The "How I Develop Film" thread

duelinthedeep · Jan 28, 2006

i cant quite understand what you said.......kinda slower than usual, sorry.
i just want to be able to develop print,b&w and slide film so i can use the negatives to scan into a computer. my question is, for instance, if i just finished developing a b&w(non c-41)would i be able to pop a slide film in the tank and use the same developer and wait the same amount of time to develop it properly???

dont know if thats very clear.....i'm confusing myself.

Hertz van Rental · Jan 28, 2006

If you process colour film - slide or neg - in b&w dev you get a b&w neg but of such poor quality it's a waste of a film.
Colour film (neg and tranny) is quite different from ordinary black and white film. Colour films have three emulsion layers. Each one is sensitive to one of the three primary colours. To get a colour neg or tranny you need to use the correct process.
If it was simply a matter of putting all films in the same dev there wouldn't be the need for C41 and E6 colour processes.
So to put it simply the answer to your question is: no, you can't.

duelinthedeep · Jan 29, 2006

got it! thanks.

'Daniel' · Apr 8, 2006

Question-

What is there - if anything - to stop you pulluing the film all out of the canister and cutting it free before winding on? It's just alot easier to load if it's free of the canister.

ksmattfish · Apr 8, 2006

Daniel said:
Question-

What is there - if anything - to stop you pulluing the film all out of the canister and cutting it free before winding on? It's just alot easier to load if it's free of the canister.

I just pop the end off the cannister (with a bottle opener if it's not a reloadable cassette), and remove all the film still curled on the spool. I wouldn't pull it through the felt; that's just increasing the chance to scratch the film.

ThomThomsk · Apr 9, 2006

^^^^ That's what I do too. If you really must pull the film out through the felt, try to leave enough of the leader sticking out when you rewind, so you can get hold of it. I tried using one of those film retrievers once, with a clear plasic blade that slots inside the cassette, and managed to (a) completely fail to retrieve the film and (b) fog the first few frames. You could even see the outline of the blade on the film.

Thomas

'Daniel' · Apr 9, 2006

Ok thanks alot guys.

myke zebb · May 3, 2006

hello everyone, i new here as indicated by Posts : 1.
Anyway, i've been wanting to try an effect with cracking the emulsion with a really hot or cold stop bath and i was wondering if anyone has tried this. just looking for pointers if anyone has some.
tanks, a bunch.

terri · May 3, 2006

myke zebb said:
hello everyone, i new here as indicated by Posts : 1.
Anyway, i've been wanting to try an effect with cracking the emulsion with a really hot or cold stop bath and i was wondering if anyone has tried this. just looking for pointers if anyone has some.
tanks, a bunch.

Hi Myke, and welcome to the forum. There was some recent mention of this in this thread but if you want more detailed discussion, just start a brand new thread.

myke zebb · May 5, 2006

thanks terri, you are a peach.

Torus34 · May 5, 2006

Mike Z -

In the good ol' days [20's through 50's], it was rather easy to crackle [reticulate] a film emulsion. In fact, if your weren't paying strict attention, it could happen accidentally. The base was gelatin in those days of long ago. Then the R&D guys got busy and produced emulsions in bases that were darned hard to crackle. I mean really, really hard.

The best way to get the effect today is to take a high contrast shot of a crackle finish and then sandwich the negatives. Of course, you could also shoot other patterns and get a whole roll of interesting sandwich-able negatives. A trip to your local fabric shop should result in al sorts of 'aha!' experiences. Then, just chummy-up to the salesperson so that she'll cut you short pieces without running up the bill. Stretch the fabric against a high contrast background, focus, shoot, process and you're on your way.

burtharrris · Oct 15, 2006

My birthday is coming up and there is nothing I want. I was thinking about asking for some developing stuff and give it a shot. I just want to develop my Tmax 100 (maybe later get chemicals for my E6), and I dont need to make prints right now. I was assuming I'd need a tank, a reel, and some chemicals. I've been reading and know I need developer, stop bath, fixer, and wetting agent. When I go on B&H's website, I see a hundred chemicals and don't know what to choose. Does anyone have favorite brands and types for any/all of these chemicals? Thanks guys!

terri · Oct 16, 2006

burtharrris said:
My birthday is coming up and there is nothing I want. I was thinking about asking for some developing stuff and give it a shot. I just want to develop my Tmax 100 (maybe later get chemicals for my E6), and I dont need to make prints right now. I was assuming I'd need a tank, a reel, and some chemicals. I've been reading and know I need developer, stop bath, fixer, and wetting agent. When I go on B&H's website, I see a hundred chemicals and don't know what to choose. Does anyone have favorite brands and types for any/all of these chemicals? Thanks guys!

Hi there, and welcome to the forum! You'll get better answers to your question here if you start a new thread. To post your question in this one leaves it kind of buried. Try again, ok? Lots of people available to help.

Majik Imaje · Feb 16, 2007

I learned how by looking and reading the TIME/LIFE series on photography

color photography to be specific.. USE THESE tricks.. on B&W also

So many many many people have said.. color is too hard..!

exactly the opposite of what is TRUE.

BLACK & WHITE as an art form.. IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT and there are very few.. that can ever achieve this!
wow.! I bet you never expected to hear that!

let me give the reasons!!

Black and white photograhy has a wide temperature range 68 - 75 degrees

color film processing (Kodak method) has a 1/4 degree range or tolerance!

each way.. so it is actually a 1/2 degree range

NOW IN processing black and white film, by what ever method you use.

if your OFF buy a few degrees.. you still get GREAT RESULTS or so you tend to believe!

which tends to START a habit. a bad habit, a sloppy habit!

and if you try and switch over to color you will FAIL! the results will be terrible, all because of your habits.!!

