The first time I loaded 120 I did it in a change tent. When I took the drum out of the tent I was rewarded with my exposed film laying in the bottom of the tent... yup... rolled the paper onto the reel...
@@Distphoto For a few seconds it sucked but yeah... It didn't take but a minute or two to crack me up. I still laugh about it. I'm just glad that I didn't waster developer on the paper :o)
so sorry to hear that, maybe try adding the paper to a separate spool, that way, paper is on the spools, and the film is on the reel, no way to mistake it, esp. for the start, only having the film as the 'free end' so can save some of this disappointment.
Thanks for the great video. I did darkroom for a living, but it’s been almost 24 years and I needed a refresher. I will say I developed hundreds of rolls of black and white and never had issues pouring through the light tight cap, I think consistency is key whichever way one goes. I’ve dried film in the shower before, but I never thought to run hot water first to knock the dust down, that’s a stroke of genius.
Thanks! I think for me dropping the reels in has a lot more to do with peace of mind as well. I had noticed slightly uneven clear skies in the past . ( can not directly correlate it with pouring through the lid or not) but do find it easier to be consistent with the start and stop times and feel it is (all be it, just a tad ) more precise. Like you say though consistency is definitely key!
Way to go Matt. Thanks a lot buddy! Looks like I’m buying a bunch of used equipment so that I can have a dark room. Thanks to you, I’ve become obsessed. You owe me a lot of money man. Best videos ever once I get things set up you are my black room university
i use 2 Fixers as well ! It gets 3 times the working life out of the solutions. To test Fixer 1 I use 4% Potassium Iodide - a drop in a small few drops of Fix - if there is a Yellow Precipitate the Fix is full of Silver.
If you are like me two years ago, don't worry so much about this video. Just buy some cheap film like Foma or Kentmere, shoot some average picture (so it doesn't matter if you screw it up) and start developing. Don't worry about perfect times, temperate and agitation. After you did it a couple of times and you realized how easy the basic process is, start watching videos like this start to perfect your development process. Learn from my mistake: I postponed trying film several month because it sounded so complicated - and I can assure you: it is not! If you just want to shoot some pictures, develop it and scan it, it is super easy!
I do agree with you to a big extent. This process is not complicated and certainly do not want to put anyone off from trying. I do have to point out that if you are scanning film it is a much different thing than if you are printing in the darkroom. If you plan to print in the darkroom my advice would be to start good habits from the start. (Actually I would suggest that either way) If your negative contrast is all over the place and you have no idea why it will cause more headaches and confusion in the long run. I still feel the whole process is very simple even with controlling temp and time. Appreciate the feedback!
@@Distphoto I get your point and you are completely right. 🙂My only point was that your advice is for people who already did develop a couple of rolls of film and not for somebody who haven't.
Great video of the steps. One little trick I use after the PhotoFlo wash is to put the reel in a salad spinner and give it a good spin. Film comes out with virtually no water drops on it.
@@Distphoto Yes. The film plane at 90 degrees to the side of the spinner basket . If I have one reel to do, I put a small piece of wood about the same weight as the reel on the opposite side to balance it and away you go. Centrifugal force is a wonderful thing :)
@@timjones8312 Thank you! Just have to find one now 🤔 I like this idea as for really important work lately I do not even touch the film just hang. It can sometimes have water marks (easily cleaned off) but this should eliminate that altogether!
@@Distphoto In Australia I got mine from Ikea. Sold as "Tokig" $A5. Not sure if you have them in the US (surely, they're everywhere!) but any of the big retail chains will probably stock them.
Really well explained! I develop my film for about 5 years now but I was hoping for a channel like yours since 2015. Your knowledge is on a high level, no question about it! Thank you very much for sharing!
Awesome video. Been developing/printing on my own for about a year now but there is still so much to learn and these videos have been so great! Keep it up 🤟🤟🤟
Thank you, for sharing your darkroom technique., for negative development. i did my own development before digital , and now I am enlightened to go back to shoot film and do my own darkroom printing.
I love digital and analog. I truly believe that one makes me better at the other. Also gives me a break from shooting the same all the time. Give it a go 👍
Nice to see the next generation of analog people coming along. Just developed first couple of rolls of 35mm since 1988. Your video handy reminder, though once I smelt the stop bath it all came back. Hope you're keeping warm, hi from London
Yes , very cool to see. I have a feeling with all this AI getting more and more into photography more will be switching to film.... Oh that reminded me when I was younger I was an idiot and put my nose to the stop to see what it was... NEVER do that again... Cheers!
Enjoyed this much it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the darkroom developing and processing I’m putting thought into creating a darkroom and printing. Seeing your water area is a really good thing fir me to see Thank you.
Great channel man. I just discovered your videos a few days ago and they're some of the most informative and well put-together vids on this platform. I've been developing my own film for about a year now and just printed in my home darkroom for the first time last Sunday. Will definitely be returning to your videos for sage advice often down the road. Keep it up bud!
I had never seen the way you pour the developer and the stop into the tank in complete darkness, a real pro tip! Hope to see your next videos, maybe one about printing a contrast negative using preflashing paper?.
the timing for me finding your channel couldnt be better, I've just bought a full developing kit yesterday and I am gonna develop my film for the first time by next week maybe and this was veeery helpful, thanks a lot.
Thanks for making this. Seems like you covered all the things I remember from when I was doing film photography years ago. (and brought back some memories) I'm getting back into it now. I was mostly into small format... but just got a used Mamiya 645 and plan to go shootin' soon. I found this to be a great tutorial, thank you! One thing that I remembered is that bending the film as you thread it onto the reel can put little v's into the film/image area if you mis-align, over bend, etc. It can happen with 35 but I've never done it... but I have seen people make these mistakes in school. I've done it with 120 the first time. Your daughter is awesome. I did love her face as you pulled the film off the reel. Classic. I have 2 boys that have very little interest or attention span for lab work... so that was really nice to see. Oh, and you have a spectacular darkroom.. Very well thought-out. Your video production and processing techniques all follow suit.. clear, efficient and deliberate. Great work all around!
Thank you, appreciate it! You can definitely put kinks in the film if you are too aggressive or it starts going on cooked... don't force it. back it off carefully and realign correctly with patience and practice it becomes very easy. Mamiya's are great cameras, have fun!
Verry good video: Here is my experience. I have been using photo-flo 200 for years and when the film comes out of the tank after washing with photo-flo 200 I have never touched the film with a squeegee, sponge, or anything else letting the film drying by itself. The film comes out with no trace of residue and is beautiful. I tried the experiment of removing the water with my fingers and the results were disastrous. The film after drying came out damaged. So, for me it may be best to let the film dry on its own without intervening. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Andre, I have also found for me the most important thing is to rinse well with distilled water to remove mineral residue. Have seen people do a lot of different things to get the results they are after!
This was both super interesting and entertaining. I don’t know how you managed to dad and develop at the same time. I find the thought of developing my own film extremely daunting! One day!
Great contribution! There is lots of big and small tips here, and very refreshing to see you using a steel tank! As always, looking forward to your next video!
You are like the opposite of me. Your attention to detail is so impressive. I am like a Bull in a China shop. Maybe why your prints are so damn good 👍🏻
Thanks. Trying to slow down for the process is the tough part. especially when you have a busy schedule. Time seems to stand still sometimes. Then I open the door and eight hours have went by...
Yeah, I've done it this way for a while even though I had never seen it referenced anywhere but with prints. I just find it a really easy way to make sure the negs are getting fresh fix everytime and also easy to monitor the silver levels of the first fix. Thanks for watching!
Go for it! Perfect place to spend in quarantine :) But seriously you do not need a ton to get started. You can find used darkroom stuff for super cheap and even free all over the place!
