Basic beginners guide to developing

Only used plastic reels so far and it was quite easy once I figured out I wasn't supposed to thread the covering paper on :LOL:

I've heard there's some sort of contraption you can use with 120 film to make getting the film on easier, though can't remember what it was...
 
I don't think there's any value in steel reels, peeps have told me they are quicker to load once you get the knack, and its a different knack to plastic ones...apparently.
Steel lasts forever, but I haven't busted a plastic one in 5 years so :shrug:.
Plastic reels are supposed to be easier because they have ballbearings that allow you to twist each side in turn and it sorta...self loads, you don't need to touch the film at all except getting it started, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I thought you did you're own b/w cherry ?, you might as well, its too simple to faff about with labs and wotnot.
Get a Patterson System 4, if you think you'll do more than one roll at a time, get a big tank, the small ones do two 35's but only one 120, I have a 6 roller, its a bit more of a job but saves a lot of time.
 
Na I don't but now that you gave me those rolls I want to. I did do some at college but I'm no longer at college so I can't go in, plus I've moved so it's a bit far to travel for free chemicals.

There is just soo much and it's a bit aaaaaaahhhhh!!!

I'll getting the ideas more now and stuff but still a bit confusing. Easy to do but confusing
 
Hey, that's what this thread is about - turning aaaahhhh! into AHA! :D

What's confusing you?
 
Basically the developer mixtures. Stock, 1-1, 1-4 and stuff. The stop and fix are just messure and pour whereas the developer there is different soultions. That correct??

I know you mix water but say you 1l developer that would make 5liters if it's a 1-4 mix yea? But do you mix up the whole 1-4 or just how much you need?? But if your using powder how would that work?!?!

Sorry, really sorry :(:(
 
For the developer I don't use powder, so can't help. If you're using liquid like Kodak Kmax, this would be a typical example:

Pour out 200ml into your 1-litre measuring jug and fill the rest with water. This would give you the correct dilution of 1 part concentrated developer to 4 parts of water. Simply use what you need. This 1-litre mixed solution should be enough for 2 x rolls of 35mm in a standard size developing tank. :)

Ask more if you need to know! Very happy to help out.
 
Oh, the stop bath and fixer are also concentrated. With Ilford the Stop bath is 1 part stop bath plus 19 parts water, so you'd pour out 50ml stop bath into your 1 litre jug and fill up the rest with water. Fixer is the same concentrate as the developer - 1 part fixer to 4 parts of water.
 
Yes, the same developer can be used for 35mm and 120 - you only need to fill the tank once with the developer mix. Depending on the size of your developing tank, you may be able to fit 2 x 120 films in there and use the 1 liter for both...

Not sure about using water for stopping development, though if it works for you... I'd say use the stop bath as it's a good way of controlling how much development in the film you want.
 
Why do you want to mix powder, I could understand it if you were wanting to try out some different developers but, I dunno, I've used loads of developers and never had to mix powder.
I have some Ilford microphen, its powder, dunno what century I'll get round to mixing some when there are so many in easy liquid form around..

I think he's mixing "stock" developer, that's full strength, you'd still have to dilute the "stock" to suit the film and the developing time you chose, as and when you soup a roll.


With a one 120 roll patterson tank, you need 500ml of mixed developer and 500ml of mixed fixer.
So I'm using errrr.......Ilford FP4 + 125, and errr.....Ilfosol s liquid developer.
In the massive dev chart it says -

FP4+ Ilfosol S 1+9 125 6.5 20C

1+9 = 1 part developer to 9 parts water, so thats about 40ml of developer in 460ml of water @ 20 degrees for 6 1/2 minutes.
Fixer is 1+4 I think, depends on the brand, so thats 125ml of fixer in 375ml of water @ 20 degrees for 3-4 minutes.
So with film loaded in the tank, add you're 1+9 mix, invert 4 times at the end of every minute for 6 1/2 minutes, gently and tap the side of the tank.
Empty the developer out and flush with running water for 10 mins @ 20 deg, or use a stop bath.
Add you're 1+4 fixer, invert every minute for 3-4 minutes.
The fixer dissolves all of the undeveloped silver salts from the film, leaving the metallic silver that was produced by the developer.
Empty fixer out, and flush with running water for 10 minutes + whetting agent or photoflow or ilfotol or whatever, you are basically washing away all the crap and helping the film to dry without watermarks or streaks.
Personally, I don't use stop or whetting agent, but I think my water may be good for this, all that sheep p*ss in it off the Pennines.....:LOL:
 
Just read some stuff and prob get some DD-X, works better with 3200 and the other films I have

Do it 1+4, 120

Delta 3200 Pro Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 3200 9.5 20C

Then get some Ilford Rapid fixer 1+4 as well and some Ilfostop 1+19

(I didn't get all this information off the Ilford Processing your first B&W Film.pdf :LOL::LOL:)

Seems ok though I think that little mixture??
 
