Developed/Contact Sheet'ed my first roll of film ever...

[ElectroWNED]

and oh my...😀

The entire process, from start to beginning:

I've never rewound my film (in the camera) in an attempt to leave a little bit sticking out, so I destroyed like 5 shots doing that. I eventually said "fu**it" and rewound the film all the way back into the cartridge. Set up my stuff in the darkroom, closed the door, and started fumbling around. I soon realized that just getting the film onto the spool would be hard enough, let alone doing it perfectly. Satisfied with my rolling attempt, I exited and started developing. Forgot to put the top on the little developer tank, so my hands were covered in TMax developer, and fixer. Took the roll out and put it in the washer for 15 minutes...

As I unrolled the film, I had a :bang: feeling: I think my poor winding skills resulted in the film touching (giving it those milking blotches?); but not all was lost! After hanging to dry, I took the roll to the light table to inspect: I had lost about 15 shots (from 36) dut to poor winding in the dev tank, but the 21 shots that came out, came out perfect!

Now with an enlarger in my hands, I forgot to focus the light, resulting in a poorly lit contact sheet 😱 Tried again, and it revealed not only 4 frames that I knew were good compositionaly, but also developed perfectly.

I had to run off to another class before I could print anything, but I can say without a doubt that I'm hooked already! 😎

 

[David William White]

Wonderful! And so happy to hear you proofed with a contact sheet!

A couple of tips (if you haven't discovered yet):
-instead of leaving the tail out, you can just use a normal can opener on the cartridge to open it.
-practicing winding in the light is a great way to figure out your reels. Keep in mind that the metal reels are very different from the vinyl (paterson) and again from the brittle plastic ones that you crank. I like the vinyl paterson ones, because you push the film on and it spirals into the middle, but to each his own, and just find the reels that make you happy. Deep, deep secret: you don't really need reels.
-lastly, put that lid on!

So what film & developer are you using?

 

[Austerby]

Deep, deep secret: you don't really need reels.

Ooh, do tell! How does that work then - surely if you just place the loose film in the tank you'll get exactly the uneven development that the OP experienced. Please divulge!

 

[wontonny]

and oh my...😀

I've never rewound my film (in the camera) in an attempt to leave a little bit sticking out, so I destroyed like 5 shots doing that.

Next time, just listen to the rewinding and when you hear the leader disengage from the take-up spool it's safe to open, then you can cut the leader. I've never had to fumble around in my changing bag trying to cut the leader between sprocket holes! 😉

 

[Al Kaplan]

Just wait until you've accumulated an assortment of stainless steel reels ~ Nikor, Kinderman, Acura, Omega, etc., each with a different type of center clip...LOL... and some of them have been dropped a time or two and don't feed smoothly. Eventually you'll get to know each and every one of them intimately by feel, and exactly how they like to be fed film, just like no two women like to be kissed in exactly the same way. In both situations it's amazing what you can accomplish in the dark!

After you get a roll developed, fixed, washed, and dry you can use that to practice a bit on the reel loading thing in the light. Just be careful not to scratch it. Do it a few times in the light first. I use a pull, push motion, getting the film into the spiral for half a turn, then gently pushing the film back until the film is firmly against the outer spiral of that turn. You can feel it if it's in the groove. If it doesn't slip back you know that its misloading.

I eventually got tired of fussing with a bottle opener to try and get the cap off of a staked end cassette. There's not really enough there to catch against the opener easily. I use a pair of pliers, Sargeant parallel jaw pliers with the side cutter. Grab the side of the cap and just twist it off. It no longer looks like a cap, more like a bent up piece of metal, but it's OFF! I like to start the film on the reel from the end that was taped to the spool. Just tear it off. Reels with clips get a good firm grip on the tape. After the reel is full I just tear off the leader. Use your thumbnail against the film to give your tear somethig to start with. Neatness doesn't matter here.

Those milky blotches on your roll are not only undeveloped but also unfixed, which is what causes the milky look. Put the roll back on a reel (an opportunity to practice!) and refix it for twice as long as it takes to clear the milkiness, then wash it again and hang it to dry.

It will get easier, I promise!

 

[ElectroWNED]

So what film & developer are you using?

I'm pretty much required to use what the college provides, so we are using TMax 400 film & Dektol developer.

