Simplest, cheapest way to develop Neopan at home

[squirrel$$$bandit]

OK, I am really tired of waiting 2 weeks to get non-XP2 B&W back from the supermarket. I'd like to develop my B&W negs at home, for scanning.

I have:

- no darkroom experience whatsoever
- no windowless bathroom
- not much money

But I also have:

- a nice big sink next to my computer and scanner
- pretty decent manual dexterity

What's the absolute basic setup for me? Tools, chemicals, etc? I'll need a small tank, I guess? All I want is negatives, no prints (at least not yet!), 35mm and 120. And where's a good, simple primer, online or otherwise, that can help me learn the skills I need?

 

[xayraa33]

you need a tank with reel, a few large jars or plastic jugs, a measuring cup, a spoon, a thermometer, a large plastic bowl, a pair of scissors, bottle cap opener,
developer, fixer, hypo clear, Photo Flo. You can buy a lot of things in the kitchen section of your super market.
you can load your film at night in a closet.
here is a neat web site:

http://www.ehow.com/how_1353_develop-black-white.html

 

[Bnack]

i think you can set up for pretty cheap... basically you need a tank that can fit two 35mm reels and one 120 reel, unless you want to go bigger, but you can only develop multiple rolls if they have the same developing time. I personally much prefer the metal tanks and reels, but that's just my preference. Actually you don't need a windowless bathroom to develop... more likely a lightless closet will work. You might need to use some sort of towels or cloth to block light from seeping in the door cracks... when unloading film there really should be almost NO light. I would suggest standing in your "dark room" for 10 or 15 min and then look for light and figure out how to block it. Then all you need to do is rip open your film canister (or use a can opener if you're more elegant then I), or unwrap your 120 roll and feed it into the reel. I would suggest if you have an old roll of film you want to sacrafice, you take that roll and practice loading the reel in the light... it takes a little practice to get it right... especially in the pitch black. Once your film is loaded in the tank the rest you can do in the light. I would suggest Rodinal as a great developer that is really cheap, and then some fixer.. I use Ilford but any will do. (You might also want some photoflow, helps the negs dry without spotting) And I would suggest you to the following website to find optimal developing times etc... http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html
Once you get familiar with the films you like you can start to deviate from that, so I would suggest you take note of how you developed something so that you can refer back to those results. But I think you can purchase all this for about 40 bucks.
Godspeed.

 

[Bnack]

Ohh right and those other things xayraa33 mentioned above... I'm pretty bad at recalling protocols...

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Does anyone sell a complete kit online? And can I use a changing bag instead of a dark room?

Thanks, this is really helpful!

 

[xayraa33]

I also like to have some masking tape and a Sharpie pen to label mixed chemicals that I store in plastic jugs.
chemicals like: Kodak D76, Kodak Fixer and Kodak Hypoclear.
putting a date on these jugs helps too.
oh, and you need some laundry line spring clothes pegs.

 

[kully]

Where are you? That will help in answering where you can get the stuff you need.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Where are you? That will help in answering where you can get the stuff you need.

Upstate NY, USA.

 

[xayraa33]

Does anyone sell a complete kit online? And can I use a changing bag instead of a dark room?

Thanks, this is really helpful!

a visit to a large photo shop and a supermarket with a small shopping list is all you need.

two large green garbage bags doubled up in a darkened closet or room will work in the daytime just as well as a change bag.

 

[shadowfox]

I just went through the necessary hoop-jumping to do this under a pretty similar constraints as yours.

And I've written my experience in my photo-journal, check it out, I don't think you'll lose more than just a couple of minutes and you may pick up some do's and don't's that will be useful in your preparation.

 

[ibcrewin]

xayraa33 great idea with the garbage bags!

Okay here's my quick and dirty list..

Essentials.. Pretty much can't do anything without theses

Steel Reel and tank <--craigslist, ebay, photostore (The plastic ones are fine too.)
Developer <--can't develop film with out it! D-76 anyone?)
Fixer <--I don't know of any other step around this)
Liquid measuring cup <--easy find at the dollar store)
Bottles to keep all this stuff in...

Secondary essentials.. You can skip these but it would make life a whole lot easier..
Thermometer... (dollar store might be good here)
Timer.. (I use the stopwatch on my watch)

I got most of my stuff for either free or Very very cheap on craigslist.
As for your lack of darkroom experience, it's okay. It is my opinion that, if you can bake a cake, you can develop film.

