DIY Film Development: Hand, Jobo, or Other

[Spanik]

I got a Jobo because I know that if I use manual agitation I'll just start doing something else and forget I have put a film in the soup. With the Jobo at least I stay with it watching the clock. Also a bit more confidence it stays at the same temperature. OK, I got it for a good price as well 😀

But there should have been an option: "a lab, all the time".

 

[Ewoud]

I missed the classic every 30 secs choice so chose other.. Al manual with a Patterson tank

 

[David Murphy]

It totally depends on what I'm developing. E6 is a pure Job operation, Black and white I use a conventional hand agitated tank, but I use my Jobo to get my chemicals at the proper temperature.

 

[pepeguitarra]

1 minute

1 minute

After a lot of reading, and trial and error, I settle on the best method that gives me no problems: I agitate (as many inversions fit in) for the first initial minute, then 10 seconds of every following minute. Except when I do stand development, I agitate for 50 seconds and let it untouched for 60 minutes.

 

[sepiareverb]

15 seconds initial, then either every minute or every ½ min. Depends on the film. Metal tanks and reels.

Sheet film is first ½ minute, then one shuffle through the stack every minute. Tray development.

 

[wjlapier]

C41 only for me now. Follow directions from the kit. I do have an issue with the Blix coming out of the tank when inverting so I use the plunger for Blix and invert for developer. In the process of developing 10+ rolls of 120 shot from spring til now.

 

[dmr]

The Jobo makes it so easy! Almost too easy.

If I know I will be developing I will fill it in the morning and just let it sit. Very little true set up time.

 

[Jake Mongey]

I shoot mostly only rollei retro 80s with rodinol 1+50 and give ten seconds of swirling (like a wine glass) every two minutes. For other films I just give two inversions every minuite. I use my Paterson tank I got for 50p at a car boot sale.

 

[DNG]

I use the "hand turning" method. Paterson Tank.

30s, 5s/at 1m intervals till done

For HC110, H and TMax 1:4 or 1:9

 

[Chris101]

I said 'Other', because my process is slightly different than choice #1. Here is my complete process. I have been doing this exactly like this since 1976:

1. Start pouring HC110 dilution b in at the beginning of the first minute, agitate slowly (one flip per 3 seconds) until the end of the first minute.
   
2. Rap the (stainless steel) tank on the sink, and let it sit for 30 seconds.
   
3. At the end of the rest cycle, flip it twice in 5 seconds, rap and rest for 25 sec.
   
4. Repeat until the last half minute, then begin emptying the tank at 13 seconds until the end of the time.
   
5. Immediately fill the tank with water, agitate twice, and pour it out. Repeat.
   
6. Fill the tank with rapid fixer, and agitate for 2 minutes continuously.
   
7. Rap and rest for 1 minute.
   
8. Agitate continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the age of the fixer.
   
9. Pour the fixer back into the bottle, and wash the film in running water for 20 minutes or more. Dump the water.
   
10. Fill the tank with Photoflow, twist it horizontally for 1 minute, dump the photoflow.
    
11. Remove the metal spiral film holders, rap them against the palm of my hand to dislodge drops of photoflow, unspool, and hang to dry in the shower over night.

 

[johnf04]

My tank is a Paterson clone, from Jessops. I develop 2 x 35mm films at a time, in Rodinal. Half a minute of inversions to start, then 2 inversions every half minute.

 

[Takkun]

I'm in the "by hand" camp; using a JOBO tank. Used to have a Paterson knockoff whose seals started to go and make a mess. I prefer the Paterson reels for 35mm though.

Undergrad and grad school darkrooms had nothing but steel tanks, and I never really got on with them. Every professor I had swore by them for some reason.

As for agitation: I should choose one or the other, but it depends on if I'm using Kodak ( every 30 sec) or Ilford (every minute) chemistry. I go by the listed time on data sheets supplied with the developer rather than the film. I suppose I could stick with every minute and add time to Ilford but I've got this all programmed into the DigitalTruth app and it works.

Re: machine agitation, I have an anecdote. When I was in high school someone donated a motorized tank agitator that I think was intended for prints and sheet film--didn't make full revolutions, just back and forth over and over. . A few of us gave it a shot and got horribly uneven rolls!

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

30 seconds constant inversion/stirring at the outset, then 10 seconds of stirring each minute.

Semi-stand - 30 seconds at outset, then repeat 10 seconds of strirring/ agitation each 20 minutes until an hour is up.

 

[taemo]

I only develop B&W at home now and use Jobo 25XX drums on a uniroller for convenience and consistency.

I process HP5+ or Neopan 400 for 4:39 minutes with HC110 B then fix it for 6-10 minutes.
Never had any issues doing it this way.

6:30 minutes if pushed to 800
10:45 minutes if pushed to 1600

 

[AJShepherd]

It kind of depends what I'm doing, Mostly when doing B/W on Ilford film in Ilfotec LC29 then I'll do a couple of inversions every minute. I'll do inversions if I'm doing Caffenol, too.
If I'm using R09 (Rodinal) then I'll stir, because I've found with some films (Fomapan, for example) I get insane amounts of bromide drag on 35mm which makes the results rather stripey.

C41 colour film I pre-heat the chemicals in a bucket of water using a sous-vide stick heater clamped onto the bucket. This was a tip I picked up somewhere last year and has made colour processing a load easier and more reliable. I stir for that, because the film tanks seem to leak a whole load more with the higher temperature chems.

 

[Pentode]

It depends on the film and developer being used.

It totally depends on what I'm developing.

It kind of depends what I'm doing

Yes, yes and yes.

I frequently change up my agitation depending upon the film/developer combination and the lighting conditions when I shot. I always use hand tanks (not enough room for a Jobo) and when I begin using a new film/dev combination I try several different agitation schemes to see which works most to my liking. I'll then stick with that agitation scheme every time I use that film with that developer.

 

[Ted Striker]

I bought a Jobo....never used it. Worst purchase ever.

 

[JeffS7444]

When film was my primary medium, it was Jobo CPE2+ all the way for both b&w and color, from 35mm to 4x5. Loved the consistency.

 

[KenR]

Initial 30 second agitation then 5 inversions every minute. Generally with Tmax400@400 I use HC110 dilution H (1:63) for 11 minutes.

 

[Beemermark]

I had a Jobo I picked up in a trade 20 or more years ago (I gave a 50mm F2 Nikkor for it). Rarely used it except for slide film. Once I stopped doing slide shows I stopped shooting slide film. No longer having the permanent counter space for the Jobo I found it something of a PIA to set up. I never did like developing B&W in it. SS tanks & reels for color and B&W is just too simple and has a very small foot print.


As far as calibrating thermometers that is also very easy. Put the thermometer in an ice bath and it should read 32.2 deg F (or 0.0 C). Put it in boiling water and it should read 212 F / 100 C. If off throw it away.