Home B&W development: feasability and equipment recommendations

Whateverist

Whateverist

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(Hope this is the right forum...)

I've been sending my B&W film to be developed, which produces good results but takes up to two weeks. I was thinking about cutting the middle man and do the development myself (still scanning the negatives, not printing).

Now, I don't have a darkroom or a room that can serve as one, and I have zero experience with development. I understand that it is possible to do development in low light - how difficult is this, and it is achievable for a newbie?

Secondly, what's a list of minimal needed equipment? I've seen various recommendations online, so if someone can speak from experience what's actually useful or require that'd be very handy.

Finally, are there good resources for beginner development?
 
No, you do need total darkness, but not much of it :) It's only necessary for transferring the film from the cartridge into the tank in which you develop it. The rest of the process is done in daylight.

That means you need a changing bag, or you could do what I did before I got one, and lock yourself into a closet with your camera and the tank.

You're in the correct forum and we have lots of help for beginners. Run a search (Google works better than the forum search) and have fun!
 
Easy. You just need to buy a few items (which you may well be given by those who no longer use theirs). A good place to look is thrift shops/ charity shops, and eBay.
Check out Chris Crawford's videos' Here's one to get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwFaOJcdaiQ

More here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClr5HSMtRfvkzFRuofW4xRw

Off the top of my head, you'll need:
1) Changing bag
2) Film leader retriever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Voxdvu7Loj8 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wjBQHiY95I or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJz981VU-yI
3) Scissors to cut the film off the real
4) Film development reels (Many prefer Hewes stainless steel reels for use in a stainless steel developing tank.
5) Developing tank
6) Thermometer
7) Measuring Jugs for developer and fixer
8) Timer (Massive development iPhone app)
9) Film clips to hang film to dry in shower cubicle http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/70804-REG/Kalt_NP99FC_Stainless_Steel_Film_Clips.html
10) Chemicals Developer, stop bath, fixer, photoflow


Pete
 
Welcome whateverist! Where are you located?

Daylight developing tank with film reels (Patterson plastic or stainless steel), thermometer, some graduated cylinders/measuring containers, and either a changing bag (get a large, not a small) or room in a closet with a door in a dark room at night.
 
I use a changing bag to develope in a one bedroom apartment in Madhattan.

I will eventually wet print my negatives at a later date, but in the meantime I'm shooting lots of film concentrating on just image capture.

If you want to become a better photographer developing your own film is a way to go that reduces costs so you can shoot more, and also teaches you about consistency.

I use a large 8 reel SS tank. One thing about a large tank is that it lends to consistency because of the larger volumes. SS tanks also require the least amount of liquids so costs on developers and fixer are minimized; the only problem is that loading SS reels requires some skill, and the use of the more expensive Hewes reels makes it easier.

Understand that one summer I was developing on average 150 rolls of film a month. Stick with only one developer nail your time and aggitation, and then drill it down for a while untill you get consistently great results. Great results should be like operating an automatic machine. The idea is to get your development cost down so you can shoot more.

For me the only cost feasible way to go is develope myself.

POSTSCRIPT: I failed to mention that a big bonus to using SS reels is that I can dry them with a paper towel and then imediately proceed to load another tank. The plastic reels have to be bone dry to load them. Something to consider if you plan on processing lots of film.

Cal
 
When you get your developing tank, I use Paterson and the loading of the reel is easy, take a roll of film you can sacrifice, practice loading the film in daylight. Then, after you feel you can do it in the dark, take the same roll of film and load it in the dark. Examine the film after loading.

When you think you have it down, then try your hand at loading your first exposed roll in the dark. Once you have it loaded and in the tank with the lid on the rest of the processing can be done in day light.

Stainless reels are great but I would recommend trying one out to see if you want to start with using one as they load from the center of the reel to start.

The B & H Paterson kit listed contains two reels one to dry and another ready to go. I only process one film a day now as I want to make sure the developed film hanging to dry is completely dry. It can look dry but the side with the silver snd other ingredients can look dry but can be soft, kind of like me! So just like when I get done with my shower, I take a long time to dry!


Paterson tank kit at B & H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/886586-REG/Paterson_Universal_Tank_with_Two.html
 
You may get offers of free developing gear if we knew your location. If you're near Toronto for instance I could outfit you completely including enlarger. I rescue gear like that from garage sales.
 
Minimum equipment?

-complete darkness/changing bag
-scissors (you could also rip the film from the roll, if you really want to keep it minimal ;) )
-development tank + reel
-developer of choice
-any fixer, brand doesn't matter (take a non-hardening rapid fixer, keeps down your washing time)
-water
-some place + clips to hang your developed film to dry

~50€ if you want to buy most of the stuff new... with time you'll propably find more development / darkroom equipment, just check local ads from time to time, there are plenty people giving stuff like this away for free (or very cheap), just keep your eyes open.