I enjoy your careful processes. Actually Ilford recommends the following washing method: "Fill the tank with water and invert it five times. Drain the water away and refill. Invert the tank ten times. Once more drain the water away and refill. Finally invert the tank twenty times and drain the water away." This uses less water and is faster.
Good point! I have always used running water for 10 min, It allows me to straighten up while washing. But you are correct Ilford does recommend the fill and dump method. I am wondering if it has any affect on quality at all. I would think not as long as temps are the same. I do fill a tray and dump five times for 4x5 tray process sheet film 👍 Thanks!
Thanks, been using the steel reels for as long as I can remember. In my opinion they are just far superior. Darkroom prints are definitely 💯 real deal!
Thanks for the video. Always nice to see something that reminds us if what we're doing is the right way. Your assistant's face watching you take the film from the reel is incredible! My best!
Yesterday I had a dream that I was processing undeveloped film that is over 15. I have the same tanks as you in your video. I don’t know if it will work, I used your video a refresher. Let’s see what’s developed.
I imagine it would be fine if the film was not subject to any harsh conditions. Might have some fogging but I have developed color film that was a lot older than that and was still useable and some frames quite unique colors and what not
I just came across your channel yesterday and this is the 6th video I've watched. Really great content & easy to follow. I've been developing at home for 15 years but printing off & on. But... 30 seconds to load developer? Through the cap should be 12-14 seconds with the perfect angle and speed. LOL!
Thanks Peter…. Yeah I guess it depends on the size of the tanks too. Been awhile since I timed it but remember it taking me long enough to be a concern for short development times around 5 min. At this time even 10-15 seconds could cause unevenness. Less of a concern with longer times and if you have results you love than keep doing what works for you 👍
Thank you for: a) not wearing a baseball cap backwards b) not saying “what’s happenin, etc” c) not droning on for ages before getting to the point d) uploading this video e) you’re welcome P.S. I’ve been using a salad spinner to remove excess water from the films before hanging. I just glued a spare plastic core to the base of the basket and slide the film reel onto it, put the lid on and spin. Suggestion: would it not be easier to fit a filtration system between the water supply and tap instead of using distilled water?
Thank you! love the salad spinner idea. Yes I suppose I could just use the filtered water in my darkroom. I currently have a bunch of distilled water so may as well use it up.
Never tried that but am looking for a better way with my color film. Been meaning to try the salad spinner. But have limited space & storage. Will see if I can source a synthetic chamois 👍
Thanks for this, very interesting. Swiping the washed film with fingers is a new trick to me, am not comfortable with squeegeeing. Also did not know about silver test strips. Amazon says they are not available though, will shop around.
Thank you! Often I just hang the film once rinsed in final rinse with photoflo. My 4x5 negs never get squeegeed at all and always dry spotless. The silver strips seem to go in and out of stock. Hope they get them soon as I am running low.
@@Distphoto Thanks again. I've been having some problems with some streaking lately, my bottle of Ilfotol (their equivalent to Kodak Photoflo) is a couple years' old since you use such a tiny amount per film, and apparently it can go bad. Also more problems with 35mm film than medium format, apparently the film base is different. I can get away with tap water here (Montreal, Quebec) for everything in medium format developing, but have needed distilled for 35mm - it adds a notable amount to the cost per roll. Re silver test strips, they are listed as available at SEOH Corp (Scientific Equipment of Houston), and somewhere else I didn't note. I've just emailed to ask if they actually have it in stock. A lot of things that probably come from China are back ordered due to the pandemic I guess.
@@oudviola just checked the link on Amazon and said 5 left. I need to order butwas logged out of my account and for the life of me can not remember my password 🤓 I have filtered water here and dries nicely. Otherwise distilled is always good but you do have buy it... I have noticed if you use to much photoflo it can also cause marks.
@@Distphoto Hmm, I checked amazon earlier today and it said not available indefinitely. Anyway, hopefully these other suppliers have it. I figured out that using distilled water for making up fresh developer plus the final wash cost as much per roll as the stock chemicals combined (per roll)! I need dH2O for my CPAP machine (anti-sleep apnea) so I'm already spending on it. But agree it's better in principle. p.s. Just watched your split grade filter printing episode, also very nice although there are a couple other decent discussions (Ilford has one). But it's important to see different peoples' processes, your take is yours and great to see. Have to followup now with the dodging/burning using an ND filter, hadn't thought of that but a great way to slow things down I can see. Thanks again! p.p.s. Are all TH-cam photography channels run by guys name Matt(hew)!? (you, Matt Day, Matthew Lethbridge, Mat Marash...)
A couple of tips on using stainless steel reels and tanks. Reels made out of relatively thick wire are far easier to load than those with thin wire. Thick wire units would be the Nikor items from the 1950s/60s (ebay, fairly cheap), or for new, Hewes (sit down for the prices). For tanks, the steel tanks with flexible plastic tops and caps. The early (until the mid-60s) Nikors used a fitted steel top and cap, which tended to leak a bit. The ones with plastic tops do not leak at all.
Yes I do! For the fixer I monitor the silver levels with the AG strips. then I know it needs to be replaced. With the stop bath turns a purple color when it is spent and needs to be replaced.
Totally agree on printing negatives, it is much more fun than scanning them. What I've learned by myself is using different developers for what you want to achieve in terms of tone and grain. Also for what is suitable for the speed of the film. I semi-stand develop with Rodinal or Spur N Acurol. For me I like to temperature control my developer. I find this gives me great the results every time. Using inexpensive film such as Agfa APX 100 or FP4 I can get the contrast and tonality I'm after. What I'm saying is, if folks spend more time developing their film techniques I guess they wouldn't need so much to be film hopping.
Such a great point.... I want to make a video on the importance of learning one film / developer Combo well... so many people seem to shoot “everything” ... master of none type stuff. There is only so much you can shoot and all the materials are pretty amazing once they are learned and dialed in to suit your needs! Cheers!
@@DistphotoAgreed. I discovered great results with FP4 a decode or so ago and stuck with it about 90% of the time ever since. The only time I’m not shooting FP4 is if I want to shoot slides.
How do you adjust your total dev time for the full minute of initial agitation, considering film recipes from manufacturers don't account for this much initial agitation?
I have always done my own film testing for dev times / temps so they print good for my darkroom setup. You will have more contrast from the initial agitation being more. You could compensate and reduce the time slightly to compensate though you might like the bump in contrast. If the film was a supper sunny high contrast scene I would reduce dev a bit maybe 15% or so. Only real way to know is to give it a shot. And take notes ( when shooting and developing)
Will help reduce the surface tension of the development solution and should help achieve even development. Will help with foam to but carefull not to use too much or it can cause even worse problems with foaming. Other people swear by Edwal LFN as it is not supposed to build up on the tanks over time. I have never noticed this with Photoflo but wash the tanks well after using. (or I should say my daughter does :)
great vid. did you say that a wash could be 5 tank changes? not sitting in running water for 10 mins? sounds much better. Pleased to see your pendulum motion and the tip about pouring the chems straight in. really helpful as always :)
That's what he said, and it may sound better, but 60 years of experience tells me that it won't do better. Washing B&W film means keeping fresh water in contact with the film emulsion surface long enough for the ions n the fixer to leach out f the emulsion. That means a minimum amount of time, period. Agitation, more than required to circulate the water, is pointless, so shaking it like a cocktail shaker may make you feel like you are accomplishing something, but you are not. I'm familiar with the "lford Method". I personally prefer Kodak's recommendation, which is running water for 20 minutes. Sounds like a lot of water down the drain, but we are talking about a flow only large enough to exchange the water in the tank once every minute. Set up properly, that works by itself and does not require the continuing attention of Ilford's.
