2nd roll of a film in a decade

[gshybrid]

I got to try an M3 last week and liked it so much that this week I bought an M6ttl... I like the 35mm frame lines and the meter makes things a little easier. I shot these with Tri-x and I bought some Plus-x for my next roll. How many of you are processing your own film? It's been a while but I want to give it a try. I am a little worried about loosing shots in the process.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Nice work!
Heaps of us are doing our own film processing. Some are doing wet printing but I suspect there are many more doing a hybrid process of self-process the film then scan and make digital prints. I do a bit of both, depending on time and inclination but I bought a new scanner and printer six months ago so you can see where I'm leaning!
You shouldn't be worried about losing shots. Home processing in a Paterson tank or similar is very easy. I can't speak about Kodak but the Ilford site has downloadable pdf data sheets for all their films and chemicals which include development instructions.
My only suggestion to you at this stage is you follow the 'standard' method until you're confident the results are consistent and you maybe want to try something a little different. There are all sorts of methods involving dilutions, agitation, stand times etc used by many people here but I'd suggest nailing the basics first before getting too adventurous. They all work but run close to the edge and can tip into failure unless you're quite sure about what you're doing.
If you need a list of necessary equipment or where to buy chemicals in the USA just ask. You'll probably get more help than you can stand!

 

[EcoLeica]

Processing your own black and white is dead easy and I encourage you to try it for yourself. As leigh said developing tanks can be had for next to nothing these days and this site may be helpful to you http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php

stevetingphotography.blogspot.com

 

[jasonhupe]

What scanner were these shots done on, very nice tonality. Enjoy the new camera.

 

[gshybrid]

What scanner were these shots done on, very nice tonality. Enjoy the new camera.

I'm not sure what scanner the lab(Panda Labs) uses but I was told they were low res reference scans, not suitable for printing but good for the web. I tweaked them a little in Camera Raw. This week I also bought an old Canon FS4000 scanner from KEH. I haven't received it yet but I'm looking forward to having control of the scanning process.

I've been searching and reading through RFF posts about developing film and there is a lot to digest. Seems like most people are using Paterson tanks and Rodinal. I haven't found much on the plusses and minuses of different chemicals but I still have a lot to read.

 

[Chris101]

Most B&W shooters do their own developing because it keeps you in the decision making process right up to the point that you pour the fixer into the tank.

Try the Paterson tank/reels, and try a steel tank with Hewes reels as well. I use some old, no-name steel reels because that's how I learned, and because I could never get the hang of plastic ones. Plus the steel tank takes exactly one pint, which is easy for me to deal with. Most folk are just the opposite, and find plastic reels easier than the metal ones.

I think of rodinal as a specialty developer, it's forte is developing slow film and delivering a very long tonal range. It's especially good at preserving highlight detail. With fast film, it tends to produce clumpy grain. General purpose developers are HC110 (liquid - also Ilfotec HC) and D76 (powder - or ID-11 or Sprint). If you are lazy, HC110 mixes quickly and develops very fast. It is my preferred developer for ALL films. D76 gives a bit more structure to the grain, but HC110 is very versatile as far as dilution goes - if you halve the concentration, double the time.

I use tap water instead of stop bath, and rapid fixer. I use Hypo Clearing Agent if I have it, or not if I don't, and always give my film a final rinse in Photoflo solution, diluted according to the instructions, and mixed with distilled water to prevent spots.

Many home developers dry their film by hanging it in an enclosed shower to minimise dust. After it's dry, I cut it into 5 frame strips and put it into PrintFile pages.

 

[gshybrid]

Most B&W shooters do their own developing because it keeps you in the decision making process right up to the point that you pour the fixer into the tank.

Try the Paterson tank/reels, and try a steel tank with Hewes reels as well. I use some old, no-name steel reels because that's how I learned, and because I could never get the hang of plastic ones. Plus the steel tank takes exactly one pint, which is easy for me to deal with. Most folk are just the opposite, and find plastic reels easier than the metal ones.

I think of rodinal as a specialty developer, it's forte is developing slow film and delivering a very long tonal range. It's especially good at preserving highlight detail. With fast film, it tends to produce clumpy grain. General purpose developers are HC110 (liquid - also Ilfotec HC) and D76 (powder - or ID-11 or Sprint). If you are lazy, HC110 mixes quickly and develops very fast. It is my preferred developer for ALL films. D76 gives a bit more structure to the grain, but HC110 is very versatile as far as dilution goes - if you halve the concentration, double the time.

I use tap water instead of stop bath, and rapid fixer. I use Hypo Clearing Agent if I have it, or not if I don't, and always give my film a final rinse in Photoflo solution, diluted according to the instructions, and mixed with distilled water to prevent spots.

Many home developers dry their film by hanging it in an enclosed shower to minimise dust. After it's dry, I cut it into 5 frame strips and put it into PrintFile pages.

Thanks for the specifics... when you say "D76 gives more structure to the grain" do you mean that it makes it more pronounced? I like grainy transitions between the shadows and the midtones, if it's in the film I'd to preserve it in the processing.