A thermometer + timer + a syringe for liquid developers + measuring jugs can come in handy though ;) also maybe some bottles for mixed developer and diluted/mixed fixer
No need for a stop bath, just use a water rinse between development and fixing.
Don't rewind your film completly after shooting a roll, let the leader stay outside the roll! It makes life _really_ easier ;)

1. Take an exposed roll of film and cut the leader in daylight, straight between the sprocket holes (you can also angle the sharp edges)... it's a pain to do in total darkness without seeing anything ;)
2. Put the roll, scissors, the development tank + reel into a changing bag (or take all that stuff into total darkness), spool the film from the roll onto the development reel, cut the roll off, put the reel with the film into your tank and close it
3. everything from now on can be done with light on, the development tank is light-tight
4. take your developer, check it's temperature, put it into the tank, start the timer and develop your film (you'll find times and agitation methods on the internet)
5. pour the developer out, wash rests out with 1, 2, 3 water rinses
6. pour in the fixer, fix your film (agitate sometimes, time is not critical anymore, just keep it enough to fix the film completly)
7. pour the fixer out, it can and should be reused (don't pour exhausted fixer down the drain, it contains silver = bad for the environment + bad for the sewage plant... the developer can go down the drain, the sewage plant does not care ;) [please don't hit me])
8. wash the fixer rests out from your film (running water or Ilford washing method, whatever you like)
9. take the developed film out of the tank, hang it to dry!

That's it :D
 
Wow, really fast and helpful crowd today.

Not much to add, except that the plastic reels really do need to be totally dry, or the film will bind. This includes perspiration from your hands inside the changing bag! Practice in daylight until you can do it quickly. If you do get stuck with exposed film, try to back it out of the reel and spool it back into the cartridge, or put it in the tank as is, just so you can safely open the bag and let it rest for a while. No point in trying to force it, once the reel acts up it will only get worse as you get nervous/desperate.

Also not mentioned yet, if you only expect to develop a roll of film every now and then, a concentrated developer works best. Rodinal is probably the easiest to find in Belgium. You only take a few ml of the concentrate at a time and mix it with water. The rest of the bottle will keep practically forever. Powdered developers need to be mixed in larger volumes and don't last very long once mixed.
 
The only two things I have to add are:
1) Metal reels, not Paterson, but make sure they are Hewes, everything else is bad
2) See if you can find a Photoflex Changing Room—it's the best changing bag there's ever been, and now it's out of production, and I sold mine like an idiot when I thought I was getting out of film
 
I doubt the metal vs plastic debate will be resolved in this thread. Hewes, kinderman, Paterson, jobo are all good systems. About darkness. I load my tanks in my bathroom, which is windowless, and only at night, and only with all other lights in the apartment switched off. Using a room is a lot more convenient than a bag, especially if you have a counter surface. To determine if a room is dark enough, sit in the room for 10 minutes, to let your eyes adjust. You will start seeing the cracks around the door, and the after glow of compact fluorescent bulbs, and any other source. If they are minor sources of light, you can resolve them with some ingenuity. Also, study your tank. If it is a Paterson/jobo type, it is only light tight with the center tube in place. If you are having difficulty loading the reel, and you are getting frustrated, roll up the film and put it in the tank. Go watch some cat videos, or whatever, and return to it later. Your patience will be tested at some point, but you will figure it out.
 
I read this and am not sure if it's true: If you are in the middle of loading a plastic reel and the film gets stuck because there is moisture which isn't going to dry up soon, you can get the film onto the reel if you do it with them totally submerged in water.
 
FrankS said:
I read this and am not sure if it's true: If you are in the middle of loading a plastic reel and the film gets stuck because there is moisture which isn't going to dry up soon, you can get the film onto the reel if you do it with them totally submerged in water.
Click to expand...

I never tried that. It may work. I'd hate to have to have a bucket of water in the changing bag just in case though.
 
All I can add is to second Bill's recommendation to practice many times until you have it nailed with you're eyes closed, and if you use practice reels, don't even try if they're not completely dry.


Bill Clark said:
When you get your developing tank, I use Paterson and the loading of the reel is easy, take a roll of film you can sacrifice, practice loading the film in daylight. Then, after you feel you can do it in the dark, take the same roll of film and load it in the dark. Examine the film after loading.

When you think you have it down, then try your hand at loading your first exposed roll in the dark. Once you have it loaded and in the tank with the lid on the rest of the processing can be done in day light.

Stainless reels are great but I would recommend trying one out to see if you want to start with using one as they load from the center of the reel to start.

The B & H Paterson kit listed contains two reels one to dry and another ready to go. I only process one film a day now as I want to make sure the developed film hanging to dry is completely dry. It can look dry but the side with the silver snd other ingredients can look dry but can be soft, kind of like me! So just like when I get done with my shower, I take a long time to dry!


Paterson tank kit at B & H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/886586-REG/Paterson_Universal_Tank_with_Two.html
Click to expand...
 
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