After seeing that we had Ilford paper, I was sort of disappointed to find we wouldn't be using HP5... I have like 10 rolls of it in my fridge, so I'm tempted to shoot with it (just don't know if you can develop it in Dektol?)

 

[ElectroWNED]

Next time, just listen to the rewinding and when you hear the leader disengage from the take-up spool it's safe to open, then you can cut the leader. I've never had to fumble around in my changing bag trying to cut the leader between sprocket holes! 😉

I go more by the resistance of the rewinding. At what point in the resistance is it safe to open the back... after the resistance gives way? Is the film all the way back in the canister at this point?

thanks

 

[MartinP]

Ummmm . . . . Dektol ? Usually it is used as a paper developer, but can be a 'universal' developer for sheet-film or where highest quality is not the main criteria.

It is not exactly ideal for 35mm films, but can be diluted more than usual to make it less energetic, I suppose. A strange choice for a class though, and also strange that there appears to have been zero information or assistance from teachers or lecturers ?

Edit: I was so surprised that you had to use Dektol, that I forgot to say congratulations on getting some useable shots and for your enthusiasm 🙂

As everyone says, these little problems get sorted quickly and then you will reeeeeally have fun. Enjoy the printing too !

 

[dfoo]

Dektol for film dev? Interesting choice (and not interesting in a good way).

 

[ElectroWNED]

Dektol for film dev? Interesting choice (and not interesting in a good way).

oops!

the developer is the TMax developer... Dektol is for prints and such. 😱

 

[MartinP]

Aha, that would make more sense (about the TMax film developer!).

When I checked the usability of Dektol for film, I found that it is/was frequently a quick-and-dirty solution (pun intended) for occasions when pretty results were not required.

One reference I found mentioned photo-finish cameras, for example. It might be interesting to do a little experiment...

 

[David William White]

Ooh, do tell! How does that work then - surely if you just place the loose film in the tank you'll get exactly the uneven development that the OP experienced. Please divulge!

Well, not if you agitate. But what I meant is: before fancy shmancy tanks and reels, folks used to take an end of a roll in each hand and see-saw it through a bowl or pot of developer, with the whole thing being done in a dark closet or bathroom. I've done this countless times when at the cottage or camping & no special equipment available.

Those even fancier one-hour lab machines (actually 9 minutes) do just this. They have no reels.

I only mention this because once in a while someone bails on home development because they can't get the silly reel loaded, and somehow think the film will never get developed. It doesn't need to be on a reel, it just needs to be submerged in developer, one way or another.

I should say that under normal conditions, since I have a nice darkroo, and since I develop 3 rolls of 135 or two rolls of 120 at a time, I use my Paterson tank and reels, but I still see-saw my film through the photo-flo.

I should also second the good advice for the OP to refix, and you can just dunk the film 'as is' into your jar or tray of fixer instead of reloading onto reel first (and possibly scratching the film in the process).

 

[julio1fer]

I've never rewound my film (in the camera) in an attempt to leave a little bit sticking out, so I destroyed like 5 shots doing that.

You may want to count the turns. 36-frame film is about 29-30 turns of the rewind crank. When your count is close, begin listening to the sound of the camera rewinding. You cannot miss the sound of the leader going out of the take-up spool and the change in tension in the rewind crank.

If you rewind all the way into the cassette, there are some (cheap) devices to get the film leader back out through the felt trap. Really easy and effective - all minilabs use it. Probably there is one in the school's darkroom if you ask for it.

 

[ElectroWNED]

I think I'll just simplify things by taking a pair of scissors with me into the darkroom and just snip the leader off after banging it on the table to open the canister.

 

[Thardy]

I think I'll just simplify things by taking a pair of scissors with me into the darkroom and just snip the leader off after banging it on the table to open the canister.

Just use a can opener to open the canister. Then cut the leader, but round off the edges. The Paterson tanks are a little harder to use than the Samigon type.

My 16y/o daughter uses these at school. The large flanges make loading film really easy. I loaded 120 film onto these reels without problems for the first time. I had pretty much given up trying to develop 120 film until finding these easy load reels.

 

[ElectroWNED]

I developed another roll today- everything went amazingly smooth. I rounded the edged of the negative and it seemed to help the spooling process tremendously. Made another contact sheet and made 4 beautiful prints! 😀

Gonna try developing a roll of HP5 in the TMax developer on Thursday...