B&W develop only - setup and ongoing costs?

[Xmas]

Screwy

The Agfa daylight loader is perfectly practical if you can resist winding the film back into the cassette and is really frugal with soup. the tank is only filled to just below the axis of the reel. Alas I lost the instructions a long time ago, I think, otherwise I'd scan and post.

The only non obvious things are
- you need to scissor off the leader not cutting into sprocket holes
- you need to fit the device which indicates the number of exposures, loaded as this fills the spiral uniformly
- it will do concentric cassettes!

You can load part of a cassette, cut off the loaded bit with the knife and start again with the remainder.

Not used mine in 30 years... normally have to use 5x patterson tanks

Noel

 

[Terao]

OK, we've discussed developing 35mm, any comments on how easy/difficult it is to dev 120/220? Seriously, seriously tempted by a Bessa II rangefinder at the moment 🙂

 

[FrankS]

Everything is exaxtly the same as developing 35mm film, except for 2 things:
1) loading wider film takes lots of practice
2) you'll experience even greater joy when seeing the resulting larger negs

 

[markinlondon]

120 could also influence your choice of tanks and reels. Paterson reels expand to fit different formats. I believe other brands require separate reels for each format. This is certainly true with steel reels.

 

[dagabel]

You might want to investigate Diafine; there are different opinions on using it as your first developer. However, it's very forgiving from a time and temp standpoint, and it can be re-used. I just started with it myself 5 rolls of Tri-X ago, and I'm very happy with it for now, although I'm sure I'll try other developers in the future.

Good luck!
Duane

P.S. How do you like your Agfa? I've had one for six months, and it's all I can afford to shoot with right now, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

 

[Ash]

I use a cheap jessops 2-reel tank (paterson copy? plastic reels). If I want to develop my 120 film, I can alter one of the reels - unclick, pull out a bit, click the two pieces back together - and I can now develop 1 roll of 120 at a time. I was thinking of getting a 3 or 4 reel tank so that I can develop more than one reel of 120 at a time, but I'm not too fussed.


You'll find that the first few rolls will end up with stress marks, since it's SO fiddly gettings that film on a reel. Definitely very rewarding though. I'd also say go at least 20ml over the recommended capacity on the tank, as this will avoid the upper edge of the film not developing/stopping/fixing correctly. It happened to me on one roll - real obvious on the neg but no difference when scanning. Still, never again!! 🙂

 

[gareth]

The Jessops tank is fine, though I tend to use a 5 reel Patterson Job now. I hate spending time just to dev one or two rolls.

I tend to queue stuff up in the darkroom. Once I have 4 rolls of one film at the same asa rating I dev em. Sometimes it's a surprise what's on them.

Oh don't use Jessops reels, they are hell. Being made of plastic they always stick and jam, they are usual but frustrating. They told me in Jessops they are exactly the same as the Patterson ones, they ain't the patterson ones are nylon, which won't stick or jam up.
The Jessops tank is fine, though I tend to use a 5 reel Patterson Job now. I hate spending time just to dev one or two rolls.

I tend to queue stuff up in the darkroom. Once I have 4 rolls of one film at the same asa rating I dev em. Sometimes it's a surprise what's on them.

Oh don't use Jessops reels, they are hell. Being made of plastic they always stick and jam, they are usual but frustrating. They told me in Jessops they are exactly the same as the Patterson ones, they ain't the patterson ones are nylon, which won't stick or jam up.

Oh and if I try a new film or developer I always bracket the whole film +/- 1 stop. Once I have an idea of the dev time I need then I don't need to do that the second time.

Another tip is pick one film and developer and learn how to use it. Don't mess around until you are fully confident with your first chosen combination. And for that combination pick something that is tried and tested. Also bear in mind that the 400asa films shot and processed as 400asas films are the easiest films to get to grips with.

Have fun!

 

[Xmas]

Well Ash is correct you can get stress marks...

