Soon to develop first B&W 35mm film

Dwayne
I don't know the Kodak Kodafix. My choice in fixer is Ilford Rapidfix which is in liquid form so maybe the Kodafix is similiar. I love the Ilford because it is easy to mix and it is a rapid, non hardening fixer. This type of fixer allows you to reduce your wash times. Be careful useing it with films which have a soft emulsion though.
 
I use Kodak Photoflo as a wetting agent, I think its 99% of the market. I mix it 1:100 and resuse it about 5 times before dumping it.
 
I don't use a changing bag, I spool my films in my makeshift darkroom which is fully dark. One thing I did on my first roll and have stuck to ever since is to have an empty biscuit tin to hand with the lid already removed. If something went wrong I reckoned I could stuff the loose film in the tin and put the lid on. I could then put the lights on. I didn't need it on my first roll but many rolls later I dropped and broke the tank ! I was so glad to have somewhere safe to put the film !
 
If you use HP5+ or Tri X, I would go with DD X - liquid developer and gives excellent results with these films, even if you want to push them a bit.
To simplify your life, forget about the stop bath altogether. Use fresh developer and fresh fixer, and just pour them into the sink after use. Dilute DD X 1+9 - develop Tri X for 10 minutes and HP5+ for 15 minutes at 20 deg C. Agitation 10 secs a minute.

Tri X in DD X 1+9, 10 min

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sig said:
Never ask in a public forum how to do it. You will end up with about 289 different ways and preferences on how to do it, information overload and so on.
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Now thats a sensible answer. A good book is also a great start. Most good used book stores have some photography books that give a good intro to developing and printing.
 
Thanks guys. So can some fixers be poured down the drain like dvelopers or not a good idea for the fixer to go down. Everyone is suggesting sooooo many different chemicals and I love it. However, I'm shooting mainly two films HP5+ or neopan. For the users who shoot this film what do you use and recommend?
 
Dwayneb9584 said:
Thanks guys. So can some fixers be poured down the drain like dvelopers or not a good idea for the fixer to go down. Everyone is suggesting sooooo many different chemicals and I love it. However, I'm shooting mainly two films HP5+ or neopan. For the users who shoot this film what do you use and recommend?
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Fixer is generally not one-shot, as in you mix a large quantity of working solution, and pour it back in after use. As long as you test the fixer every couple rolls with Hypo-check or a with bit of unexposed film, you shouldn't encounter problems with this.

For disposal, don't pour fixer down the drain; if you can, bring it to any place with a silver reclamation machine, such as a photo lab. Many dentist's offices also have them as they develop their own x-ray film. If no such places can be found, take it to the dump and let them know what it is.
 
Right my mistake on that. Fixer can be reused. Infact Ilford Rapid Fixer is on my list and I think I'm going to go with this. After several months it will change colors and that is when it is bad I'm assuming?
 
Dwayneb9584 said:
Right my mistake on that. Fixer can be reused. Infact Ilford Rapid Fixer is on my list and I think I'm going to go with this. After several months it will change colors and that is when it is bad I'm assuming?
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Get "Hypo-Check" for a few bucks, 1 drop and you will know right away.. I'd start checking after the 5-6 roll... Also, put the used Fixer in a separate container, to keep the stock fix fresh. And put tic marks for each use. I tape some paper on the bottle to record each use of the used fix.
 
Dwayneb9584 said:
Great that's a good idea too. Do you all use clear plastic bottles or brown ones with lables for storing chemicals?
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I use a 1.7 liter clear container w/ a tap for stock dev.
And. brown 32oz ones for pre mixed Stop and Fixer. and 32oz clear bottles for used chems. See Image below...
And I have a cabinet that I keep everything in, in the dark when the door is closed.

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Hey all. I wanted to know if you all recommend these chemicals that I was thinking about using for my first roll. Let me know your thoughts on them as I will be picking them up mid next week.

ILFORD ILFOTEC DD–X developer
ILFORD ILFOSTOP stop bath
ILFORD RAPID FIXER
ILFORD ILFOTOL wetting agent
 
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