Mathew, just catching up with some of your videos. I noticed in a recent meter linearity test done on 120 that my development did not seem entirely even. Troubling, after the decades I've been working -- carefully -- in B&W. Anyway, I may give your lower developer volume a try, and possibly increase initial agitation time. I only hesitate because I have spent far more hours than I wish to think about over the past 5 years since returning to the darkroom after a 13-year hiatus, testing, making stupid mistakes, tracking down gremlins, etc., etc., in 3 formats, new developer, N + and -, and so on. (Done in sparse free time, ergo stretched out, making it more difficult.) Longer initial agitation is likely to require my altering development time -- again, which makes me cringe, even though I can recompute variations on a percentage basis, so I'll start with volume and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestion.
My guess would be the volume would be a bigger issue. I had terrible unevenness on some rolls and it dawned on me that I was filling the tank completely, leaving no space for the exhausted developer to displace efficiently. That has solved the problem I was having. I have always done 1 minute of initial agitation even on those uneven rolls so I can not say for sure. But do sanity’s sake first try the lower volume. Then if needed I would try more agitation but if it’s not broke… you know. Also I would think the density would be slightly greater that retesting everything would not be necessary unless getting unexpected results.
@@Distphoto Well, the volume didn't cure it; I'm still getting extra edge density and some faint unevenness in the rest. I'm going to try longer initial agitation and regular direction reversal. With 4x5 in the Stearmann 445, I had to use Tim's exact agitation method to get evenness. It's a quick inversion series, with a reversal included. It reminded me of Tech PA (did you ever try that when it was around?), which was prickly stuff, requiring the same "quick flip" inversion with restrained twisting. Stay tuned for the next thrilling episode of As the Tank Turns.
@@Distphoto Longer initial agitation makes a noticeable difference. I committed the cardinal sin of changing two variables at once -- length and manner of agitation, so the direction reversal may also be helping. In any case, the difference between agitating for the first 30 sec and first minute appears ti be very small, if not questionable in my case, concerning evenness between the two, so, in order to avoid the complication of changing all my times, which the 1 minute would requires, and varying procedures by format, I am going to run with 30 and the direction-reversal for both 35 and 120. Again, I am grateful for this demo. I'm very pleased with the improvement. Best wishes to you (and your special guest star).
Agitation is an important control for your process. I've processed film (by hand, in a small tank) with anything from continuous, very vigorous agitation (special case, I was pushing Tri-X to EI 5000-6400) to as little as two inversions ever 3 minutes, even going as far as semi-stand, half an hour or more with a single inversion cycle halfway through. My experience is that increased agitation increases contrast -- but i agree, that it's also possible to produce density variation if your tank/reel costruction, agitation style, and fill level don't match up. Worse, on 35 mm film, flow marks from excessive agitation with minimal developer can resemble bromide drag from too little agitation. Best thing I can suggest to those who are new to film development: shoot and process test rolls with "normal" contrast range to work out your process before committing "important" images. It's no big deal if a test shot of your barbecue grill and back yard gets bromide drag, tide lines (from too-slow filling), etc. You'd be *extremely* annoyed if that happened with your grandmother's funeral shots...
Can not agree more. My experience 100%. I have had weird uneven development with 35mm from agitating to "rough" that looked like drag. Also uneven skies, etc. from filling the tank all the way. This was with medium format. Recently I have tried moving my medium format film ( black and white to rotary - Jobo). and for the life of me could not get even development. (big "ruts") Hands down the best method for 120 film fore me is small tank with proper technique. It gives far superior and more even development. The weird thing is it looks like for C-41 process medium format (mostly Porta) the Jobo does a good (or good enough job) for developing color film... No extensive testing but have not noticed an issue and am curious as to why? Have Expert Tank for 4x5 and seems good and 35mm on the Jobo with the same tanks / reels seem fine... I guess the point is like you say. Everyone should do their own testing before shooting an "important" event or other once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks!
@@Distphoto If you read Kodak's instructions for C-41, they actually recommend continuous agitation with intermittent agitation (what we usually do with stainless or Paterson/Jobo type tanks) as a second choice; they also recommend one-shot use of the Flexicolor chemistry in small tanks with inversion. I do my C-41 in a Paterson and agitate with the twizzle stick rather than inversion -- in order to limit developer oxidation in support of replenishment. For B&W, there are dozens of ways and amounts of agitation that can produce excellent results with different film and developer combinations.
@@SilntObsvr I have had good results with Kodak and C41 (Cinestill Kit) on the Jobo all continuous... But do not have anything to compare it to. Thanks!
Very well explained and super educational. I leaned a lot from this video and I better dive into your other stuff here on TH-cam. One question: Should I stay on brand developers or is Ilford okay to develop Kodak Tri-X films ?
You do not have to stay on brand. Ilford and Kodak both make great developers and can be used with all B&W films (except c-41 process B&W films) I commonly develop Ilford HP5 in Kodak HC110 with great results 👍
LOL! When I was in High School (1974) my TEACHER asked me to load his 35mm onto a reel for him since he always had problems! Nothing more than heartbreaking than seeing those large undeveloped blotches when you click on the lights. When possible I always shot many exposures of the same scene to avoid that occasional misfeed! Great memories.
@@Distphoto I am a NYC street photographer. Always roamed the streets with my Nikkormat FTN and my 50. One day (70's) i had a remarkably magical moment and captured what i knew would be stunning images. I worked in the industry and had my own darkroom. Couldn't wait to get off of work to develop that roll! I always used D76. A coworker said I should try his Edwals FG7 for a nice grain structure. OK. Guess what! It was out of date and totally exhausted. I got exactly that...a blank roll of film! It haunts me to this day!! LOL!!
@@genernator what could have been! I get it I shot a few rolls out in Caramel Ava and was an amazing view of the rocks and ocean. Was so pumped about these shots. At the time I was using Xtol…. Well the batch I mixed was one of their problem batches. Unwound the reel to see clear and a faint… very faint images of what could have been.. still in my mind my best prints ever… so painful. Thanks for sharing! I take it you prob went back to d76?
@@Distphoto Yes. the only 2 developers i ever used was that and Microdol-x for fine grain. Tri-X was my film of choice. We used to tape 4 or 5 film cannisters to our thin leather camera straps which looked pretty cool. I bought my film in bulk and loaded my own. There was a place in lower Manhattan called the Henry Street Settlement where we would go every Tuesday and there was a huge darkroom with about 6 Omega B22 enlargers and all paper (8x10 polycontrast) and chemistry was free! Heaven on earth for us back then! Glory Days!
@@genernator that sounds so cool! We had a community darkroom here long ago. I was young and never used it. Would love to see that come back! I have always wanted to “roll my own” but never have…. Maybe with prices going up continually I will!!!
If you have a darkroom with a sink like yours and like I also have, the easiest and best thing is to process in total darkness not in stainless steel tanks. Use a series of tanks going from one to the next in the dark with your film reels on a stainless steel rod. In the past I made tanks from plastic tubes or from white plumbing pipes with bottoms glues on, but I have found instead to use plastic toilet paper storage containers. Cheap. I dedicate containers to fix stop developer and water soak and never mix them up. It is the best way to get totally even development. Agitate by lifting the rod of reels all the way out of the developer and then putting it back in. I did this commercially with high volumes of film.
Thank you for the inf. This probabally is THE BEST way. I have seen others do this type of roll film development. If I did not get perfectly even development and was nof fully satisfied with the stainless tanks this would be my next route. But for now I have 0 issues or complaints 👍🏻
@@TheRobertpainter is the haze even across the roll? Off the bat if it’s not could be light leaks. Otherwise A lot of overexposure or chemical fogging could be to blame. Are you using fresh one shot developer?