In the darkroom or changing bag you have to remove the film from the backing paper (with 120, 220 is different). If you unspool the roll of paper you will get to the film which is loose until you get to the other end which is stuck on to the paper backing. You carefully pull of the paper, it is stuck with pressure sensitive tape. If you pull if off quickly it will fog the film, from the fluoro or electrostatic effect!

You fold over the pressure sensntive tape unto the film and load that end into your reel first. This works for me no stress marks, the pressure sensitive tape supports the end loading into the reel, a bit, but I accept Ash uses scissors instead...

Anticipate that you destroy first film so use a resolution test card film that you can loose rather than mates wedding snaps.

Noel

 

[nightfly]

Just like 35mm get some stainless steel tanks and Hewes reels.

The Hewes have a nice clip at the end. I fold over the tape on the film, clip it in, center it a little by feel and wind it up. Easier than 35mm.

I've had many more problems with plastic reels and tanks than with good stainless steel. Get a big tank so you can to two rolls at a time. Plastic has to be bone dry or the film with bind and kink. Stainless steel you don't have to be as fastidious about.

 

[Tim Gray]

I'm not very experienced at the whole darkroom/developing thing, but I think maybe the 2nd roll of film I ever developed was 120. I thought it was easy at the time (haven't done it since). I've never had any problems with stainless reels for 35mm either. I highly recommend them.

That being said, my girlfriend could never get the hang of them.

 

[Ash]

Noel I don't use scissors for 120! I only use scissors to cut the end of APX400s because you can't tear it. With 120 I carefully peel off the tape and fold it over to have a hard edge to load onto the reel 🙂

 

[Terao]

You might want to investigate Diafine; there are different opinions on using it as your first developer. However, it's very forgiving from a time and temp standpoint, and it can be re-used. I just started with it myself 5 rolls of Tri-X ago, and I'm very happy with it for now, although I'm sure I'll try other developers in the future.

Good luck!
Duane

P.S. How do you like your Agfa? I've had one for six months, and it's all I can afford to shoot with right now, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

Well its a fine camera for the money. Its my father's so has extreme sentimental value meaning it doesn't get taken anywhere I might damage or lose it. Its had an interesting life - around the world a few times with him back in the 60s, a trip I'm going to retrace next year if all goes to plan. Got a roll of Pan 25 in it at the moment, he always shot very slow Agfa slide film so its almost appropriate. I'm just amazed by how often he nailed the exposure relying on sunny 16...

Some glamour shots of it here (only the body/case plus the 50 is my Dad's, rest I acquired - I use the 35mm most...)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiloran/sets/72157594287451720/

 

[Terao]

Thanks all for the 120 info as well. Will experiment 🙂

 

[dagabel]

Nice story about your Dad's Agfa.

I had never heard of them until my Father-In-Law pulled his out of his closet and let me shoot with it for a few weeks. At the time I was just on the verge of making my first RF purchase. I liked it enought that I then acquired my own with the 35mm and 90mm lenses, and had it CLA'd. I love the selectable frame lines, bayonet mount and leaf shutter - I believe fairly rare features in a camera of that age and price range.

 

[Xmas]

Ash

We do something the same - a first. I apologise I made another mistake...

Like you I find I need the extra stiffeness the pressure sensitive tape provides - for me to avoid the flying saucers in the sky effects...

Noel

 

[Terao]

Nice story about your Dad's Agfa.

I had never heard of them until my Father-In-Law pulled his out of his closet and let me shoot with it for a few weeks. At the time I was just on the verge of making my first RF purchase. I liked it enought that I then acquired my own with the 35mm and 90mm lenses, and had it CLA'd. I love the selectable frame lines, bayonet mount and leaf shutter - I believe fairly rare features in a camera of that age and price range.

Poor man's Leica - think of it as a Voigtlander Bessa R3 from today. Cost my Dad a couple of week's wages so it was hardly cheap at the time. But then he was as much of an equipment geek as I am - spent a fortune on a marine radio when he went away to sea...