Should i be discouraged........

[fixbones]

...... that i can only shoot XP2s?

Would really love to shoot TriX/HP5 but i don't think i can start developing my own film in the near future due to many reasons. Outsourcing them for developing and scanning is not the best option too (costing AUD 30 per roll).

Any words of encouragement or comfort?

 

[sleepyhead]

Shooting B&W and NOT processing the film your self diminishes the feeling of "craft" from camera to negative to print that is the essense of analog photography.

But on the other hand, the C41 films like XP2 and Kodaks BW400CN are excellent, and capable of producing good negs, particularly for scanning and working on in Photoshop.

So I would say that the most important thing isn't whether you process your own film or not (or use Tri-X - which isn't everyone's cup of tea anyway), but that you use your creative energies to go out and SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT and learn and develope your ideas and technique and produce prints that give you satisfaction.

By the way, I process B&W film at home with very little space, no dedicated darkroom, etc. All you need really is a black "changing bag" and a sink and some chemicals and a bathroom to hang the negs up to dry. Then you can scan them if and work in Photoshop.

 

[__hh]

Developing my own B&W was *the best thing* I've ever done photographically. It does save me money and time. The results have been rewarding to say the least. Give it a go. I am sure you can find an RFF'er nearby to have a go at it.

 

[Ronald_H]

What sleepyhead said.

My local lab scr*wed up my negs a few times too often, so I was more or less forced to do it myself. But I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE. That was pretty daunting. Simple things as what kind of bottles do I need, which developer, where on God's green earth do you get a changing bag? My local store could order one... for upwards of 120 Euros! Luckily I found a cheap Chinese one for about 100 less.

Even my very first roll, for all the fumbling in the dark, the marks and the spots was WAY better than the lab did for me. Sure, I made lots of mistake since, and I still do, but I never looked back.

And frankly, the most difficult part is getting the film on the reel. Just DO it. Go to a local camera show and buy your stuff there for a song, including some slightly outdated film to experiment with. It is worth it.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Why be discouraged when you can still take photos? 😕

 

[fixbones]

Hung - i'm in North West Tasmania. Don't think there are many fellow RFFers here who develops their own

Guess i am just discouraged coz obviously the ideal medium(for me) is to shoot silver halides. I do think they look better than chromogenics.

Don't get me wrong. I still shoot as much if not more and am truly grateful for having the opportunity to own what i have at the moment.

I've spent quite a bit of $$ already this year. To put down another 1k ++ for a scanner (coolscan) and other darkroom equipments ....... hmmmm. We all have to limit ourselves sometimes no? Maybe next years...

 

[Haigh]

I have done my own Tri x and Rodinal for many years and then do darkroom for delicate prints to exhibit .I scan negs for the web with a cheap office scanner which I have replaced with an Epson V700 for my online publications. For good scans for an exhibition I will pay for them to be done professionally.

 

[ruby.monkey]

All you need for the development side of things can probably be bought for well under £100; and a coolscan, while nice, isn't immediately necessary. As an example, I picked up a CanoScan LiDE 600F (which comes with a 35mm slide/neg scanning attachment) new for £70.

One can start cheaply and build up one's equipment as one goes along.

 

[notturtle]

You really, really cant develop your own film? the kit costs relatively little and you will get your money back after not that many rolls of film. It is dead easy and you don't need a darkroom. A closet at night works fine, or even in the day of dark enough (or with towel under the door).

shoot fine grained films and they will scan nicely too.

 

[Roger Hicks]

In my book, unless you're printing wet, XP2 Super looks better than halide. Scanning a dye image is what scanners are designed for; silver grains can lead to aliasing, blown highlights, and more. But for easy wet processing you might care to have a look at:

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps how process 35-120.html

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps how loo.html

Cheers,

R.

 

[Mablo]

Developing yourself is much much more economical in the long run. I buy film in bulk rolls and develope it all in my kitchen. Costs per one roll of film developed and scanned is a bit north of 2$ (US). I use El Cheapo Canon Flatbed scanner.

 

[ChrisN]

£100? Nowhere near that much!

Fixbones - What do you need? A dev tank; three 1-litre jugs, a couple of liquid measures (10ml, 100ml, 250ml) for preparing your diluted dev, stop and fixer, a thermometer, a clock with a second hand, and some clips (bulldog paper clips are good) to hang the film.

I can shout you a two-reel tank - I buy up boxes of old developing gear at the local flea markets - I've got more reels than I know what to do with. PM me your address and I'll send you one to get you started. Can you get chemistry locally? That might be the hard part because the post office doesn't like liquids in the post.

 

[Keith]

Regarding scanning ... a Coolscan would be nice but from what I've seen the Epson V500 does a decent job of 35mm and better with MF and can be bought new here for $395.00 AUD.

I spent the first year of shooting film using Kodak BW400CN C41 which was fine at the time but once I made the leap to doing my own developing my whole approach to my photography changed. The input you can have to the end image is much improved when you can tune your shooting parameters to match your developing process.

And it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on! 😛

 

[dap]

I wouldn't sweat it at all. If XP2 works for your situation better than traditional B&W then go for it. Whenever you get bogged down with the mechanics of photography, Just remember that the subject matter of your photo is the great equalizer as far as different film/cameras/lenses/etc. are concerned...If the image is good enough nobody cares what you used to make it.

 

[fixbones]

ChrisN: Thank you very much for the offer. Thats very kind of you. I'll take you up on that when i've decided to take the leap.... hopefully next year.

Will 'learn' my rangefinders and lenses better (they are still relatively new to me) this year with the XP2 and then perhaps graduate to developing my own next year.

 

[marke]

Will 'learn' my rangefinders and lenses better (they are still relatively new to me) this year with the XP2 and then perhaps graduate to developing my own next year.

I think this is a good idea. Even though I had developed my own film for several years back in the '70s and part of the '80s, when I got back into film 3 years ago, I just started with chomogenic B&W. Spent time reaquainting myself with the rangefinders. Last year, about this time, I started developing my own. It's easy, but don't bite off to much at once and end up getting over whelmed and discouraged.

 

[-doomed-]

ChrisN: Thank you very much for the offer. Thats very kind of you. I'll take you up on that when i've decided to take the leap.... hopefully next year.

Will 'learn' my rangefinders and lenses better (they are still relatively new to me) this year with the XP2 and then perhaps graduate to developing my own next year.

solid plan,I took this route myself.

 

[semrich]

You'll know when you are ready to do your own, and after you start you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. I find it much easier to accept my own mistakes with my negatives that those made by others and I learn more from them.

 

[Ronald_H]

Stuff to develop yourself is way, way less than 100 pounds. You don't really need a Coolscan, an Epson V500 will be almost have good. I should know, I have both ;-)

 

[fergus]

fixbones - many of us develop our own... try vanbar for cheap chemicals (cheaper than importing from B&H or Freestyle for example). There are other sites too.

I am currently playing with adox chs-25 'art' in perceptol. Next up it's rodinal.

Earlier in this thread Chris has offered you a good deal on a tank, and Keith has guided you to a scanner. I don't even use a timer or thermometer, just tap water and my watch's second hand. That's just me, my 6x6 TLD still blows my socks off once the tank is opened.

Enjoy...