I always advise people.. start by learning how to correctly develop color film, it is very easy.. but exacting, demanding, and precise.

now your STARTING good habits, disclipined habits precise habits

Take a dish pan that is used in the sink to wash dishes

this is how you control the temperature. EXACTLLY! to keep that 1/4 degree range. precisely!

I am assuming you have the film rolled up on the reels in the tank

that is stainless steel -=DO NOT USE PLASTIC=-

WHY? cause one of the most important aspects of the process is the intial SLAM of that container on the surface of the table.. one slam
WHACK! one only.. for the sole purpose of disloging any air bubbles that might rest on the film surface. If your using plastic.. some day.. that tank is going to crack and leak! I have done it and learned the hard way.

Invest in stainless steel only, I like Kiniderman!

fill the tub with water at about 120 degrees

the temp doesn't really matter one bit. we have to heat up the chemicals

get them moving UP!

C-41 process is as follows

Developer 3:15

stop

bleach

fix

wash

photo flo

Now I just gotta tell you the truth here.. I haven't developed color film since 1985

BUT.. ..I HAVE processed thousands of rolls and I have / had it down pat

The entire process takes 24 minutes!

http://majikimaje.com/drkrm15.jpg

Lets use visual aid for this ok?

I am going to refer to this photo to sorta explan things easier

your chemicals ?? what are they stored in ?? yours not mine

you need something that can hold 16 ounces of solution. What are you going to use.? they make plastic brown bottles w/red caps they will do.. but I don't like plastic because it is porus. and difficlut to clean properly

I don't want to ever take the chance of cross containmiation

that is the reason I have "colored dots" on the bottles and on the cap cover..

I like glass.. it responds FASTER. than plastic can!

bottom shelf left side.see the stianless steel tank (tall) to the right
are glass one quart bottles

I used to purchase Microdol X and throw the solution away.. I want the bottle not the solution.

now I have four of these bottles in the dish tray. heating up.
develper bottle is open and a GOOD accurate thermometer is inserted

we are trying to achieve a temp of 101 degrees exactly

you can't have just one thermometer and expect accurate results

several of them have to be used to find out which is TRUE OR TRUEST

once THAT is determined.. then you may use ONLY ONE but first you have to know what is true.. now we have digital and I am sure that is more accurate!

As the temperature starts to rise and get closer to the 101 we are headed for. start to run water into the bath at 101 ( get that hotter water out of there) maintain 101 using a hose or attachement to the sink your using.

see image left side. of the sink. these are easily attached to any existing sink in your home.Using a hose makes things just so much easier

and building your own sink is ten times better than any snk in your house.

if you have the room to do so!

the temp is exactly 101 time to start

water is running off to the side.. now FILL THAT TANK RAPIDLY ..

WITH WATER !!!!!!!!!!!! you forgot.. we have to heat up the film and the tank itself.. especially the FILM..if you were to pour develper into that dry tank.. at 101 it will drop to 98.xxx you just blew it.
dump it all out after about 30 seconds
lower temp to 100.25 or 100.5 in the tub in Your sink

precise habits.. disclipined habits..exacting habits..

water is dumped out and it is all blue/green!!! the coating on the color film comes off a bit. .good.
pour the develper into your tank and START THE TIMER. slam that tank on something solid ONCE ONLY. and place into the tub that still should be 101

AGITATION is very very important. critical even.

too much, and your going to get much higher contrast and you don't want that.
The tank has been place into the water bath the timer is started

EVERY 13 SECONDS AGITATE FOR TWO SECONDS ONLY in this manner
the top of your hand goes over the tank and you pick it up and turn it over once, twice and put it back...watch that timer.

Make good firm movements hard and fast. place the tank into the water don't slam it

10 seconds before the 3:15 time is up, pour out the developer and get the stop bath in quickly and agitate for 30 seconds to one minute.
go though the rest of the steps and relax.. you just did the IMOSSIBLE.

THE REST OF THE CHEMICLAS have a range of 75 - 101

but you will be automatically keeping them well within the desired range..

the critical step is the developer.

Now when you learn to do this method.. AND THEN you go into black and white. your going to get comlelty different results. because your now doing things precisely.

creating a black and white image I can be 10 degress off and still get a good image using black and white. sorta..

but you will NEVER get decent results if you try to do that in color!

I am talking about taking a photograph and then placing it beside the object you took the image of and HAVEING IT MATCH PERFECTLY!

THAT IS WHAT VERICOLOR FILM IS ALL ABOUT!! EXACT MATCH !!!

GET SOME!!

1973.. Well I have to tell this story later. Kodak had ten million on the table.. for ME!!!

I hope this post helped some.. if I didnt explain anything clear enough feel free to ask. I wll give more details and if I left out something you want to know about.. [email protected] i am always here. and you will get a swift response.!!

Majik Imaje · Feb 17, 2007

I have re-read the thread. and I want to share with you some important tips.

Yes !!
use photo flo always and
yes use your fingers only to wipe the film

Photowipes ARE A MUST.. they have a million uses!

Color ? oh.. here.. http://majikimaje.com/eatsnow3.jpg http://majikimaje.com/dellafay.jpg

go to google C-41 too many changes siince 85 but same sorta

go to the drug stores in your area ask if they have empty brown bottles

that is how I always get a huge collection for free! Ask at hospitals also
they only throw them out! get em!