[stillshot2]

So I have never developed my own film, and know very little about it. I am looking for the most cost effective way to do this, whether it be black and white or color film it doesn't mater to me as I like both. What would be everything I would need to buy (the bare minimum), the best place to buy the equipment (I live in Utah, USA), and the film that will give the best results while yet retaining the simplest process? If you could walk me through the process you find that works best for you, I would greatly appreciate it. I have an extra bathroom I could dedicate as a darkroom and think I want to give it a try!

[AquaDome]

Black & white film requires the least amount of chemicals.
You will need a completely dark room or a "changing-bag" for film handling.
A tank & reel is the simplest way to start. I find plastic "daylight tanks" such as the Patterson system to be easiest to use without a darkroom.
Developer, Stop-bath, Fixer, and Rinse are the chemicals. Some people make their own. Stop-bath and Rinse are optional by some methods.

I bought my Paterson tanks second-hand on eBay and ordered my chemicals from Freestyle Photographic Supply. I spent less than $100 for the whole set-up.

Which film? I use Kodak Tri-X 400 film and Kodak HC-110 developer. I chose the film based on the developer more than anything else. HC-110 is easy to work with, has a long shelf-life, and will develop most black & white films. Keeping it all Kodak meant there was only one set of documentation to read. You could do the same with Ilford films and developers.

For starters, expose your film at box-speed and develop by the instructions. Try to perfect that before changing anything.

[DaveJ]

First get a black cloth changing bag. You put your (dry) tank, your film, and an opener in it, stick your arms in and load up your reel and put in the tank and close the lid. Practice loading the reel many times with a sacrifice roll before starting in on a roll that matters.
Then in daylight, you have all the time you need to get your developing procedure down.
Get some pyrex measuring cups and cheap funnels from the dollar store. Pour out your needed chemicals into the measuring cups, and you are ready to roll. You really need a timer only if you plan to multi-task during the time of developing, otherwise you will probably just sit there watching the clock anyway.
Typical development times are 7 to 8 minutes.
When the last 10 seconds arrives, pour the developer back into the bottle (you'll use gallon mixes, and you can re-use many times) and then pour in your rinse water. Swash that around for a minute, then pour it out and pour in your needed amount of fixer. Time is not critical here. Just be sure to agitate gently every minute or two. Go off and do stuff, you need about 15 to 20 minutes to fix. In actuality, when in a real hurry I've looked at my negatives after about 2 minutes in the fixer. Fresh fixer works fast. But then stick your inspected wet film back in the fixer for the remainder of the time.
After that, return the fixer to its bottle, and start your wash time. You wash with the developing tank lid off, as by this time the film is fixed. This washing should be a minimum of 15 minutes or so. Get a film squeegee, and, after hanging the film up somewhere with a clothespin, gently squeegee the film down once. Do it right, so you have to do it only once. A secret: if you use Photo Flo to soak your washed film in for a couple of minutes as the last act before hanging it up, you can dip two fingers in the Photo Flo and squeegee the film with your bare hand! If you are careful, you won't even need the squeegee.
Film takes a good hour or more to dry fully. Then scan.
Throughout all the above, be mindful of temperatures. Use your chemicals at room temperature, set your rinse water to the same, and you will be all right.
My first darkroom, where I developed photos for my school newspaper, was set up on an old ironing board in my basement. Enlarger was on a bench. Water was brought down from the kitchen upstairs.
Darkroom stuff is now hard to come by in Salt Lake City, you'll have to order some stuff online, but ordinary plasticware can be bought cheaply at dollar stores or Big Lots. For starters, buy distilled water or spring water at your grocery store, use or toss the water, and use the bottle.
Your costs, then, will be mainly for the developing tank (plastic is just fine, graduate to stainless only if you get real serious) the changing bag (as an alternative to taping off a real "dark" room) and developer (D-76 by Kodak or equivalent) and fixer (many brands, big price range).

[dakight]

Start with Black & White as it is the simplest process with the most latitude in temperature, etc. The process is similar for both film and prints though as I recall there are slight differences in the actual chemicals used. It's been a really long time since I've done it... I hate to say it but it's approaching 50 years. Your darkroom must be absolutely dark, no stray light whatever or you will risk fogging the film. you remove the film from the roll or canister, immerse it in developer for the prescribed time then move it to the Fixer which removes any undeveloped silver from the emulsion and neutralizes the developer. At this point you can turn on the lights. The developed film is rinsed in running water for several minutes to removes any residue of the fixer, then it is hung up to dry.


