps or something.

D.

 

[nikon_sam]

Thermometer...

 

[wjlapier]

Thermometer...

Oh yeah...temp seems to be important!

 

[venchka]

Save your money. Use plain tap water at the same temp. as the developer to stop the developer.

Kodak Rapid-Fix. Don't mix the hardener in the fix.

HC-110 is ok. Mix as you use and discard used developer. Don't be afraid of Rodinal, D-76, Xtol, Microdol-X, etc.

Don't be afraid of Plus-X, Tri-x, Neopan 100 Acros, PanF+, Hp5+, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Al Kaplan]

Wood clothes pins (plastic slips) work as well as stainless steel film clips. Plastic soda (Coke or whatever) bottles work as well as anything, and they're free. You can buy funnels and measuring cups at the dollar store.

 

[drewbarb]

Use a perma wash- it'll help to eliminate the fix from your materials, and shortens wash times. After the fix, give your film a quick wash (say two minutes, or three or four changes of water) then 2 to 3 minutes in perma-wash, before your final wash.

About stop bath: you don't really need one- and some developers (like Diafine) call for the film not to be exposed to an acid environment. Many folks do just fine with a plain water rinse; but- using an acid stop with developers where doing so is not contra-indicated will shorten fix times and extend the life of your fixer. I use dilute distilled white vinegar as stop bath, for films and papers. It's cheap, environmentally sound, and works like a charm.

Another point: not that you asked, butit doesn't matter which brands of chemistry you use. Aside from weird things- like Diafine, which wants an alkaline fix rather than acid- you can use any fix with any developer. When used properly, they all work equally well, and all cost about the same. Pick stuff that's affordable and convenient for you to get. Settle on one developer for starters, until you really get to know how it works with your film- then you can try others.

Have fun!

 

[dfoo]

Use a perma wash- it'll help to eliminate the fix from your materials, and shortens wash times. After the fix, give your film a quick wash (say two minutes, or three or four changes of water) then 2 to 3 minutes in perma-wash, before your final wash.

I use the ilford wash which, although according to a very long thread on APUG is not sufficient to clear the fix from the film, seems to work fine for me. Its very quick. I don't use hypo. I add water, 5 inversions, drain. Repeat for 10, repeat for 20, and then I add 40. Done. I don't know the long term permanence of my negs, although some I have which are now ~5 years old seem to be fine.

 

[Ronald M]

Fresh fix to get the pink dye out of T-Max. Then use Ilford wash sequence. If there is still pink in the wash water or film base, simply soak the film changing water every minute until the pink is gone. If the fix is not fresh, you can wash `til the cows come home and it will still be pink.

D76 or Xtol will get better tones with T-Max than HC110 but you will need to be experienced to see it. That is why on the Kodak site , D76 is in bold type, HC110 is not.
Decades back the bold was called a primary recomendation and all they data reflected this nomenclature. All that is left is bold type no explanation.

Mix your HC from syrup. 1:31. 8 CC or 8 ml plus 242 ml water. Read the bottom of the miniscus using a 10 ml graduated cylinder. You need accurate measurements and that means a grad cyl with the size geared so it is close to full. Use a transfer pippette or eye dropper to move the syrup. Rinse out the grad cyl so you pick up all the syrup.
If you don`t do this correctly and the same every time, mix the stock HC110 and dilute from there. Consistency is the key to accurate repeatable results.

You can`t measure 8 ml in a 50 ml cylinder and get it right.

Throw away the squegee before you scratch some film. Use Photo Flow 1:200 and just hang it up and let it drip dry. The cleaner the darkroom and water, the less retouching you will do. Air and water filters will save you. Film does not come with crud on it. If there is crud on it after drying, you put it there one way or another.

 

[Ducky]

I keep a few old milk bottles full of tap water to get them to room temp. I avoid needing a thermometer by mixing and washing everything at room temp with a minor reduction in dev. time since room temp is higher than the recommended temp.
It is amazing how flexible the process is until you experiment and find exactly what you are looking for in the neg.
Keep notes.

 

[venchka]

I mix Photo-Flo in distilled water. Discard after a few rolls or a few days whicherver comes first.

I'm sorry. I must disagree with the wash aid for film. If using the Ilford wash sequence, how much water & time could be saved? If you must wash, then rinse in wash-aid then wash again, what's the point of the wash-aid?

 

[JoeV]

Also 91% IPA(isopropyl alcohol, not India Pale Ale [until afterwards]), which you can mix ~50/50 with distilled water and a drop of Photoflo, helps the water on the film to dry quicker.

~Joe

 

[drewbarb]

what's the point of the wash-aid?

The point is that the chemistry is a more effective agent than water to remove the fix from the film. Yes, the Ilford wash method works- and I use a version of this method- but perma-wash gets more fix out of the emulsion, no matter how many exchanges of water you use.

 

[dfoo]

You should read the thread on APUG. In particular pay attention to PE. Very enlightening...

 

[Chris101]

... I must disagree with the wash aid for film. If using the Ilford wash sequence, how much water & time could be saved? If you must wash, then rinse in wash-aid then wash again, what's the point of the wash-aid?

Use the hypo-clear, then wash for 20 minutes, store your negatives in an acid free environment, and your great, great grandchildren will be able to print your negatives.




That is, if they remember how to do that in 2109.

 

[charjohncarter]

Whatever you do, at first, keep it simple.

 

[trip-xa]

I just jumped back into the tank with a haul from Freestyle. I cut costs by buying the Freestyle version of HC110, K110. It lacks the viscosity of HC110. I liked it at dilution B. Want to try H next. With HC110, the short developing times scare me a bit.

 

[Tom A]

Avoid using acid stop bath with thin emulsion films like Delta/Acros and even some of the 400 asa films (Tmax/Delta etc) as it can cause pinholes in the emulsion. I do 2 full water "dumps" in between developer/fix cycle.
Keep notes on what you are doing, times. temperatures and also on your exposures. Initially it is boring to do so, but in the end you will figure out what works for you. All of us develop and expose differently, but a good starting point is the manufacturers recommendation. Shoot a couple of rolls and process according to the box. Look at the negatives and see if you are consistently over or under exposing and correct either your asa or developing.
Once you get the negs that you want - keep shooting that way for the stuff that counts. It is OK to experiment and try other films/developers - but keep a "standard" procedure should always be available for when you want to be sure.

 

[venchka]

OK. I have a bottle of sodium sulfite I bought to clear Polaroid Type 55 P/N. That ain't going to happen. I'll mix some at 2 teaspoons per liter and use it for clearing the fix.

On the other hand, my negatives from 1969 don't look too shabby. No wash aid. For sure not washed for 20 minutes. I was blissfully ignorant!