A Development In My Hobby - The Film Journey

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Shaun
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Excuse the bad pun for the title :D

I decided to give film a go, after having digital SLRs for the past 8 year or so. I've kind of dived in at the deep and and decided to try the developing at home! I thought I'd make a little thread about how I get on here.

I've had some amazing advice and pointers already from you guys about film, developing and scanners etc, so it would be rude to not share the results!

This is what I've accumulated so far to get me going, with a few bits still on the way.

Canon EOS 500
Canon 35-80mm lens
Sigma Super Wide 24mm f2.8

AP compact developing tank
Tetenal colortec developing kit
RA 50 rinse aid
Digital thermometer

1000ml measuring cylinder
3 x 1000ml HDP bottles

V550 scanner arriving tomorrow

Small storage box to use as a water bath, aquarium heater to keep the temperature right, and a small aquarium filter to keep the water moving to distribute the heat

Still waiting for some funnels, jugs and smaller measuring cylinders. Oh and a changing bag to load the film into the tank



I currently have a roll of Kodak colour plus 200 loaded into the camera, waiting for a half nice day to get some shots to practice my first development.

Here's a few photos of what I have so far.......

dev3.jpg dev2.jpg dev1.jpg

If anyone has any developing tips, shooting with film tips or any other tip that would be great.

Hoping to get something developed by the end of the week!

Thanks for reading :)
 
I like that you're going straight into the deep end with C41 home developing before B&W. I think you're mental, but that's what F&C is all about, so welcome to the club :LOL:

What aquarium heater are you using? I've never seen one that goes hot enough without hacking about with the insides. I bought a purpose made Novatronic film tank heater and I struggled to get a 20L container up to temperature with it, although it was only a piddly 150W one.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on :)
 
Good grief! B&W is a lot easier.
Colour chemicals go off quickly, so you need to take lots of pics!

Good luck and enjoy.
Quite a few of us have been dabbling with film for 40+ years (Carl is just a youth :) )
 
I like that you're going straight into the deep end with C41 home developing before B&W. I think you're mental, but that's what F&C is all about, so welcome to the club :LOL:

What aquarium heater are you using? I've never seen one that goes hot enough without hacking about with the insides. I bought a purpose made Novatronic film tank heater and I struggled to get a 20L container up to temperature with it, although it was only a piddly 150W one.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on :)

My wife does too haha. I've read up a lot and watched a ton of videos so I'm quietly confident I can get it to work well haha

It's a 200w Interpet heater, should keep it at 30 degrees for the alternative development method in the colortec instructions. May need to keep the lid on the container rather than keeping it open
 
Good grief! B&W is a lot easier.
Colour chemicals go off quickly, so you need to take lots of pics!

Good luck and enjoy.
Quite a few of us have been dabbling with film for 40+ years (Carl is just a youth :) )

Haha don't make me nervous Ken

Yeah I've read it doesn't stay 'fresh' for too long, I've got some spray on the way, I forget the name but it's a heavy gas that creates a barrier between unused stock solution etc
 
I look forward to seeing your results, I'll be making a similar leap into my own development soon hopefully, so I'm watching with interest.
 
Any reason in particular for the V550 Shaun? Flexibility if you go medium format? I can't make my mind up wether or not I'd be happy with results from a flatbed for 35mm or if I should get a dedicated one 35mm scanner like a Plustek.
 
I went for the V550 to scan 35 and MF. Seems to be okay.
 
It tends to be the second time when you think you know what you are doing. :)

:LOL:

Any reason in particular for the V550 Shaun? Flexibility if you go medium format? I can't make my mind up wether or not I'd be happy with results from a flatbed for 35mm or if I should get a dedicated one 35mm scanner like a Plustek.

Not so much one in particular, budget was probably my main factor. I didn't really want to spend over £200. I had my heart set on a PlusTek 8200, then decided one negative slide at a time may become a bit tedious. With the flatbeds you can scan more, 12 at a time iirc with the V550. I'm guessing the V will have slightly less image quality, but for what I'll be doing with the images (facebook, instagram, personal enjoyment) it should be more than capable.