Printing is a similar process except that you must expose the print paper using a negative and an enlarger or by contact printing. The exposed paper is then developed, fixed and rinsed in a similar manner as the film. It's messy, tedious and time consuming but it can be a rewarding pastime if you want to do it.


You should be able to get everything you need at most any photographic supply store in any medium to large city. Salt Lake City will certainly have several of those.

[jonby]

A daylight tank is definitely the way to go. When you have one and are ready to practice, I recommend doing it with the film still in the canister, as it's easier (I teach students and they find it easier this way). To do this you have to have the film leader protruding from the canister when you start, rather than wound all the way in. If you have a manual rewind camera, it's usually easy to stop rewinding before the film goes all the way in. If you have an automatic rewind camera, that will be difficult. You can buy a film retriever to pull the film back out in that case. Anyway, having the film still in the canister, but with the leader available, means you can attach it to the reel in daylight before going into darkness to do the winding. Attaching it to the reel is the hardest thing to do in the dark.

[malinku]

my set-up costs somewhere around $70. but I do have a nice photography shop near me so that helped save me a bit of money.

I use one of the black plastic tanks. I really like it as it is has easy to load reels. I find it really easy to load them in the dark.
http://www.adorama.com/DKTPU.html?

I got a pair of plastic graduated cylinders and dollar store 2 cup measuring cups for mixing chems. And the brown chemical containers that are found at photography stores (not always need but I didn't have good bottles). A simple non-digital cooking thermometer. Dollar store oil pan for heating and cooling of chems. picture below.



Since I have a completely dark bathroom in my place I just hop in there after dark. I turn off all light that could shine in that room and go to work. it is the easiest way form me to get a properly dark room with out taping anything over the door frame.

As for developing process I followed this video guide to get an idea on what to do. it has started me off on the right foot.

You Tube

You Tube

for chemicals just get a cheap bottle that matches the film you are using. so if you are using Ilford get an ilford developer and same for kodak. as the film will have the developing time listed on the inside of the package and it will be easier to know what to do when you are working.

once you got the basics down it is time to experiments with different stuff to find what process and chems you like with the film that you shoot.

[Not a Number]

Along with a tank you'll need measuring cups or graduated cylinders, a thermometer, storage bottles with air tight caps, clips to hang the film to dry - clothespins will do - one on each end the weight will keep the film from curling up.

[carpents]

If you're interested, my process is pretty much straight off the Kodak black & white materials.

How I Develop Black & White Film | Sean Carpenter - Photographs and Work

I cite some references in there, too.

[stillshot2]

The developed film is rinsed in running water for several minutes

You can use tap water for this process, I presume?

Thanks everyone so far! I wasn't expecting this much help this quickly. What would be the cheapest way to scan the negatives? I don't have a very good scanner, but could a 16mp DSLR be used? (that question makes it sound like I should go take the photo with my DSLR in the first place lol!)

---------- Post added 03-22-15 at 01:37 PM ----------

How I Develop Black & White Film | Sean Carpenter - Photographs and Work

Just finished reading your site. It was very helpful and I bookmarked it.

[boriscleto]

Do a search for caffenol developing

[stillshot2]

Do a search for caffenol developing

Actually just watched a video on this! Amazing! I saw the word "coffee" in carpents link and was baffled at first and then googled it. But I think I will try more conventional methods first.

[dakight]

You can use tap water for this process, I presume?

Thanks everyone so far! I wasn't expecting this much help this quickly. What would be the cheapest way to scan the negatives? I don't have a very good scanner, but could a 16mp DSLR be used? (that question makes it sound like I should go take the photo with my DSLR in the first place lol!)

---------- Post added 03-22-15 at 01:37 PM ----------



Just finished reading your site. It was very helpful and I bookmarked it.

You can certainly use a dslr and in inexpensive slide copier to scan the negatives, then you can use your favorite post processing software to create positive images and proceed from there.

[stillshot2]

and in inexpensive slide copier

Any recommendations on which one?

[ClickMe!]

I also support AquaDome's recommendations of Kodak Tri-X 400 film in Kodak HC-110 developer as a great B+W starter combo and with Freestyle Photographic Supply as the best mail-order darkroom resource.

[dakight]

Any recommendations on which one?

I have an Opteka brand that I got from Amazon but I don't know that it's necessarily any better than any other.