Does anyone here develope B&W film at home without toxic chemicals?

[spystyle]

Hello from Maine

I'm approaching photography backwards, staring with digital and now messing with film.

Now I have a lot of film cameras I'd like to try and I might like to try developing my own B&W.

But going from digital to film is like going from non-toxic to toxic chemicals. I see some companies make non-toxic developing chemicals and I wonder if any of you guys use that?

I wonder if there is a huge cost difference between toxic and non-toxic?

Thank you,
Craig

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Crag,

The difference is basically marketing. Remember: Oxygen dihydride can be fatal in sufficient quantities.

Very few 'toxic' B+W dev + fix brews would kill you if you drank them, not least because you'd throw up immediately.

And you'd throw up and feel ill after drinking most 'non-toxic' dev or fix brews, too...

Cheers,

R.

 

[Ducky]

I wonder how the environment feels about home processing?

 

[spystyle]

Are the minilabs at the drug stores more environmentally sound than home processing ? I just assumed they used the same chemicals in some automatic way.


Thanks,
Craig

 

[dfoo]

I wonder how the environment feels about home processing?

Indifferent. Home cleaning supplies are far more harmful to the environment than the amount of chemicals used in home processing of B&W film.

 

[Morca007]

Are the minilabs at the drug stores more environmentally sound than home processing ? I just assumed they used the same chemicals in some automatic way.


Thanks,
Craig

Those stores get their chemistry properly disposed of by waste services, rather than pouring them down the drain.