New to film, do I have what I need?

[unpopular]

The folks at my local camera shop said that a plain old bottle opener will work to open the film canisters

You won't need anything to open the film cartridges if you don't re-wind the film all the way back inside it. When you re-wind the film, as soon as you feel/hear the film release from the winder side, stop re-winding. This leaves a few inches of film leader sticking out from the cartridge. Just trim it square and then load it right onto the developing reel from the cartridge (in the dark of course).

I prefered this method myself. You can use the canister to align the film with the reel - which can be challenging, esp with 35mm.

 

[FocusDave]

not many repair folks hang on on forums ?

I work for a company called iFixit, and our site is all repair-oriented. I guess it's just strange for me to go from that to other forums where people couldn't care less when their stuff breaks.

 

[Josh66]

It's not that we don't care when it breaks - most people here would probably just send it in instead of attempting a repair themselves. Depends on what is broken though, of course...

 

[ann]

:thumbup:

Build a deck, paint a wall, no problem. Open a camera NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAy

 

[unpopular]

Usually I can't even get the cover completely off, nevermind do anything useful.

 

[Proteus617]

Wow guys, you're much more helpful than when I asked about fixing a lens in the equipment section. Thanks!

I just checked out that old thread. Lighter fluid both for loosening gummed up lubricant and for cleaning aperture blades. Take your time and watch for the solvent resulting in migrating lubrication. Qtips wrapped in bits of lens cleaning tissue are your best friend (no stray fibers left behind). Usually TINY bits of gun oil on the tip of a screwdriver for anything that needs it. Better help on the Classic Camera Repair Forum or APUG. This is a digital heavy board. The DSLR crowd usually does not like to get their hands dirty.

 

[djacobox372]

Here's a shopping list:

1) Black and white film
2) Changing bag (or light proof room)
3) Fixer (suggest kodak rapid fixer)
4) Developer (suggest hc110)
5) Stop Bath (suggest kodak indicator stop bath)
6) developing tank (suggest a two reel patterson)
7) Kodak Photo Flo solution
8) A couple jugs of distilled water (use this for your final rinse, tap water is usually fine for the rest)
9) Syringe for measuring developer (baby medicine syringe at the local drug store)
10) Two opaque jugs for storing fixer and stop
11) Some close pins and a line for hanging negatives
12) four clear measuring jugs (at least 800ml) for working solutions of fix, stop, developer, and photoflo
13) timer (stop watch or digital kitchen timer)


Sounds like a lot, but you should be able to buy it all for around $100. www.freestyle.biz is the store I recommend.

AND

a negative scanner for digital print making, along with some canned air for blowing dust of the negs before scanning.

If you want to go with full-analog processing you need all the above (besides the scanner) as well as an enlarger an actual darkroom and a bunch of other supplies for printing on paper.

 

[FocusDave]

Thanks for the list—it's a huge help. Luckily I already have the tank and 35mm reel. It's only a single reel tank, but it's an old stainless steel one my late grandfather used to develop his medium format film, so it's got some sentimental value. Does the fact that I'm only going to be developing one roll at a time affect the volumes of the measuring jugs for working the solutions? I hope to get a scanner eventually, but right now I just want to get the rolls of film developed.

 

[FocusDave]

So I ran into a small issue. Browsing B&H for the chemicals you suggested, it appears that I can't purchase the rapid fixer or the Indicator stop bath online. Should I get something else or try to find those locally? As of right now I'm planning on substituting those with Ilford rapid fixer and Ilfostop stop bath.

 

[compur]

Why not take a drive down to LA and get everything you need from Freestyle and save the shipping charges?

 

[Proteus617]

Or or just order from Freestyle. Also the Freestyle house brand is Arista. Arista chems and film are very good and very reasonable.

 

[Helen B]

You don't need a stop bath - a water rinse is perfectly adequate. There are many alternatives to liquid concentrate rapid fixer. One is plain sodium thiosulfate, which is available cheaply in swimming pool supply stores. You can use it on its own - it doesn't need any other chemicals if you make it up just before use.

By the way, I would recommend plastic clothes pins rather than wood ones for drying film and paper.

 

[FocusDave]

I wasn't going to order from freestyle because the link you gave me was for a graphic and digital design company. Is this what you meant to put? Freestyle Photographic Supplies - Traditional Black & White Film, Paper, Chemicals, Holgas and ULF

Also, the 4-5 hour drive through traffic is not worth it to save shipping, especially since gas will end up costing me more.

 

[ann]

that is the place, they are very supportive of analog process and since you live on that side of the coast, shipping should be fast and not as expensive as coming to the east.

 

[Josh66]

And like you have discovered, they will ship things that B&H won't (ORM-D). I have no idea why B&H won't ship it, but they have lost a lot of my business because of it. If I have to buy one thing somewhere else, why not just place the whole order there?