Next decision was between the V or a canoscan 9000f, which was under £200 also. However after reading numerous reviews, comparisons etc, the V slightly pipped the 9000 every time. It seems like features like dust and scratch removal etc are better on the V, and I think I read the V can scan tiff at 48bit whereas the 9000 was 24. That may be inaccurate though as I've read so much I could be wrong lol

Oh and a lot of people on here seem to use and rate them well
 
Good grief! B&W is a lot easier.
Colour chemicals go off quickly, so you need to take lots of pics!

Good luck and enjoy.
Quite a few of us have been dabbling with film for 40+ years (Carl is just a youth :) )

This might be a daft questions Ken, but I'll ask it anyway lol. The step where you rinse, then add the stabilizer after the rinse, would it be after the stabilizer step that you can give it a final rinse with the wetting agent before hanging up to dry?
 
:LOL:



Not so much one in particular, budget was probably my main factor. I didn't really want to spend over £200. I had my heart set on a PlusTek 8200, then decided one negative slide at a time may become a bit tedious. With the flatbeds you can scan more, 12 at a time iirc with the V550. I'm guessing the V will have slightly less image quality, but for what I'll be doing with the images (facebook, instagram, personal enjoyment) it should be more than capable.

Next decision was between the V or a canoscan 9000f, which was under £200 also. However after reading numerous reviews, comparisons etc, the V slightly pipped the 9000 every time. It seems like features like dust and scratch removal etc are better on the V, and I think I read the V can scan tiff at 48bit whereas the 9000 was 24. That may be inaccurate though as I've read so much I could be wrong lol

Oh and a lot of people on here seem to use and rate them well

I'd be careful about using the dust removal. It can cause problems with artefacts appearing in darker areas - you'll think something isn't working properly. At least, that is what I have found.
I prefer to remove dust spots etc in post processing. Tedious but you can get good results. And you will get dust!
 
I'd be careful about using the dust removal. It can cause problems with artefacts appearing in darker areas - you'll think something isn't working properly. At least, that is what I have found.
I prefer to remove dust spots etc in post processing. Tedious but you can get good results. And you will get dust!

Good tip thanks!

Another quick questions whilst we're here lol, agitation, would you use the inversion technique or use the agitation stick you get with the developing tanks?

That scan is quite impressive, lots of detail
 
I just turn the tank for 10 seconds every minute with B&W. I don't use the stick.
Again, be careful agitating. It's not like shaking a spray paint can, it's a gentle movement. I give the tank a gentle knock on the work top at the end of each agitation to knock off bubbles that may form.
 
I have the Epson V600 scanner and ever since doing some comparison tests I scan my negatives and slides at 3200 dpi, as the results when scanned at dpi resolution settings above that seem to be 'interpolated' (or whatever it's called) and progressively not as sharp/detailed as when scanned at 3200 dpi. See how you go, but you'll probably find the same if you do a couple of comparison scans and then zoom right in on the images to look at the detail. Hope this is useful. (y)
 
I have the Epson V600 scanner and ever since doing some comparison tests I scan my negatives and slides at 3200 dpi, as the results when scanned at dpi resolution settings above that seem to be 'interpolated' (or whatever it's called) and progressively not as sharp/detailed as when scanned at 3200 dpi. See how you go, but you'll probably find the same if you do a couple of comparison scans and then zoom right in on the images to look at the detail. Hope this is useful. (y)

Cheers, I’ll have a play around with it when it turns up tomorrow. I’ve got some old slides I can scan and see how it performs
 
I have that Sigma super wide in Nikon fit and it is one of the best, it has a cult following and over the years has always increased in price.

