Basic Developing Kit

[novum]

I use the temperature probe that came with my cheap volt-ohm meter, which I rarely calibrate, and if I do, with ice water and boiling water when I'm wondering if it's still spot on. Never a problem with it, whether developing color or B&W.

Steel reels are great until you drop one and then you're likely to struggle feeding film onto it. More expensive reels like Hewes will withstand more abuse, but plastic works great for me, as I don't usually develop more than 3-4 rolls a week, so having a dry reel/tank is never a problem.

 

[David Hughes]

Changing bags can be a very useful bit of kit to carry when travelling; not only for darkroom work but for sorting out problems with films in cameras when they jam, loading film loaders etc. Also getting a room light tight is far more difficult than using a changing bag, especially if you're in a hurry/panic.

As for the rest, a tank, decent thermometer, something to measure and store liquids in and you should be ready. You can stir solutions with the thermometer and get the temperature at the same time, f'instance. For storage, stirring etc, I'd always go for glass which has less to leach out of it than plastic. And some white sticky labels and a pen/pencil are very handy.

Oooops, left out the kitchen timer.

Regards, David

 

[deirdre]

I thought I'd chime in here on this thread since I'm going down the same road.

1) I found it psychologically easier to work in a room I could see in with a changing bag than in a completely dark room. Even though you can't see what you're doing in either case, I found the one easier than the other.

2) In my house, I can get it dark, but I can't get it dust-free, so a changing bag is also a dust barrier.

My one question: Given a not-so-dust-free environment, what's the best setup for drying film?

 

[Chris101]

... Given a not-so-dust-free environment, what's the best setup for drying film?

Yer shower.

 

[PMCC]

Bite the bullet and get this:

http://freestylephoto.biz/94321-Hewes-Student-Film-Processing-Kit?cat_id=1603

You won't regret building your outfit around the above. Augment as required with additional items listed in earlier posts.

 

[2WK]

Bite the bullet and get this:

http://freestylephoto.biz/94321-Hewes-Student-Film-Processing-Kit?cat_id=1603

That's funny u mention, I was just about to buy this kit! Thanks for all the advise everyone, this thread is very helpful.

 

[bucks11]

You should definitely check out craigslist in your area. Some real steals on there, if you ask me...

Just about a week ago I got a darkroom including 3 paterson tanks (3 reels each) with 9 plastic reels, 2 stainless tanks (a 1 135 reel and a 2 135/1 120 reel) with 4 stainless reels, a newer beseler cadet II enlarger, watson bulk loader (with 75' tri x pan), an assortment of tongs, trays, clips, thermometers, cassettes, chemicals, measuring devices, easels, about 250 sheets expired paper (5x7 to 11x14), safelights, changing bags, a beseler print processor, and a newer gra-lab timer. All for $50. And I even found an Electro 35 GSN at the bottom of one of the boxes... that made me the happiest.

One man's trash is (how's that saying go?)... 🙂

 

[2WK]

You should definitely check out craigslist in your area. Some real steals on there, if you ask me...
One man's trash is (how's that saying go?)... 🙂

Thanks for that. I just bought a stainless tank, two Hewes 35 reels and a hewes 120. + a thermometer and squeegee off a girl on craigslist!

I'm almost there. Now I am in the market for the chems. Would anyone please give me some advice on a simple chemical set for a broad range of film?

I have been shooting som tmax & triX, some neopan arcos and some ilford.

IS D76 a good bet? I'm not so good at math haha, so these 1:50 ratios of developers have me wondering.

Thanks so much!

 

[Chris101]

D76 is good, but try it at 1:1 (half stock solution, half water) instead of 1:50 (would that even work?) I've used a bunch of developers, some common and some exotic, but now-a-days I develop all my black and white film in HC110. Rapid fixer (any brand) and Photoflo round out my chemistry set. Three chemicals keeps it simple.

 

[2WK]

I just mixed up my first batch of D76, kodak indicator stop bath (i hope this is the right stuff?) kodak fixer, and photo-flo 200.

About to go seal off my bathroom and load a roll of neopan arcos 100 onto the hewes! 😀

 

[David Hughes]

Bathrooms, hmmm...

Bathrooms, hmmm...

Hi,

In this country a normal bath is 5'.6" long and a lot of people use bathroom as darkrooms. A length of 35mm film 5ft 6ins long gives 36 exposures and I've often wondered if there's a link. Using it as a yardstick, to cut the film off the bulk roll, in the dark would be very simple and straightforward...

Just a thought.

Regards, David

 

[2WK]

Well I think my first roll came out pretty good. Besides not having enough highlight detail, I think they are ok. I think this might be from my first attempt and not knowing what I was doing. I was watching a youtube video on developing, while I was developing...and instead of agitating/inverting the tank 5 times every 30 seconds, I was doing it FOR 30 seconds, every 30 seconds. So in 10.5 minutes it got a lot of agitation.

Here the first couple I have scanned...

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TiAX-h8Bk6n5zl-uzWFdLfmQoq8Yx4aKyGStMsr4Or0?feat=directlink
Note the sign in the middle...It said "PRE-APOCALYPSE SALE", which is the reason I took the photo, but it is too blown out to read. I took two shots of this scene on my M6, so I feel like one should have been ok, which leads me to think it was error in the developing.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/s86LsEthjWHvVs1AUVzkWPmQoq8Yx4aKyGStMsr4Or0?feat=directlink
This one came out ok, if not a bit blown out as well. It was the first time I have ever used a flash on my leica actually. I was shooting some product with my 5D and strobes, when I hooked the pocket wizard to my m6, and turned the strobes around on my friend. TTL FTW.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions with my setup. I am officially hooked. I found mixing the chemicals the hardest part compared to actually developing...I am loading a roll of tmax 400 into the M6 and heading out. Cheers!