You could also do with some wetting agent in the final rinse which will eliminate blotches and drip stains while the film dries
 
You need to break the water tension with the wetting agent or something like it.. otherwise it'll be very difficult to get rid of the drying stains..

How do you dry yours Mike?? have you got them hanging in an airing cuppboard??
 
cherryrig said:
Urmmm.

Some people don't use it, some people do.....some people use stop, some people use water :puke:

Guess it just depends on what I'm happier with
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Fair enough

fraggle101 said:
How do you dry yours Mike?? have you got them hanging in an airing cuppboard??
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Hey Tony :)

No airing cupboard - nice airing kitchen, though! I know its not ideal, but it's probably the most dust free place in my flat.

I spent today at Hampstead Heath going through a roll each of Delta 100 and Fuji Reala 100 on my Bronica. The sun was out in force and I think I got some good shots... Now for the fun part - developing and processing :naughty:

Oh - just noticed - nice website there, Tony - you finally got round to getting one :clap:
 
donutagain said:
thanks for that sue , i knew that coffee could be used for tinting ,but not for developing .ive got some hp5 in the little old em ,just hope i dont get what is the picture of a lifetime with it then screw it up with a bad case of too much caffeine . andy
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good luck and have fun. try to take bad pictures on that film (that's my excuse for having to go out and take more piccies!)
 
Thanks Mike, i think it needs a lot of work but im not a web builder!! its just a template jobbie and nowhere near what id like!!

Its great to see how deep you've got into Film!! iv got a Canon EOS 1 N winging its way to me any day now thanks to Wilmorh.. so i'll be doing the same as you i guess!!

Id like to see some portraits from the Bronnie!! im interested in how deep the detail goes.. id like one of those too!! lol..
 
Oooo - those Canon's are good! I got myself a little 500N to mess around with 35mm film and it also takes my EOS lenses. The 35mm film is nice, but I find the 120 film through my Bronica is much richer and more detailed.

Just ordered a few rolls of Velvia 50 to see what all the fuss is about :naughty: Then I realized I need to learn a new processing method (E-6)... oh well - that all part of the fun.

There's something about film that you just can't get from digital... of course digital is quicker and less grain! But with film you're thinking intensely about every shot, not just bang, bang, bang and off you go... and of course film just looks better.
 
Of course, film will make you think more about each shot for sure.. and the grain is a good thing in my eyes!! lol. well, sometimes anyway..

E6 is difficult to get right! the film is very unforgiving! even at the shooting stage, but when you develop these things the timings have to be very precise.. not to mention the temps!! i used to develop C41 and E6 for a living! if the temp is out, your going to get colour casts at the least.. id send em off!! ;)
 
Well, I think I have C-41 down to a tee. Like C-41, E-6 requires strict control of temperature, but there's two developing stages... looks doable and I won't need any special equipment - just different chemicals.

This guy seems to have the E-6 development sorted on 35mm film, so must be the same process with 120.
 
I ought to do E6, I have a proper E6 doodarr machine and everything...:wacky:

Did you get a Tetenal E6 kit or something ?
 
Woohoo, chemicals just arrived from Tetenal - a 5-liter E-6 and 5-liter C-41. Saved about £25 by going to the supplier directly :naughty:

Should last me for 60-films each and I'll be doing a couple of rolls tonight. :woot:
 
Went out today for a bit of togging with 2 x rolls of Velvia 50 in my Bronica. Tried the E-6 process out over the past 30-minutes or so. Takes 3 times longer to to than C-41, but pretty straight forward... and the smile on my face after seeing positive colour images come out - definitely priceless! I'm checking the film every 5-minutes now waiting for it to dry... still smiling! :)

Scans to follow soon :woot:
 
Go on......say it.....slide film isn't the dogs nutz....I dare ya...


:D
 
ekimeno said:


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The film damage/light leaks aside, I really like those muted, slightly cyan colours... these look like colour pics taken in the 60's and left in a shoebox somewhere. The classic car in the first pic adds to the effect :)

I would go out again and find a timeless subject to shoot, something that wouldn't have looked out of place in the 60's. Or get your kids to dress up in shorts, tank tops etc. and play in the road in front of some pre-war houses :)

A.
 
ekimeno said:
OK, here's the first one - I think my scanner is a bit narrow for this format of film, so tried centering it as much as possible...

I think it came out all right! :naughty:

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Thats my train that is!!!! :LOL:

Loving this thread BTW... (y)
 
Just got my Dev Tank for home use.

It's all well and good doing it at Uni with all the right apparatus, but I'm second guessing all this **** at home, and my drying set up is sketchy at best!

Anywho, first roll of holga shot, dev'd and dried within 4 hours! Which feels good

3153866116_fff6bfe9df.jpg
 
^ Can't see anything wrong with that setup. Great feeling when you do it by yourself. Well done!
 
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