Nice find.(y)
 
I have the Epson V600 scanner and ever since doing some comparison tests I scan my negatives and slides at 3200 dpi, as the results when scanned at dpi resolution settings above that seem to be 'interpolated' (or whatever it's called) and progressively not as sharp/detailed as when scanned at 3200 dpi. See how you go, but you'll probably find the same if you do a couple of comparison scans and then zoom right in on the images to look at the detail. Hope this is useful. (y)

I used to scan at 3200 dpi, but I dropped it down to 2400 dpi (on the V550 - which is the same scanner essentially) as, after straining my eyes, I couldn’t see any real discernible difference in detail - I just ended up with bigger scans and less hard disc space.
 
On scanning, I've used Epson flatbeds for years and I always scan at the highest resolution setting with VueScan software. I usually (with large format) have VueScan "interpolate downwards", averaging out blocks of 4 pixels to reduce/eliminate noise. It may or may not work as I haven't tested it, but the results work for me.
 
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I have that Sigma super wide in Nikon fit and it is one of the best, it has a cult following and over the years has always increased in price.

Nice find.(y)

Yeah I noticed they seem to hold a good value still. I haven’t tested it properly yet, but it makes a noise as if it’s grinding when focusing. It still focuses quite quick, just with a bit of a noise lol.

I used to scan at 3200 dpi, but I dropped it down to 2400 dpi (on the V550 - which is the same scanner essentially) as, after straining my eyes, I couldn’t see any real discernible difference in detail - I just ended up with bigger scans and less hard disc space.



On scanning, I've used Epson flatbeds for years and I always scan at the highest resoluton setting with VueScan software. I usually (with large format) have VueScan "interpolate downwards", averaging out blocks of 4 pixels to reduce/eliminate noise. It may or may not work as I haven't tested it, but the results work for me.

Thanks guys. I’ll have a play around with the settings when I get a chance and try what everyone has suggested and see what works well for me :)
 
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Another quick questions whilst we're here lol, agitation, would you use the inversion technique or use the agitation stick you get with the developing tanks?

I use the "twisty stick" as I can't get on with inversions. The last time I did inversions with C41 a small amount pressure built up inside the tank and blew the edge of the lid off, spurting developer all over the carpet. I was not popular!

edit- reading the other thread, it was developer not blix!
 
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I use the "twisty stick" as I can't get on with inversions. The last time I did inversions with C41 a small amount pressure built up inside the tank and blew the edge of the lid off, spurting blix all over the carpet. I was not popular!

Haha I bet you weren’t. Hmm I may try the twisty stick method to start with and see how it works for me lol
 
"Yeah I noticed they seem to hold a good value still. I haven’t tested it properly yet, but it makes a noise as if it’s grinding when focusing. It still focuses quite quick, just with a bit of a noise lol."

That is normal, it sounds a bit like a tractor engine, :)
 
"Yeah I noticed they seem to hold a good value still. I haven’t tested it properly yet, but it makes a noise as if it’s grinding when focusing. It still focuses quite quick, just with a bit of a noise lol."

That is normal, it sounds a bit like a tractor engine, :)

I’m glad you’ve said that, that’s exactly what it sounds like haha. I was going to look at getting it repaired lol
 
If you're going to start with scanning some old slides then leave the digital ICE/dust removal features off if scanning Kodachrome slides, as it doesn't work on them; it just makes them look rubbish with almost a sort of 'painterly' effect on parts of the image depending on the subject. Not that I've ever forgotten to turn it off when scanning Kodachrome. :whistle:
 
I’ve just received the changing bag. I’m not convinced that it’s going to keep 100% of the light out. Looks like I’ll be in the cupboard under the stairs as an extra safety feature lol

I've had a few changing bags, some cheap some not so cheap, and none of them have let light in unintentionally. So long as you make sure the zips are zipped and that the elastic over your arms is tight and not too tucked up then you'll be fine.
 