Good luck, Let us know how it goes!

 

[peterc]

Ilford has a good little pdf primer on developing.
Ilford

 

[xayraa33]

xayraa33 great idea with the garbage bags!

Okay here's my quick and dirty list..

Essentials.. Pretty much can't do anything without theses

Steel Reel and tank <--craigslist, ebay, photostore (The plastic ones are fine too.)
Developer <--can't develop film with out it! D-76 anyone?)
Fixer <--I don't know of any other step around this)
Liquid measuring cup <--easy find at the dollar store)
Bottles to keep all this stuff in...

Secondary essentials.. You can skip these but it would make life a whole lot easier..
Thermometer... (dollar store might be good here)
Timer.. (I use the stopwatch on my watch)

I got most of my stuff for either free or Very very cheap on craigslist.
As for your lack of darkroom experience, it's okay. It is my opinion that, if you can bake a cake, you can develop film.

Good luck, Let us know how it goes!

If you plan to start using dry chemicals,
get yourself a large plastic or stainless steel mixing bowl from the kitchen dept.
you will need this to mix up the D76, Kodakfix, and Kodak Hypoclear Agent.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Will all these chemicals need to be refrigerated for storage after I mix 'em?

I found a guy getting rid of his stuff on Craigslist...I might have missed it, let's see if he gets back to me. Otherwise I'll buy new.

 

[ibcrewin]

No.. I keep mine under the kitchen sink, locked up of course..
Most important part is to keep it air tight.

 

[Pherdinand]

tank. two reels. (get them as new as possible,if plastic. Overused plastic reels are a bitch to load.) developer, fixer, distilled water, wetting agent. bottles for keeping the prepared developer and fixer. funnels if you reuse any of the chemicals. a thermometer. Eventually, film clips.
The rest you should have around the house, like, scissor, watch, etc.
Gloves are nice too, to protect yourself a bit.

I always load my film in the bathroom in the late evening, lights in the house turned off, bathroom door closed. It is pitch black in there. When the tank lid is closed, lights can be on again.

EDIT: indeed, you also need some volume measuring tool.

 

[Harry Lime]

Once you get the tank etc try Barry Thornton's 2-bath developer.

Completely idiot proof, dirt cheap developer that produces stellar results with films up to 400asa. I switched to this and divided d76 from Ilford DD-X, as my main developer for anything up to 400asa and couldn't be happier.

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum223/33566-thornton-s-two-bath.html

 

[sockeyed]

Have a look at this. Freestyle photo sells all the equipment (less the chemicals) you would need in one kit for $55.

- 1 graduated 50 ml cylinder

- 1 graduated 600 ml vessel

- 1 film squeegee

- 2 film clips

- 1 Classic developing tank

- 1 stirring paddle

- 1 thermometer

- 3 - 8" x 10" developing trays

- 3 plastic printing tongs

- and 2 Classic film reels

At the same time you can order the chemistry you need (developer, stop, fixer, photoflow). You'll also need a completely dark room or changing bag, of course.

I would recommend D-76 as a great developer for Neopan.

Welcome to the world of home film developing. It's a fun and addictive hobby.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I would recommend D-76 as a great developer for Neopan.

Welcome to the world of home film developing. It's a fun and addictive hobby.

Actually I'm thinking of going with Will's suggestion of F76+...my wife's very environmentally conscious, and we have a septic tank and well, which I'm not eager to mess up.

When I say Neopan, I mean 1600. This will work OK?

Thanks for the freestyle link!

 

[Joao]

Hello
I use changing bag, homemixed paRodinal, Ilford fixer, wetting agent. Distilled water for dilutting the developper, fixer and wetting agent and final rinse. Plain tap water as stop-bath and as washing baths according to Ilford's protocol. For drying the film, before removing it from the reel: vigorous shaking first and then fast spinning for a few seconds. Then I hang the almost dry film with a clothespin, will be ready for scanning in a few minutes.
Thermometers: may be expensive in photography shops, the ones used for aquariums are fine. If you have cold winters you may use an aquarium electric heater to warm your chemicals (heater in a large bowl with water, chemicals in closed plastic bottles in the water for a few minutes). You can precisely select the temperature this way.
As recommended above: practice in the dark with a sacrificial film, loading the reels is easier than it seems. For used plastic reels: they must be very clean, and loading them becomes easier if they are previously heated with an hair-dryer.
Enjoy!
Joao