Processing Film in the Year 2009

[Yuphorix]

Hi all,

I'm really interested in getting a Voigtlander Rangefinder camera, but I have very little experience in the best methods to processing, scanning and printing film. I live in the greater suburbs of Chicago, so I probably don't have the same resources to camera specialists as someone living in the downtown area of Chicago.

I was wondering if you guys could guide me towards a relatively good and economical way of processing and printing film. I do not have the real-estate to do it myself (nor do I really want to), so it really comes down to finding a store (whether it's brick/mortar store or online) and getting the prints I need at a reasonable price.

I'm also interested in what process you, yourself, use to develop your films. It is the year 2009 and as film photography because more and more specialized, it's harder to find the shops that do it well. Thanks in advance!

P.S. I plan to shoot both b&w and color photography, although my emphasis will probably be on b&w.

 

[usagisakana]

Processing B+W yourself is cheap, easy and you know you are going to get good results- as opposed to a lab, where they will most likely process all different B+W films for the same times in the same chemicals. I don't have a darkroom, I use a laundry sink and a tiny counter space (about 30cm x 20 cm), and hang my film in the shower to dry. I've tried many developers but have settled on mostly Rodinal (a liquid developer, easy to mix right before use and lasts forever) and liquid fixer for convenience. I use a changing bag to load film into a paterson system 4 tank that is lightproof, so i can develop it in my laundry.

Using that set up, it takes me about an hour from loading the film into the tank till hanging it up to dry. Definitely worth trying if you can.

 

[Yuphorix]

What about scanning the films after they are developed? Do you guys have your own scanners, or do you have a particular service/store you can recommend?

 

[bogelgelbo]

Processing B+W yourself is cheap, easy and you know you are going to get good results- as opposed to a lab, where they will most likely process all different B+W films for the same times in the same chemicals. I don't have a darkroom, I use a laundry sink and a tiny counter space (about 30cm x 20 cm), and hang my film in the shower to dry. I've tried many developers but have settled on mostly Rodinal (a liquid developer, easy to mix right before use and lasts forever) and liquid fixer for convenience. I use a changing bag to load film into a paterson system 4 tank that is lightproof, so i can develop it in my laundry.

Using that set up, it takes me about an hour from loading the film into the tank till hanging it up to dry. Definitely worth trying if you can.

I'm using almost the same set up with Usagisakana in my tiny apartment for developing BW. After developing I usually scan the film at the commercial lab or pay my friend to do the scan using his Nikon Coolscan.

 

[usagisakana]

What about scanning the films after they are developed? Do you guys have your own scanners, or do you have a particular service/store you can recommend?

I have an epson v700 that does a passable job at scanning for 35mm, it's great with medium format though. I only really use it to look at the negatives, if I wanted them printed I'd get them scanned at a lab or printed through an enlarger. One day I will have a darkroom to allow me to print them myself!

 

[mackigator]

RE: scanning. Your local Sams Club may be able to scan your BW negs as long as you leave them uncut. At least they do here and it's very cheap.

 

[Yuphorix]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I guess I'll have to look around in my area for scanning options and for developing color film. It seems rather straightforward to develop BW film, so I feel confident that I won't have a problem with that. Anyways, it'll be quite an experience.

Thanks again for the responses!

 

[Ronald M]

Ilford XP2 is C41 black & white. It goes thru standard color chemicals.

 

[batterytypehah!]

If you do have the time and inclination, give home dev a try. Your OP sounded like you didn't want to go that route, though.

I started developing my own this year and don't particularly enjoy it. A minority view around here, I know. I use D-76 and, occasionally, caffenol. I've decided it's just not worth the hassle, for me, in 35mm. I like the look of BW400CN and I have a choice of three or four drugstores that will develop a roll for about $2.30. A bargain, if you put a price tag on your own time.

I also shoot some 120 and 127. Different story there, as pro stores are harder to find, and expensive. I'm planning to continue home developing these, but switch to Rodinal soon, for the shelf-life and unhurried handling.

 

[Yuphorix]

Yeah, it's definitely a balance between time vs quality. I may start off with trying to get the photos developed locally, and if I really don't like the quality, I'll try to develop them myself.

I really do hope that 35mm film makes somewhat of a comeback, although I highly doubt that. Although my profession is in technology, I have a great appreciate for analog things, especially when they do not rely on any sort of power to operate.

 

[wgerrard]

Film and other supplies are easily, and probably most cheaply, purchased online from vendors like Adorama, BHPhotoVideo, Freestyle Photography, Calumet, etc. A number of vendors also sell on Amazon.

You should be able to find outlets for processing and printing color negative film (C41) with relative ease, even in the Chicago boonies. Checking with a few Chicago photography shops might uncover some other places. (I recently learned that a local shop I've used off and on for a long time does processing. You'd think they'd put up a sign or something.)