If you're going to start with scanning some old slides then leave the digital ICE/dust removal features off if scanning Kodachrome slides, as it doesn't work on them; it just makes them look rubbish with almost a sort of 'painterly' effect on parts of the image depending on the subject. Not that I've ever forgotten to turn it off when scanning Kodachrome. :whistle:

I have found that irrespective of what you are scanning ICE/dust removal mode is a waste of so much time for little return. Prep you're negative prior to scanning, that is my tip.(y)
 
I have found that irrespective of what you are scanning ICE/dust removal mode is a waste of so much time for little return. Prep you're negative prior to scanning, that is my tip.(y)
I don't usually use it either, as you say, remove the problem at source. I use a rocket blower on the negs/slides and on the top and bottom scanner glass immediately before each scan and that seems to cut down a lot of dust issues, unless it's ingrained into the neg. I find that wiping the scanner glass with a cloth tends to attract more dust, probably due to static, so I just use the rocket blower and only wipe the glass if marks appear or every few months just to get rid of any haze that might have started to build up.
 
Ok so I had the the V550 delivered today. I’m like a big kid at Christmas.

Has anyone used the Epson software initially to scan? What bit colour do you select? I’m saving in tiff. Any other adjustments will be made in PS

Going to have a test with some old slides I acquired
 
I think I've seen several reports on here of folk who use EpsonScan (or whatever) as a matter of course. Having two scanners of different makes, Vuescan Pro is the ideal choice for me!
 
Ok so I had the the V550 delivered today. I’m like a big kid at Christmas.

Has anyone used the Epson software initially to scan? What bit colour do you select? I’m saving in tiff. Any other adjustments will be made in PS

Going to have a test with some old slides I acquired

Personally, and you'll find your own way, for b&w I scan at 24 bit 2400 dpi, turn off everything then adjust the histogram for a flat scan*.

*give me a couple of minutes to find a previous explanation of this.
 
I use the Epson Scanning software for everything but slides and use this technique for both Colour and B&W, it gives a horrid flat image. In LR I hit auto to balance the image then a bit of a bump in contrast for B&W and saturation for colour and I get good results in a few minutes then I'll focus on the "keepers" to do any additional enhancements. I tried for a few evenings to get on with VueScan for negatives whilst trying to get an un-pp image for the POTY but I've just not put the time in to learn it.

http://photo-utopia.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/scanning-with-epson-v500.html?m=1

Christ, that was nearly four years ago! :(
 
I always use the Epson software my scanner came with, saving as JPEG files and tweaking afterwards in Photoshop Elements. To be honest, given the resolution that 'consumer grade' flatbed scanners deliver for 35mm film I can't see the point in saving images as a TIFF file, as they take up more PC hard drive space, and will it actually make any noticeable difference at that resolution?

Anyway, I'll let you know the settings I use the next time I plug the scanner in, as my dinner is calling me! I think it's the highest colour bit setting for colour negs and slides, but I know it's definitely 3200 dpi resolution I scan at.
 
I think I've seen several reports on here of folk who use EpsonScan (or whatever) as a matter of course. Having two scanners of different makes, Vuescan Pro is the ideal choice for me!

That’s what I’ll be using for the time being. Mrs will go mental if I spend anymore, I haven’t even shot my 1st roll of film yet hahaha

Personally, and you'll find your own way, for b&w I scan at 24 bit 2400 dpi, turn off everything then adjust the histogram for a flat scan*.

*give me a couple of minutes to find a previous explanation of this.

Christ, that was nearly four years ago! :(

Cheers, I thought 48bit might be a bit overkill. Just tested on a few old slides (70’s) and 3200 at 24 bit gives a decent file. I’ve been waiting for some half decent weather to get some good shots on my first roll, think I’m just going to go out regardless on Friday on my day off and just shoot anything to practice the developing and scanning lol
 
I always use the Epson software my scanner came with, saving as JPEG files and tweaking afterwards in Photoshop Elements. To be honest, given the resolution that 'consumer grade' flatbed scanners deliver for 35mm film I can't see the point in saving images as a TIFF file, as they take up more PC hard drive space, and will it actually make any noticeable difference at that resolution?

Anyway, I'll let you know the settings I use the next time I plug the scanner in, as my dinner is calling me! I think it's the highest colour bit setting for colour negs and slides, but I know it's definitely 3200 dpi resolution I scan at.

Cheers badger. I was thinking tiff as it’s losless editing? Or is that a bit misguided.
 
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