How many of you develop your own B&W film?

[blindrobert]

Tried searching for this thread, too many short search terms! I am sure the answer would be different in the darkroom forum, but I am curious about how many M users process their own film.

I am expecting my first film M body today (a lightly-used black MP) and a bunch of tri-x...and I am already thinking about doing my own developing. The cons are that it's so cheap and (from what I hear, fast) to have it done at a commercial place who will also do scans at the time of developing.

 

[ferider]

Since you are considering it - do it; I started a year ago and should have started earlier. It gives you much more control than shop development.

Also consider buying a good scanner - there is no substitute for your own scans.

 

[kully]

Do it yourself - after a few tries you will do it much better than some shop.

 

[SteveM_NJ]

I do my own B&W developing /enlarging, just for the fun of it.
(no scanning - yet)

 

[rover]

You will have to plan on developing and scanning your negatives, unless you want to go all out and wet print.

So, the largest expense will be the purchase of a scanner.

That said, do it. It is cheaper and faster than any lab you will find.

And best of all, developing film is easy. Mastering the development of film can take a life time. Doesn't that sound like a fun challenge?

 

[Steinberg2010]

Or consider wet printing - I'm hoping to start soon!

S

 

[blindrobert]

Thanks for all the input - and so fast! Actually UPS just delivered and I am waiting for the boxes to acclimate (stupid northern Michigan cold!) before opening it up. I selected this camera because it reminded me of the FM2 I had in high school. (But it's a Leica!)

 

[rover]

What lens/lenses will you be using?

 

[blindrobert]

Well - I have already built up a good collection of lenses that I am using with my M9. I have: 90 Elmarit chrome (latest version and 6 bit coded!), 75 APO Summicron, 50 lux (new version), 50 Summarit, 35 summicron ASPH (current), 35 summarit, and a 35 Lux FLE should be here any day now (been waiting for months!).

I know - it's a lot of lenses, I probably won't keep them all, but have the luxury of being able to afford to try lots of things out and see what I want to keep. Resale is great on all of these so I'm not too worried about losing money.

 

[zauhar]

I just scored a complete B&W darkroom set from a fellow who got out of film. Includes low-end enlarger (but with Nikon lens), developing tanks, paper safe, nice timer, etc. I ordered reagents from Freestyle, and I think I have everything to get started!

Step one is to rearrange the basement to make an impromptu darkroom. ;-(

I have a load of 'Legacy' brand film (I guess identical to Neopan) that I will be practicing with.

Robert, hope that it works out well for both of us! Best of luck with the MP, which appears to be a beautiful camera. (I have an M3 and Canon RF.)

Look forward to seeing reports of your experiences.

Randy

 

[alistair.o]

Resale is great on all of these so I'm not too worried about losing money.

Boy we love you. Just stick any and all in the Classifieds as you get them @ say $100 a pop (based on what you said) and you will have a fast turnover, I can assure you of that 😀

Al

And yes, I develop my own B&W. Learnt from here and still am learning from here.

 

[mathomas]

Tried searching for this thread, too many short search terms! I am sure the answer would be different in the darkroom forum, but I am curious about how many M users process their own film.

I am expecting my first film M body today (a lightly-used black MP) and a bunch of tri-x...and I am already thinking about doing my own developing. The cons are that it's so cheap and (from what I hear, fast) to have it done at a commercial place who will also do scans at the time of developing.

My lab is pretty inexpensive and quick, but they make a good-natured mess of my B&W negatives and scans (inflexible development and scanned files have too much contrast and sharpening, though they vehemently deny making any adjustments). Color has been pretty good, and I can't be bothered with it, so they still get that.

Home development = control. Plus, it's part of the film-shooting hobby, and and interesting and involving process that makes you feel more like a craftsperson.

 

[blindrobert]

Boy we love you. Just stick any and all in the Classifieds as you get them @ say $100 a pop (based on what you said) and you will have a fast turnover, I can assure you of that 😀

Al

Ha!

I know how to develop - I used to work in a darkroom in high school (as my part time job) and had a darkroom at home. But that was 25ish years ago and I was wondering where people in the world of film now stand. IOW - to what extent has the digital world taken over this little corner of the analog world.

 

[moreammo]

I do my own dev. Now am I good at it... that's a totally different question 🙂
But I do it 🙂

 

[rogerzilla]

Proper b/w film (not Kodak BW400CN, which is a worthy chromogenic alternative) has to be developed at home because nearly all commercial labs just dunk it in D76 for a standard time, and hope. B/W isn't like that! There are no standard times - they vary by film.

A darkroom is completely unnecessary to develop film - just use a changing bag. Having said that, when I did have a darkroom (I used to teach people to print at university in the 1980s) I much preferred loading spools in "free space" rather than the changing bag. I could pull all the film out of the cassette in one go and it would just hang there while I ratcheted it onto the Paterson spool. With a changing bag there isn't room to do this and sometimes the film gets a twist in it and comes off the "jaws" of the spool, which is a PITA.

FWIW, I'm seriously underwhelmed by the current Tri-X. The old stuff was great, but the current formulation doesn't seem to have a real speed of ISO 400 and the grain also seems heavier. Having said that, my usual Aculux developer has also been reformulated (now Aculux 3) and maybe that uis to blame. Fuji Neopan Acros is very impressive if you can get away withj ISO 100.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Tmax400-2; 10 minutes at 23 degrees C. in Ilford Perceptol diluted 1 part Perceptol in 2 parts water. Shake two times every 30 seconds.

Erik.

 

[Vics]

I develop my ownTri-X from my M3 and print it in my darkroom. I can't imagine it being cheaper from a lab!

 

[robert blu]

More or less like you I was used to develp 25/30 year ago, than I moved to slide film. A few years ago I came back to B&W and after some chromogenic film I decided to develop myself. It did not change so much since 30 years ago...You'll be satisfied...
robert

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I've done my own for 20 years now. I've tried all sorts of labs at times, some of them very expensive and NONE could do even a passably decent job of BW film developing. None. Virtually all of them develop everything with the same developing time, which is never the right time, they scratch film, return it with dust embedded in it, etc. Complete waste of money, and even the cheap labs are expensive for developing traditional BW films like Tri-X. Do it yourself. The basic stuff you need is:

Developing tank: 2-reel tank - $20
Two Hewes Reels (don't buy cheap ones, they will frustrate you): $40 ($20 each)
Thermometer: Patterson thermometer is a good one - $25
Two 500ml graduates to measure developer and fix: $20 ($10 each).
Developer: Liter of Tmax Developer (a simple developer to use, no powder to mix): $11
Fixer: Ilford rapid fixer (size to mix half-gallon of fix) - $8

Total cost: $124 to get started. After that, you just buy more chemicals when needed, and they are CHEAP. It literally costs pennies a roll to develop and you have FULL control.

Check out my developing times page for my tested developing times for different films and developers.

 

[mfogiel]

Given that you do not seem short of money or a good digital camera, the only point of using a film Leica, is to get good quality B&W. In order to do that, you simply have to develop yourself. Chris has already laid out a good plan, I personally use Ilford DD-X at 1+9, 10 mins at 20 deg C, 10 sec agitation every minute.No stop bath or water bath, straight to the (fresh) fixer, and then washing, etc.
A dedicated film scanner is a must - if you think to ever shoot MF get the Nikon CS 9000 while they are around, if not the CS 5000 will be fine. The investment will be returned within 100 rolls of film.