The "How I Develop Film" thread

[matt_89]

I will be developing Lady Grey ISO 400 film (120). The problem I have with looking for chemicals is distinguishing between machine chemicals and chemicals to pour into a drum...or is there no difference?

 

[Josh66]

Only the times will be different. Machine times will be much shorter.

Pretty much anything you buy will need to be diluted with (distilled) water though. "One Shot" is when you mix what you need, then discard it. Some developers can be reused for many (how many varies) rolls. Fixer and stop bath, you use until it's spent, maybe 50 or 60 rolls.

 

[matt_89]

Ok.

I think I can get all the chemicals I need separately for cheaper from here: Silverprint - Store

I'll probably go with the Kodak D-76 as that seems to be a reliable developer. I assume that stop baths and fixers are all more or less the same. Are hardening agents necessary and what role do they play?

 

[gsgary]

I will be developing Lady Grey ISO 400 film (120). The problem I have with looking for chemicals is distinguishing between machine chemicals and chemicals to pour into a drum...or is there no difference?

Chemicals are very easy to buy in the UK, this is a very good supplier, the link will get you started RK Photographic B&W Film Processing Kit

 

[Josh66]

Are hardening agents necessary and what role do they play?

As far as I know, very few films require it. Efke (now out of production) being the more common one that does require it.

You're probably safe to go without a hardening fixer, but I always used one just because I shot a lot of Efke film.

 

[matt_89]

Thanks for the information guys. I guess the best thing to do really is to buy some stuff and develop some film.

If anybody knows how to get a warm tone out of Lady grey ISO 400 film, then that would be awesome.

Also, it'd be nice if people could recommend chemicals and explain their results.

At the moment, I'm probably going to go Kodak D-76 dev, Ilfostop bath stop and Ilford Rapid Fixer.

------

The next questions really are to do with development itself.

So once the films loaded, you pour in the developer and agitate it for however long it might take. I'm guessing the chart provided earlier will tell me the required dilution ratio.

Then tip of dev chemical and pour in bath stop. Again, required time varies but what about dilution ratio? 1:1?

Then tip that out and pour in fixer. What's the best way to find out how long fixer needs to go in for because this part is clearly just as important as the developer timing? And ratios too?

Then pour out and clean film with either water or water+wetting agent then dry.

Anyone got good tips to ensure all bubbles are eradicated?

 

[Josh66]

Stop bath and fixer will more or less be the same every time. Developer is the main thing where dilutions and times can be all over the place.

I haven't used the film you're using, so I can't really give any advice other than just repeating whatever I can find after a search or two - but you could find that just as easily as me.

For the bubbles, the general rule is to tap the bottom of the tank on the counter a few times after agitation. I do that, and I have never had an issue with bubbles...

 

[timor]

For a 'warm tone', I think you'd have to use a staining developer - there are a few. I haven't used them though, so won't comment on them other to say that they exist.

Warm tone film ? There is no such a thing. Staining developers are made for different purpose. Term "warm tone" refers to a print and this is made on warm tone paper with warm tone paper developer for stronger result. You can also add sodium bromide in large quantities to regular paper developer (1g/0.5 l of working solution of let say Dektol) .
Josh, 30 sec of stop bath is not sufficient ? With fixing film will need about 4 min. in a fresh fixer.

 

[Josh66]

For a 'warm tone', I think you'd have to use a staining developer - there are a few. I haven't used them though, so won't comment on them other to say that they exist.

Warm tone film ? There is no such a thing. Staining developers are made for different purpose. Term "warm tone" refers to a print and this is made on warm tone paper with warm tone paper developer for stronger result. You can also add sodium bromide in large quantities to regular paper developer (1g/0.5 l of working solution of let say Dektol) .

Well, like I said, I have never used them.

 

[timor]

For a 'warm tone', I think you'd have to use a staining developer - there are a few. I haven't used them though, so won't comment on them other to say that they exist.

Warm tone film ? There is no such a thing. Staining developers are made for different purpose. Term "warm tone" refers to a print and this is made on warm tone paper with warm tone paper developer for stronger result. You can also add sodium bromide in large quantities to regular paper developer (1g/0.5 l of working solution of let say Dektol) .

Well, like I said, I have never used them.

I don't use staining developers either.
There was a question about Lady Gray origin... scuttlebutt says it's Tmax 400 which I doubt. I know, that Ilford is repackaging HP5 and Delta 400 (good for them) but it might be also Fomapan 400. Process will tell it, if the film base is blueish - Foma, if after 4 min. of fixing film will come out reddish - Tmax ( just put it back into fixer for another 4 min and pink will be gone), if no any hue then the rest of the world, but there is not many possibilities: HP5, Delta and maybe Fuji Neopan. Anyone else id making ISO 400 in 120 ?

 

[Josh66]

I have never shot any Lomo B&W films (the only Lomo branded films I have used were redscale C-41 film), but I think if it were Tmax, it'd be fairly easy to identify.

There are a few Agfa films that can be had under the Rollei name, but I have not heard of them being used by Lomo...

 

[Josh66]

Compare the listed times for Lady Grey to other films of the same speed and format (massive dev chart), and I bet one film will stand out as having mostly the same times.

 

[Josh66]

It probably actually is T-Max 400. The times seem to match. And Lady Grey is made in the USA, so that means it's made by Kodak.

 

[matt_89]

I'm confused now. So I should be using TMax 400 as my guideline for Lady Grey film?

Edit: Change of mind. Think I'll develop my Lady Grey with Ilfosol 3. Apparently it produces quite grainy results which could work well with this particular roll of film. Anybody have experience with this developer?

Some other places suggest using a 1+14 dilution for rookies just so the margin for error is larger. Does that mean I would increase the timings by about 50%? So instead of 6.5 min, I would time it for about 10 min...

Also, would it be wise to practise first with a test film? Does this literally just mean, waste a roll of film with random pictures and then practise developing with it?

 

[Josh66]

From what I see, you could. I think it's pretty safe to say that it is in fact T-Max 400.

Lomography does not make film, they just repackage it. How much is a roll of Lady Grey compared to a roll of T-Max 400? Use whichever is cheaper.

It's made in the US, so it can only be T-Max or Tri-X. With those two as the only options, it is definitely T-Max 400.