I’ve had bent ones in the past that were impossible. The film would just buckle. but once I got new ones I have never looked back. Really love them for 120. But in the end it is just a light tight tank and what works works 👍
Intresting insights how other guys develop film. 👍 Dip the role in the pre filled developer is an argument for improving the task. Allow me questions : 1. Some people reported that the "shock" of the stop bath will harm the emulsion and produce pits. Isn't it better to stop with water rinse like recommended in serval literature? 2. Is there an advantage of steel rolls and tanks compared to the plastic patterson or jobo?
I have used water as a stop bath. Especially when using developers like Pyrocat HD where it is necessary. For normal developers I was having an issue and believe it was using water without enough exchanges as a stop bath. Since going back to mostly Ilford I use their recommendations as much as possible ( but definitely deviate a bit) Using a stop bath relieved the problem I was having so have been using it ever since. Nothing wrong with using water as a stop if you are getting good results 👍 I prefer the steel tanks. I find them easier to load myself. They will adhere to a water bath much quicker other that that I just prefer them probably because I have just used them for so long. I have heard arguments for both. Not sure it makes that huge of a difference.
Help! I've just started developing and I'm having a major problem. I'm developing HP5 in D76. @1:1. Think I'm doing every step mostly correct but my negatives are almost entirely covered in a black blob! The only mistake I think I may be making is my fixer is expired and I over-compensated by fixing for 10 minutes rather than 2-5 minutes. Do you know what could be the reason for the dark black splotchiness on most of the negative frames? The first four negatives are fine and then black blob. I've ruined three films now. TIA !!
Hey John. Sorry to hear… that can be frustrating for sure. HP5 and D76 is a nice combo. Would like to see what this looks like. Any way you can send me a pic or scan? When you say black blob it sounds like you might have a leak or something going on. Sounds like exposure on the film but would want to see this. It would not think it would be the fix as long as it is fresh. However I would not over fix either. My guess would be in the exposure or dev side of things. Are all chemicals fresh? I would also go over to Phototrio.com (formerly APUG) and post a scan / image their. So many amazing film photographers that are always willing to help. Feel free to send me pics/scans to my email or my @distphotofilm Insta acount and I will gladly take a look.
Also when you say expired fixer. Is it exhausted or just old? If it is not fixing properly that could also be the issue but again would have to see the film.
@@Distphoto That's very kind of you, thank you! I will send some pics of the negative and my dev details. Really want to get this thing sorted out. Cheers!
Nah i can't pour the chems in the containers in the dark. I just start the timer when i get it all in, (I subtract about 30sec from the set total time) turn it off when it's time to pour it out. Does your tank leak onto your hands when you invert it?
I'm revisiting this video. How do you expose your film to get the consistency you're looking for? And do you then compensate that during development? Example: Overexpose for shadow/Underdevelop for highlights?
If you want to get consistent results. Be consistent 👍 Expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights is the way to go for darkroom printing for sure. Expose your film consistently for the same shadow tones. And develop consistent for the contrast of the scene ( ie dev for the highlights) You want to get the shadow detail, midtones and highlights all on the steepest part of the tone curve where their is the most contrast and separation. For Medium format with HP5 I usually use 1 of 3 exposure and dev methods. Normal sunny day and subject shoot at iso 300 and develop normally Really overcast. Low contrast I will shoot between 400-800 and give 50% more development (ie from 10 min up to 15 min) If it is a super high contrast scene I will expose at iso 160 and use a compensation development to control the highlights. I find these 3 approaches gets me consistent results on roll film where I can make up for any variances on a roll in the darkroom. Large Format I tend to try and be more specific to each sheet. A bit more zone system. Scanning is a bit different beast but have found my negatives to scan well. I am first trying to have them print well in the darkroom 👍 Hope that helps!
@@Distphoto Thank you for taking the time to write/send this, Matthew! I certainly want to get consistent with my film work. This will help out a lot. I'm just now going through Way Beyond Monochrome 2nd Ed and The Darkroom Cookbook. Side note: Love of your Las Vegas night work; I live in Vegas so when I saw that video it was a pleasant surprise. Happy holidays!
@@mathewmccarthy9848 Awesome to hear... Love Vegas! I would really try to get a method that works for you. Both those books are amazing. Way beyond Monochrome is great but I try not to get to caught up in the super analytical stuff. I have used tons of things from both of those books but do not do everything the same as either of those texts... I guess, just do not get to caught up in doing things "the right way" there are many ways to accomplish prints you are happy with. It really comes down to shooting a lot and finding what works for you!
That tape on the 120 film can be so dangerous! I recently loaded a film onto the reel in a darkroom (my bathroom), and I suddenly thought to myself, that it's probably better for the development to remove the tape from the film. So I started peeling it off. While peeling, I thought I saw a flash of light, but I shrugged it off. Thought it might be an illusion from the lack of visual stimulus. Then I kept peeling and saw it again! It then dawned on me. TAPE EXHIBITS TRIBOLUMINESCENCE (glows in the dark) when you peel it off. I even got an exposed mark on the negatives from that tape flash. Lesson learned. Don't try to be smart. Just bend the tape over the film just like this video shows.
Man... thank you for this. Though I always leave the tape on the last part of the film (think it was a Fred Picker suggestion) and never had a problem with it... I have experienced the same phenomenon with removing the tape from the backing, I always thought I was imagining it. Guess not. Never noticed an actual exposure from it. Now I know I was not losing my mind though :) H Hope the negs were still ok! Wonder if going slowly will prevent this in the future?
@@Distphoto Haha cool! Yeah I'm guessing the flash is proportional to the force being applied. The tape sticks very well on the film, so I had to pull pretty hard just to get some of it off. It's much easier to get off the backing paper, so you probably need to yank it fast to make it flash up. I'll definitely be more gentle with it from now on. The exposure was coin sized but "luckily" the pictures were all rubbish anyways 😅
I do use the photoflo at the end as a rinse aid. Adding it to the developer helps break the surface tension and can help with more even development. I actually started doing it as a remedy for small pinholes I was getting in a certain emulsion and have just done it ever since. Definitely not required and you have to be careful not to use to much. It did solve my original issue and have just kept using it even though I really do not shoot that film anymore. 👍
So nice to see that younger people do darkroom work today again. I've been developing films since my youth around 1982 and at the beginning I also used Kindermann's tanks and stainless steel spirals. But I never really liked her. For beginners in particular, i recommend the Paterson spirals. Not so often film sticking together because of jumping over to the next string. May be i am just a clumsy person ;) The paterson tanks vent much faster, so that you can save yourself the hassle with the open lid in the darkroom. At short dev times under 5 min i always prewash with tap water to avoid streaks in the short developing time. As a final bath, I always only use distilled water without a foto flo and without squeeging. I just hang them to dry. Because there are no minerals in destilled water there can be no stain later. Do NOT reuse the destilled water from the final rinse. I never have any residue on the film.
Thanks for the info! It has been a long time since I used Patteson tanks. I will have to give them another go. I remember the ratcheting reels for 35mm. were pretty easy for beginners to learn! For really important film I do not squeegee at all now either. I will give it a shot with out Photoflo next time as I do still end up with slight residual stains sometimes... easy enough to clean.
Hello I need help!!!! Wanted to revive my love for black and white film and printing in my darkroom. Just called Adorama to order , film, chemicals and paper. They had almost nothing, especially chemicals. Any one know where supplies are available?? Live in Ohio, local Camera stores are worthless.
I typically buy things through Adorama as they usually have stuff. Just checked and HC110 is on back order. Have to place a paper order soon……. So I will also use B&H (but if stuff is back ordered at Adorama a lot of times same situation at B&H) B&H will not ship chemicals which stinks. Another place I use a lot is Freestyle Photo in California. Great place but I typically pay more for shipping from them and prices can be better on some things and worse on others. I order a lot from them and their Arista rebranded stuff is quite nice and less pricey. I am lucky to have a local place about 45 min that sticks film & chemicals so am trying to buy more from them. I buy bulk chemicals from Photographers formulary if you wanted to go that route. Hope that helps and maybe others have some more suggestions. Good luck!
I've be developing my B&W film for more than 60 years. I put this video in the top 2% of all YT videos if you want to learn how to do this properly. Only two comments: (1) I've never seen anyone use a two fixer bath fixer sequnce, as one, properly agitated for enough time, is totally adequate. Time your fixing period(s) per the manufacture's recommendation. His 2 minutes in used fixer, then one minute in fresh fixer, seems too short (collectively) for most fixers. (2) He is unclear as to the extent of his washing process. The Ilford Method he mentions requires more than the five exchanges he indicates (see their website for details), and Kodak's recommendation is 20 minutes in slowly running water.
I will have to try the dishwashing liquid… I often wash and dry my hands good just before, especially if I have just mixed chemicals without gloves so will give this a try!
I have watched a lot of YT videos proposing to instruct on how to process film. The majority of them are relative newbees just repeating what they saw in an earlier YT video. Errors are many and the relatively terrible Paterson System 4 tank with the wide mouth top and pop-off surprise plastic lid is standard. This fellow is nearly as anal as me about processing technique. A double bath fixer for film? I am impressed. (No, I do not.) I award 9 or of 10 points here. Where did that last point go? Washing technique. He's not real clear on the matter here, but it seems he is using the "Ilford Method", and if so, it is not archival as he presents. It is minimal/adequate for soon use film without intent for long term storage. For example, Kodak recommends 20 minutes in running water for archival washing. I use a "hypo eliminator" which chemically alters the active ingredients in fixer to reduce wash times by about 75% followed by a 10 minute wash in a film washing device. (That film washer uses enough water in one cycle to send a water conservationist into a coma, but it will do 3 120 or 6 35mm reels at a time).
Appreciate the feedback! I usually just do a tea minute wash with roll film. I mentioned the Ilford method because it may work better for some without a darkroom etc... I try to minimize the time in the fixer therefore needing less wash time and the film does not absorb the fixer like fiber based paper does. I use a two fix regimen with film mostly to ensure fresh fix for every film (second bath) and an easy way to monitor the silver levels of the first bath. Prob overkill but has worked well for me. Cheers!
@@Distphoto would developing one roll at a time in a smaller tank give the same good results if you pour through the lid instead of going dark for a quick pour?
The first time I loaded 120 I did it in a change tent. When I took the drum out of the tent I was rewarded with my exposed film laying in the bottom of the tent... yup... rolled the paper onto the reel...
Hah! 😂 That really made me laugh! Sorry that must have sucked at the time but been pretty funny at the same time!
@@Distphoto For a few seconds it sucked but yeah... It didn't take but a minute or two to crack me up. I still laugh about it. I'm just glad that I didn't waster developer on the paper :o)
Looool
so sorry to hear that, maybe try adding the paper to a separate spool, that way, paper is on the spools, and the film is on the reel, no way to mistake it, esp. for the start, only having the film as the 'free end' so can save some of this disappointment.
Been ten years since I’ve developed my own film and this was such a great refresher. Thanks so much for all the archival insights as well!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the great video. I did darkroom for a living, but it’s been almost 24 years and I needed a refresher. I will say I developed hundreds of rolls of black and white and never had issues pouring through the light tight cap, I think consistency is key whichever way one goes. I’ve dried film in the shower before, but I never thought to run hot water first to knock the dust down, that’s a stroke of genius.
Thanks! I think for me dropping the reels in has a lot more to do with peace of mind as well. I had noticed slightly uneven clear skies in the past . ( can not directly correlate it with pouring through the lid or not) but do find it easier to be consistent with the start and stop times and feel it is (all be it, just a tad ) more precise. Like you say though consistency is definitely key!
I wanted to learn how to develop B&W film myself, and your video was the most helpful one I watched on explaining the entire process! Thanks!
Great to hear, Appreciate the feedback!
Way to go Matt. Thanks a lot buddy! Looks like I’m buying a bunch of used equipment so that I can have a dark room.
Thanks to you, I’ve become obsessed. You owe me a lot of money man.
Best videos ever once I get things set up you are my black room university
@@adamzimmerman9459 You’ll thank me later 😂
i use 2 Fixers as well ! It gets 3 times the working life out of the solutions. To test Fixer 1 I use 4% Potassium Iodide - a drop in a small few drops of Fix - if there is a Yellow Precipitate the Fix is full of Silver.
Thanks for the tip! Nice to know, I use the test strips but can be expensive at times and hard to source 👍
If you are like me two years ago, don't worry so much about this video. Just buy some cheap film like Foma or Kentmere, shoot some average picture (so it doesn't matter if you screw it up) and start developing. Don't worry about perfect times, temperate and agitation. After you did it a couple of times and you realized how easy the basic process is, start watching videos like this start to perfect your development process. Learn from my mistake: I postponed trying film several month because it sounded so complicated - and I can assure you: it is not! If you just want to shoot some pictures, develop it and scan it, it is super easy!
I do agree with you to a big extent. This process is not complicated and certainly do not want to put anyone off from trying.
I do have to point out that if you are scanning film it is a much different thing than if you are printing in the darkroom.
If you plan to print in the darkroom my advice would be to start good habits from the start. (Actually I would suggest that either way) If your negative contrast is all over the place and you have no idea why it will cause more headaches and confusion in the long run.
I still feel the whole process is very simple even with controlling temp and time.
Appreciate the feedback!
@@Distphoto I get your point and you are completely right. 🙂My only point was that your advice is for people who already did develop a couple of rolls of film and not for somebody who haven't.
Yeah, I have not developed film since the late 70's but I'm ramping up to give it another go and like another said here it's a great refresher.
Great video :-) Solid technique :-) Your daughter had fun in there........ Hopefully she'll have a darkroom of her own one day :-)
Thank you! I would gladly help her set one up 😀
Great video of the steps. One little trick I use after the PhotoFlo wash is to put the reel in a salad spinner and give it a good spin. Film comes out with virtually no water drops on it.
Nice. Do you just put the whole reel in? And spin away?
@@Distphoto Yes. The film plane at 90 degrees to the side of the spinner basket . If I have one reel to do, I put a small piece of wood about the same weight as the reel on the opposite side to balance it and away you go. Centrifugal force is a wonderful thing :)
@@timjones8312 Thank you! Just have to find one now 🤔 I like this idea as for really important work lately I do not even touch the film just hang. It can sometimes have water marks (easily cleaned off) but this should eliminate that altogether!
@@Distphoto In Australia I got mine from Ikea. Sold as "Tokig" $A5. Not sure if you have them in the US (surely, they're everywhere!) but any of the big retail chains will probably stock them.
Really well explained! I develop my film for about 5 years now but I was hoping for a channel like yours since 2015. Your knowledge is on a high level, no question about it! Thank you very much for sharing!
Wow, thanks! Happy to help!
Awesome video. Been developing/printing on my own for about a year now but there is still so much to learn and these videos have been so great! Keep it up 🤟🤟🤟
Glad to hear!!!
Thank you, for sharing your darkroom technique., for negative development. i did my own development before digital , and now I am enlightened to go back
to shoot film and do my own darkroom printing.
I love digital and analog. I truly believe that one makes me better at the other. Also gives me a break from shooting the same all the time. Give it a go 👍
Nice to see the next generation of analog people coming along. Just developed first couple of rolls of 35mm since 1988. Your video handy reminder, though once I smelt the stop bath it all came back. Hope you're keeping warm, hi from London
Yes , very cool to see. I have a feeling with all this AI getting more and more into photography more will be switching to film.... Oh that reminded me when I was younger I was an idiot and put my nose to the stop to see what it was... NEVER do that again... Cheers!
Enjoyed this much it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the darkroom developing and processing I’m putting thought into creating a darkroom and printing. Seeing your water area is a really good thing fir me to see Thank you.
Go for it! You will not regret building a darkroom!
Great channel man. I just discovered your videos a few days ago and they're some of the most informative and well put-together vids on this platform. I've been developing my own film for about a year now and just printed in my home darkroom for the first time last Sunday. Will definitely be returning to your videos for sage advice often down the road. Keep it up bud!
So great to hear!!! Let me know if you need any help or have ideas/topics for vids you would like me to cover!
@@DistphotoThanks will do!
great tip with steaming bathroom before hanging the negatives ;) thanks!
Your welcome! Thank you!
Nice tutorial. I needed a refresher as I'm heading back into the darkroom after many many years. Nice darkroom setup.
Thanks! Have fun in the dark!
I had never seen the way you pour the developer and the stop into the tank in complete darkness, a real pro tip! Hope to see your next videos, maybe one about printing a contrast negative using preflashing paper?.
I will see what I can do 👍
the timing for me finding your channel couldnt be better, I've just bought a full developing kit yesterday and I am gonna develop my film for the first time by next week maybe and this was veeery helpful, thanks a lot.
Glad I could help! Have fun!
Thanks for making this. Seems like you covered all the things I remember from when I was doing film photography years ago. (and brought back some memories) I'm getting back into it now. I was mostly into small format... but just got a used Mamiya 645 and plan to go shootin' soon. I found this to be a great tutorial, thank you!
One thing that I remembered is that bending the film as you thread it onto the reel can put little v's into the film/image area if you mis-align, over bend, etc. It can happen with 35 but I've never done it... but I have seen people make these mistakes in school. I've done it with 120 the first time. Your daughter is awesome. I did love her face as you pulled the film off the reel. Classic. I have 2 boys that have very little interest or attention span for lab work... so that was really nice to see.
Oh, and you have a spectacular darkroom.. Very well thought-out. Your video production and processing techniques all follow suit.. clear, efficient and deliberate. Great work all around!
Thank you, appreciate it! You can definitely put kinks in the film if you are too aggressive or it starts going on cooked... don't force it. back it off carefully and realign correctly with patience and practice it becomes very easy.
Mamiya's are great cameras, have fun!
Really helpful video. Thank you! And your helper is wonderful. I miss those years with my kids.
Thanks Jon! She is at a very fun age!
Verry good video: Here is my experience. I have been using photo-flo 200 for years and when the film comes out of the tank after washing with photo-flo 200 I have never touched the film with a squeegee, sponge, or anything else letting the film drying by itself. The film comes out with no trace of residue and is beautiful. I tried the experiment of removing the water with my fingers and the results were disastrous. The film after drying came out damaged. So, for me it may be best to let the film dry on its own without intervening. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Andre, I have also found for me the most important thing is to rinse well with distilled water to remove mineral residue. Have seen people do a lot of different things to get the results they are after!
This was both super interesting and entertaining. I don’t know how you managed to dad and develop at the same time. I find the thought of developing my own film extremely daunting! One day!
It really is pretty easy once you do it a few times! Kinda like riding a bike! Thanks for watching!
I taught myself out of school book when I was a kid...trust me, if I can do it, anyone can😉
Great contribution! There is lots of big and small tips here, and very refreshing to see you using a steel tank! As always, looking forward to your next video!
Thank you! Love the steel tanks 👍
135 and 120 Hewes’ Reels are absolutely amazing, simplistic and satisfying when unwound.
I agree. For me they are the best. I have Jobo tanks and have used Patterson but much prefer the Hewes 👍
You are like the opposite of me. Your attention to detail is so impressive. I am like a Bull in a China shop. Maybe why your prints are so damn good 👍🏻
Thanks. Trying to slow down for the process is the tough part. especially when you have a busy schedule. Time seems to stand still sometimes. Then I open the door and eight hours have went by...
I like the two fixer bath process, I will start doing that also. Just sub'd, your channel seems a good fit for me.
Awesome! It gives peace of mind and is extremely archival.
Thanks. I agree with your method of using a second fixing stage.
Yeah, I've done it this way for a while even though I had never seen it referenced anywhere but with prints. I just find it a really easy way to make sure the negs are getting fresh fix everytime and also easy to monitor the silver levels of the first fix. Thanks for watching!
Really great tutorial vid on Developing. Thanks
@@gregcava6599 your welcome!
Very, very high quality educational video. Thank you. RS. Canada
Your welcome!
That’s amazing
I need to start saving some money for my Darkroom!! I know it is no cheap to do it, Greetings!!
Go for it! Perfect place to spend in quarantine :) But seriously you do not need a ton to get started. You can find used darkroom stuff for super cheap and even free all over the place!
Excellent video
Thank you very much!
I enjoy your careful processes. Actually Ilford recommends the following washing method: "Fill the tank with water and invert it five times. Drain the water away and refill. Invert the tank ten times. Once more drain the water away and refill. Finally invert the tank twenty times and drain the water away." This uses less water and is faster.
Good point! I have always used running water for 10 min, It allows me to straighten up while washing. But you are correct Ilford does recommend the fill and dump method. I am wondering if it has any affect on quality at all. I would think not as long as temps are the same.
I do fill a tray and dump five times for 4x5 tray process sheet film 👍
Thanks!
It's so refreshing to see a video favoring the steel reels. Overall a great video! In my opinion, darkroom prints are the only real photos.
Thanks, been using the steel reels for as long as I can remember. In my opinion they are just far superior. Darkroom prints are definitely 💯 real deal!
"And you don't need to shake it like a martini"
- "What?"
Chuckled at that haha
Good advice throughout. Will start agitating that entire first minute from now on. Would like to see how you scan the negatives.
Thank you! I use a Epson v850 and will try to make a vid on how I use it 👍
You are DA man, great technique
Appreciate that Carlos!!!
That was well done and very helpful. Thank you.
Your welcome!
Thanks for the video. Always nice to see something that reminds us if what we're doing is the right way. Your assistant's face watching you take the film from the reel is incredible! My best!
Definitely more than one way to do it “right” whatever gets you the results you are after! Thanks for watching
Yesterday I had a dream that I was processing undeveloped film that is over 15. I have the same tanks as you in your video. I don’t know if it will work, I used your video a refresher. Let’s see what’s developed.
I imagine it would be fine if the film was not subject to any harsh conditions. Might have some fogging but I have developed color film that was a lot older than that and was still useable and some frames quite unique colors and what not
I just came across your channel yesterday and this is the 6th video I've watched. Really great content & easy to follow. I've been developing at home for 15 years but printing off & on. But... 30 seconds to load developer? Through the cap should be 12-14 seconds with the perfect angle and speed. LOL!
Thanks Peter…. Yeah I guess it depends on the size of the tanks too. Been awhile since I timed it but remember it taking me long enough to be a concern for short development times around 5 min. At this time even 10-15 seconds could cause unevenness. Less of a concern with longer times and if you have results you love than keep doing what works for you 👍
Thank you for:
a) not wearing a baseball cap backwards
b) not saying “what’s happenin, etc”
c) not droning on for ages before getting to the point
d) uploading this video
e) you’re welcome
P.S. I’ve been using a salad spinner to remove excess water from the films before hanging. I just glued a spare plastic core to the base of the basket and slide the film reel onto it, put the lid on and spin.
Suggestion: would it not be easier to fit a filtration system between the water supply and tap instead of using distilled water?
Thank you! love the salad spinner idea. Yes I suppose I could just use the filtered water in my darkroom. I currently have a bunch of distilled water so may as well use it up.
F- Thanks for not being sponsored by square space !
Excellent information, thank you.
Your welcome!
Wiping the film (after rinsing) using a wetted Plas Chamois (ie synthetic chamois) gives excellent spot free results.
Never tried that but am looking for a better way with my color film. Been meaning to try the salad spinner. But have limited space & storage. Will see if I can source a synthetic chamois 👍
Great info! I’m debating buying Ilford chemistry or Kodak.
Thanks, don’t think you can go wrong with either!
Thanks for this, very interesting. Swiping the washed film with fingers is a new trick to me, am not comfortable with squeegeeing. Also did not know about silver test strips. Amazon says they are not available though, will shop around.
Thank you! Often I just hang the film once rinsed in final rinse with photoflo. My 4x5 negs never get squeegeed at all and always dry spotless. The silver strips seem to go in and out of stock. Hope they get them soon as I am running low.
@@Distphoto Thanks again. I've been having some problems with some streaking lately, my bottle of Ilfotol (their equivalent to Kodak Photoflo) is a couple years' old since you use such a tiny amount per film, and apparently it can go bad. Also more problems with 35mm film than medium format, apparently the film base is different. I can get away with tap water here (Montreal, Quebec) for everything in medium format developing, but have needed distilled for 35mm - it adds a notable amount to the cost per roll. Re silver test strips, they are listed as available at SEOH Corp (Scientific Equipment of Houston), and somewhere else I didn't note. I've just emailed to ask if they actually have it in stock. A lot of things that probably come from China are back ordered due to the pandemic I guess.
@@oudviola just checked the link on Amazon and said 5 left. I need to order butwas logged out of my account and for the life of me can not remember my password 🤓
I have filtered water here and dries nicely. Otherwise distilled is always good but you do have buy it... I have noticed if you use to much photoflo it can also cause marks.
@@Distphoto Hmm, I checked amazon earlier today and it said not available indefinitely. Anyway, hopefully these other suppliers have it. I figured out that using distilled water for making up fresh developer plus the final wash cost as much per roll as the stock chemicals combined (per roll)! I need dH2O for my CPAP machine (anti-sleep apnea) so I'm already spending on it. But agree it's better in principle. p.s. Just watched your split grade filter printing episode, also very nice although there are a couple other decent discussions (Ilford has one). But it's important to see different peoples' processes, your take is yours and great to see. Have to followup now with the dodging/burning using an ND filter, hadn't thought of that but a great way to slow things down I can see. Thanks again! p.p.s. Are all TH-cam photography channels run by guys name Matt(hew)!? (you, Matt Day, Matthew Lethbridge, Mat Marash...)
Great video man! Really inspiring setup you have there. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us!
Your welcome. Thank you!
thanks for the good video, very informative .
Your welcome!
Good to see kids have an interest in photo chemistry.
She's a curious one...
A couple of tips on using stainless steel reels and tanks. Reels made out of relatively thick wire are far easier to load than those with thin wire. Thick wire units would be the Nikor items from the 1950s/60s (ebay, fairly cheap), or for new, Hewes (sit down for the prices). For tanks, the steel tanks with flexible plastic tops and caps. The early (until the mid-60s) Nikors used a fitted steel top and cap, which tended to leak a bit. The ones with plastic tops do not leak at all.
I have the Nikkor tanks and lids as well and will not mess with the steel lids.... To messy. My plastic lids still leak a little.
Loved this - super helpful Thank you. What power Loupe are you using in this video?
Glad it was helpful! The one I use is a peak 10x. Def better loupes out there but this has always done a fine job for me!
excellent video. Thank You!
Your welcome!
Thank you for good info.
Glad it was helpful!
Well done. Thank you. Do you reuse your fixer and stop?
Yes I do! For the fixer I monitor the silver levels with the AG strips. then I know it needs to be replaced. With the stop bath turns a purple color when it is spent and needs to be replaced.
Thank you, now i know how and why important to have a constant agitation for the first minute
I realy enjoyed!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your content it just excellent.
Thank you. I really appreciate that!
suscrito un saludo desde BARCELONA ESPAÑA.
Greetings my friend!
Totally agree on printing negatives, it is much more fun than scanning them. What I've learned by myself is using different developers for what you want to achieve in terms of tone and grain. Also for what is suitable for the speed of the film. I semi-stand develop with Rodinal or Spur N Acurol. For me I like to temperature control my developer. I find this gives me great the results every time.
Using inexpensive film such as Agfa APX 100 or FP4 I can get the contrast and tonality I'm after. What I'm saying is, if folks spend more time developing their film techniques I guess they wouldn't need so much to be film hopping.
Such a great point.... I want to make a video on the importance of learning one film / developer Combo well... so many people seem to shoot “everything” ... master of none type stuff. There is only so much you can shoot and all the materials are pretty amazing once they are learned and dialed in to suit your needs! Cheers!
@@Distphoto I'm curious to know which combination you'd choose.
Been HP5 and HC110 through the Hasselblad for a while now... Now 4x5 I have a few contenders I am trying to nail down!
@@DistphotoAgreed. I discovered great results with FP4 a decode or so ago and stuck with it about 90% of the time ever since.
The only time I’m not shooting FP4 is if I want to shoot slides.
Great instructions.
Thanks Nick!
How do you adjust your total dev time for the full minute of initial agitation, considering film recipes from manufacturers don't account for this much initial agitation?
I have always done my own film testing for dev times / temps so they print good for my darkroom setup.
You will have more contrast from the initial agitation being more. You could compensate and reduce the time slightly to compensate though you might like the bump in contrast.
If the film was a supper sunny high contrast scene I would reduce dev a bit maybe 15% or so. Only real way to know is to give it a shot. And take notes ( when shooting and developing)
Hadn’t seen the drops of photo flo in the developer before. What’s the benefit of it? Is it meant to protect from foam and bubbles during development?
Will help reduce the surface tension of the development solution and should help achieve even development. Will help with foam to but carefull not to use too much or it can cause even worse problems with foaming. Other people swear by Edwal LFN as it is not supposed to build up on the tanks over time. I have never noticed this with Photoflo but wash the tanks well after using. (or I should say my daughter does :)
great vid. did you say that a wash could be 5 tank changes? not sitting in running water for 10 mins? sounds much better. Pleased to see your pendulum motion and the tip about pouring the chems straight in. really helpful as always :)
If you google the Ilford wash method it should bring up the process. Thanks!
That's what he said, and it may sound better, but 60 years of experience tells me that it won't do better. Washing B&W film means keeping fresh water in contact with the film emulsion surface long enough for the ions n the fixer to leach out f the emulsion. That means a minimum amount of time, period. Agitation, more than required to circulate the water, is pointless, so shaking it like a cocktail shaker may make you feel like you are accomplishing something, but you are not. I'm familiar with the "lford Method". I personally prefer Kodak's recommendation, which is running water for 20 minutes. Sounds like a lot of water down the drain, but we are talking about a flow only large enough to exchange the water in the tank once every minute. Set up properly, that works by itself and does not require the continuing attention of Ilford's.
Mathew, just catching up with some of your videos. I noticed in a recent meter linearity test done on 120 that my development did not seem entirely even. Troubling, after the decades I've been working -- carefully -- in B&W. Anyway, I may give your lower developer volume a try, and possibly increase initial agitation time. I only hesitate because I have spent far more hours than I wish to think about over the past 5 years since returning to the darkroom after a 13-year hiatus, testing, making stupid mistakes, tracking down gremlins, etc., etc., in 3 formats, new developer, N + and -, and so on. (Done in sparse free time, ergo stretched out, making it more difficult.) Longer initial agitation is likely to require my altering development time -- again, which makes me cringe, even though I can recompute variations on a percentage basis, so I'll start with volume and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestion.
My guess would be the volume would be a bigger issue. I had terrible unevenness on some rolls and it dawned on me that I was filling the tank completely, leaving no space for the exhausted developer to displace efficiently.
That has solved the problem I was having.
I have always done 1 minute of initial agitation even on those uneven rolls so I can not say for sure. But do sanity’s sake first try the lower volume.
Then if needed I would try more agitation but if it’s not broke… you know. Also I would think the density would be slightly greater that retesting everything would not be necessary unless getting unexpected results.
@@Distphoto Well, the volume didn't cure it; I'm still getting extra edge density and some faint unevenness in the rest. I'm going to try longer initial agitation and regular direction reversal. With 4x5 in the Stearmann 445, I had to use Tim's exact agitation method to get evenness. It's a quick inversion series, with a reversal included. It reminded me of Tech PA (did you ever try that when it was around?), which was prickly stuff, requiring the same "quick flip" inversion with restrained twisting. Stay tuned for the next thrilling episode of As the Tank Turns.
@@Distphoto Longer initial agitation makes a noticeable difference. I committed the cardinal sin of changing two variables at once -- length and manner of agitation, so the direction reversal may also be helping. In any case, the difference between agitating for the first 30 sec and first minute appears ti be very small, if not questionable in my case, concerning evenness between the two, so, in order to avoid the complication of changing all my times, which the 1 minute would requires, and varying procedures by format, I am going to run with 30 and the direction-reversal for both 35 and 120.
Again, I am grateful for this demo. I'm very pleased with the improvement. Best wishes to you (and your special guest star).
Agitation is an important control for your process. I've processed film (by hand, in a small tank) with anything from continuous, very vigorous agitation (special case, I was pushing Tri-X to EI 5000-6400) to as little as two inversions ever 3 minutes, even going as far as semi-stand, half an hour or more with a single inversion cycle halfway through. My experience is that increased agitation increases contrast -- but i agree, that it's also possible to produce density variation if your tank/reel costruction, agitation style, and fill level don't match up. Worse, on 35 mm film, flow marks from excessive agitation with minimal developer can resemble bromide drag from too little agitation.
Best thing I can suggest to those who are new to film development: shoot and process test rolls with "normal" contrast range to work out your process before committing "important" images. It's no big deal if a test shot of your barbecue grill and back yard gets bromide drag, tide lines (from too-slow filling), etc. You'd be *extremely* annoyed if that happened with your grandmother's funeral shots...
Can not agree more. My experience 100%. I have had weird uneven development with 35mm from agitating to "rough" that looked like drag. Also uneven skies, etc. from filling the tank all the way. This was with medium format.
Recently I have tried moving my medium format film ( black and white to rotary - Jobo). and for the life of me could not get even development. (big "ruts") Hands down the best method for 120 film fore me is small tank with proper technique. It gives far superior and more even development.
The weird thing is it looks like for C-41 process medium format (mostly Porta) the Jobo does a good (or good enough job) for developing color film... No extensive testing but have not noticed an issue and am curious as to why?
Have Expert Tank for 4x5 and seems good and 35mm on the Jobo with the same tanks / reels seem fine...
I guess the point is like you say. Everyone should do their own testing before shooting an "important" event or other once in a lifetime opportunity.
Thanks!
@@Distphoto If you read Kodak's instructions for C-41, they actually recommend continuous agitation with intermittent agitation (what we usually do with stainless or Paterson/Jobo type tanks) as a second choice; they also recommend one-shot use of the Flexicolor chemistry in small tanks with inversion. I do my C-41 in a Paterson and agitate with the twizzle stick rather than inversion -- in order to limit developer oxidation in support of replenishment.
For B&W, there are dozens of ways and amounts of agitation that can produce excellent results with different film and developer combinations.
@@SilntObsvr I have had good results with Kodak and C41 (Cinestill Kit) on the Jobo all continuous... But do not have anything to compare it to. Thanks!
Very well explained and super educational. I leaned a lot from this video and I better dive into your other stuff here on TH-cam.
One question: Should I stay on brand developers or is Ilford okay to develop Kodak Tri-X films ?
You do not have to stay on brand. Ilford and Kodak both make great developers and can be used with all B&W films (except c-41 process B&W films)
I commonly develop Ilford HP5 in Kodak HC110 with great results 👍
LOL! When I was in High School (1974) my TEACHER asked me to load his 35mm onto a reel for him since he always had problems! Nothing more than heartbreaking than seeing those large undeveloped blotches when you click on the lights. When possible I always shot many exposures of the same scene to avoid that occasional misfeed! Great memories.
That is heartbreaking indeed … equally as bad is seeing a whole roll of clear film 😔.
@@Distphoto I am a NYC street photographer. Always roamed the streets with my Nikkormat FTN and my 50. One day (70's) i had a remarkably magical moment and captured what i knew would be stunning images. I worked in the industry and had my own darkroom. Couldn't wait to get off of work to develop that roll! I always used D76. A coworker said I should try his Edwals FG7 for a nice grain structure. OK. Guess what! It was out of date and totally exhausted. I got exactly that...a blank roll of film! It haunts me to this day!! LOL!!
@@genernator what could have been! I get it I shot a few rolls out in Caramel Ava and was an amazing view of the rocks and ocean. Was so pumped about these shots. At the time I was using Xtol…. Well the batch I mixed was one of their problem batches. Unwound the reel to see clear and a faint… very faint images of what could have been.. still in my mind my best prints ever… so painful.
Thanks for sharing! I take it you prob went back to d76?
@@Distphoto Yes. the only 2 developers i ever used was that and Microdol-x for fine grain. Tri-X was my film of choice. We used to tape 4 or 5 film cannisters to our thin leather camera straps which looked pretty cool. I bought my film in bulk and loaded my own. There was a place in lower Manhattan called the Henry Street Settlement where we would go every Tuesday and there was a huge darkroom with about 6 Omega B22 enlargers and all paper (8x10 polycontrast) and chemistry was free! Heaven on earth for us back then! Glory Days!
@@genernator that sounds so cool! We had a community darkroom here long ago. I was young and never used it. Would love to see that come back! I have always wanted to “roll my own” but never have…. Maybe with prices going up continually I will!!!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
If you have a darkroom with a sink like yours and like I also have, the easiest and best thing is to process in total darkness not in stainless steel tanks. Use a series of tanks going from one to the next in the dark with your film reels on a stainless steel rod. In the past I made tanks from plastic tubes or from white plumbing pipes with bottoms glues on, but I have found instead to use plastic toilet paper storage containers. Cheap. I dedicate containers to fix stop developer and water soak and never mix them up. It is the best way to get totally even development. Agitate by lifting the rod of reels all the way out of the developer and then putting it back in. I did this commercially with high volumes of film.
Thank you for the inf. This probabally is THE BEST way. I have seen others do this type of roll film development. If I did not get perfectly even development and was nof fully satisfied with the stainless tanks this would be my next route. But for now I have 0 issues or complaints 👍🏻
A couple of times my B/w 120 HP5 comes out of the process a little bit hazy, foggy. Can you suggest what I might be doing wrong?
@@TheRobertpainter is the haze even across the roll? Off the bat if it’s not could be light leaks. Otherwise A lot of overexposure or chemical fogging could be to blame. Are you using fresh one shot developer?
I've never been able to use those metal reels, lol.
I’ve had bent ones in the past that were impossible. The film would just buckle. but once I got new ones I have never looked back. Really love them for 120. But in the end it is just a light tight tank and what works works 👍
@@Distphoto The trouble was getting the film to fit smoothly in the grooves, so I switched to Paterson tanks, even though they're more cumbersome.
Intresting insights how other guys develop film. 👍 Dip the role in the pre filled developer is an argument for improving the task.
Allow me questions :
1.
Some people reported that the "shock" of the stop bath will harm the emulsion and produce pits. