newbie ?

bcs89

bcs89

Contented Oly Owner
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Dec 31, 2005
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Hi all,
New here and to RF's in general - actually, other than P&S, new to photography in general - so this may be a "Duh!" kind of question, but please bear with me. Quick background - my only photo experience has been with auto SLR's and one hour developing till just recently when I rediscovered my dads old RF's (yashica gsn & konica s2)... I fell in love. So now with plans of shooting tons and tons of film I started thinking about developing costs and became concerned. So here is my question, at my job I have access to several scanners, the one in on my desk is a Nikon coolscan 5000 ed - since this scanner is designed to be used with 35mm slides would it be possible for me to develop my own 35mm at home and then scan it on the nikon, and then just print any images I want at that point? I know this sounds pretty dense on my part, but it seems too easy - like I am missing a step or two. I realize the answer I am looking for is out there (if not in the archives here) but this idea just hit me and seems too good to be true. Granted I would have to learn some new skills, but am I on the right track? Any input would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Scott
 
Yep.

I develop my own b&w film at home and scan in with an old Nikon coolscan 4000. I think the 5000 may have the benefit of being able to handle medium format negatives as well.

In the end, you will not only learn alot about developing film, but also the best way to scan it in :)

By the way, there is a decent thread going on right now that provides tons of advice on developing your film. I think it is called "Done with labs, developing on my own" and can be found at:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15739
 
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Sometimes you get lucky and what sounds like it's too good to be true, is perfectly true, like your idea.

BTW, finding my father's camera is how I got into photography, 30 years ago!
 
bcs89 said:
but it seems too easy - like I am missing a step or two. I realize the answer I am looking for is out there (if not in the archives here) but this idea just hit me and seems too good to be true. Granted I would have to learn some new skills, but am I on the right track? Any input would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Scott
Click to expand...

I don't know about easy, it is a simple process. The variations in film, developers, development techniques et al make it a wonderfully fascinating process. Simple to learn yet contains almost infinite variation. That's one reason it is so much fun.
 
FrankS said:
Sometimes you get lucky and what sounds like it's too good to be true, is perfectly true, like your idea.

BTW, finding my father's camera is how I got into photography, 30 years ago!
Click to expand...

As it happens, Frank, finding the K1000 my partner had tucked away at the back of a cupboard did it for me, that was only about 6 years ago but I was thrown back into the world of my teens when I had a Zenit and almost unimited outdated East German film and paper. Unfortunately my disposable income has increased somewhat since I left school so I have to use that Ilford stuff ;)

Scott, go for it!! Taking control of your own workflow is the best move you can make, although I've given up scanning film now I have a darkroom of my own.

Mark
 
Thank you all for the quick responses - If I understand this correctly, once I have developed the film in a 35mm tank (which I need to learn to do), it is ready to scanned then printed? Nothing else in between? This is so cool!
Thank you Paul, I found the thread right after posting, very informative - Frank, it kinda adds a whole new dimension to taking photos when it was your dads camera doesn't it, sad thing is these cameras have just been packed away all these years because they were "old" and "outdated", I mean there was no way they could compare to my state of the art SLR, right? Even though the only way I could use the SLR was in full auto!
Kmack, I'm sure you are right, although the mechanics look straight forward, I am sure there is a art to it - but as Little Feat said... I'm "Willin" to learn :) It just seems as though it should not be this straight forward to bypass the photo shop -cool! And lastly, thanks for the encouragement Mark (and all) I am going to do some research and give it a try - whats the worst that can happen, right?
Again, thanks all - and have no doubt I will be back with more questions soon - and please, any further input/recommendations would be greatly appreciated (where or what to buy, so on).

Cheers,
Scott
 
bcs89 said:
Thank you all for the quick responses - If I understand this correctly, once I have developed the film in a 35mm tank (which I need to learn to do), it is ready to scanned then printed? Nothing else in between? This is so cool!
Click to expand...

The only thing you forgot to mention is the time it will take for the negatives to dry. I usually process the film at night, and then start scanning the next day. Make sure that you have plenty of space to hang negatives in a dust free area. I use my bathtub. I run the shower until the bathroom is steamy and then hang the negatives. For a few bucks at a local hardware store I rigged up a temporary frame that allows me to hang up to 16 negatives. Keep in mind, 36x rolls are long.

You haven't asked about developers, so take this as unsolicited advice. Give Diafine a shot. It is very forgiving with regards to temperature and development time. Provided you shoot the film with their recommended exposure, you shouldn't have too much difficulty developing it. It will definitely build confidence. I'm one of the many Diafine converts after reading a bunch of posts from T_om and others on this forum and am loving it.

-Paul
 
Thanks Paul, exactly the kind of info I am looking for - I had not asked about developers because I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I could actually pull this off - you are miles ahead of me! If Diafine is the most forgiving, then its the one for me. Now I just need a tank, plastic...SS...

Cheers,
Scott
 
Hey! Another Madisonian!

You can get Star Photo on Willy street to order Diafine. They carry all the rest of the supplies you'll need, a bit more expensive than the mail order firms but excellent service and no shipping charges :D Just go on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday and ask for Mike. He'll get you set up right.

If you have any questions about using it, just PM me and perhaps we can get together.

William
 
William - not only a Madisonian - but an East sider too! Unfortunately I am living on the other side of East Wash currently (N. Blair), but I plan on coming home to the Shenk's Corners/Willy street neighborhood ASAP! God I miss it! Star Photo is definitely one of the best in town - Burnes Color Lab is right up there with them, no doubt, it's just the processing $ I am trying to avoid. Had not thought of them as a source of supplies though, thanks! Maybe once I get my feet under me (and have something worth showing) we could get together - remember, these are my very first attempts at real photography....

Cheers,
Scott
 
I'm over on North Marquette so I hear you quite well. Perhaps a bit of focusing fluid at the Harmony some evening?

Star doesn't always stock everything you'll need but they are very good about ordering anything you want. They're certainly getting used to ordering sheet film for me :D

William
 
The Harmony sounds great! If we wait till Honor Among Thieves plays I could most likely get us door passes - low friends in high places and all (or is that the other way around? :) regardless, lets do it!

Scott
 
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