People say good things about processing at warehouse clubs like Sam's on several threads here.

B&W processing at a shop is probably going to be a more difficult target. While printing B&W, or any film, requires a certain amount of space, processing B&W film can be done with a changing bag and a sink. That will leave you with negatives that can be scanned. Or, if you luck out and find the right shop, you can have prints made from the frames you like.

Film can also be shipped out for processing. If you mail several rolls at once, costs are minimized. Several vendors get good marks around here. Some will also deliver scans on a CD/DVD for a price.

Many very good threads on these and related subjects are here at RFF, so the search bar is your friend. Google may provide a finer-grain search: Use its advanced search and enter rangefinderforum.com as the only site to be searched.

My own advice is to try as many options as you can find before you sink big bucks in something.

 

[konicaman]

Scanning

Scanning

For scanning I would recommend the Epson 4490 Photo - it is an old model, and not very expensive. It is one of the fastest scanners I have used (a color negative takes app. 1min. to scan in 300 dpi and 8x10" size). The quality of the scans is very good (would probably be a bit better with a dedicated negative scanner, but that's a whole different price range). Many scanner I have used have had trouble finding the frames if the negatives are not aligned within milimeters - that is not the case with the 4490, just put them in the rail and go.

If you scan for an Epson printer 360 dpi is recommended
If you scan for a Canon printer 300 dpi is recommended.

 

[shadowfox]

Yeah, it's definitely a balance between time vs quality. I may start off with trying to get the photos developed locally, and if I really don't like the quality, I'll try to develop them myself.

I really do hope that 35mm film makes somewhat of a comeback, although I highly doubt that. Although my profession is in technology, I have a great appreciate for analog things, especially when they do not rely on any sort of power to operate.

I think you are not alone, most everyone who never done film development feel the trepidation, but if you care about quality and cost, nothing beats DIY development (I am talking strictly from experience, doing B&W dev only).

The icing on the cake is that once you've done it, there is a big chance that you'll find it fun and rewarding.

Just to give you the context, the alternative here for me is $6 per roll at the pro lab.

One word of caution, do some reading on how your local city/township regulate the disposal of silver-containing chemicals (spent fixer, the only thing you need to worry about). I take my spent fixer to a friendly photo-lab and get it processed along with theirs.

 

[mfogiel]

I think, that if you want to have a serious stab at a film camera, it should be for B&W - in colour digital is simply too convenient and the results are on average probably better. In my opinion you can have a go for some time just at shooting XP2 (EI 200) , developing, scanning and printing at a lab. If you decide you like the thing, you should invest in a developing tank,dedicated film scanner (CS 5000ED or better) and a decent inkjet printer (Epson 3880 or one of the recent HP models that are good at B&W). It will bring you down some 2500 USD, but you will have total control over the process, and the results will be potentially much more rewarding. Also, in the long run this will be MUCH cheaper than using labs. For the film and developer, you should probably start with Arista Premium 400 (which is Tri X at half the price) and D76 or Rodinal, to keep things simple and use time tested material.

 

[fixbones]

I just developed my first roll of film last night!!
I started using film again early this year and was using XP2 for a while (a great film for what it is).

However, decided to try developing myself for the control and also satisfaction i suppose. I like the fact that i am doing everything from loading, shooting, developing and finally an image on the web. Totally independant.
It is NOT HARD. A bit overwhelming initially but if you take it a step at a time and with the help of all the WONDERFUL GUYS HERE, it is not hard.

 

[JPSuisse]

The weak link is really the developing.

Regarding black and white XP2 and CN400 are the easiest, because they can go through the color chemicals. I have no clue what quality issues could come up. But somehow, I have to think that this a foolproof method...

Regarding color, I have noticed large differences in quality. In my neighborhood, there's a Walgreens that does an awful job. Then a little further over, there's a Meyer's that does a great job with color reversal film. I am guessing it just depends on the people at each store.

Good luck!!!

JP

 

[Yuphorix]

Thanks for everyones input and sharing your own experiences. It definitely makes me feel more confident about getting into film photography. Well, the only thing left to do now is to buy the camera and jump in.

 

[shadowfox]

The weak link is really the developing.

Regarding black and white XP2 and CN400 are the easiest, because they can go through the color chemicals. I have no clue what quality issues could come up. But somehow, I have to think that this a foolproof method...

JP

It is a foolproof method only if you like what you are getting.

C-41 monochrome films has very fine grain and wide tonal scale. Because of which, its apparent sharpness is lessen. It's awesome for a lot of types of photographs. Some says that it's the perfect film for scanning, I disagree, it's no more perfect than Tri-X if you know how to scan it.

But if you are looking for the gritty, grainy, punchy black and white, you have to tweak a whole lot. So I just prefer to use Tri-X or FP4 and Rodinal.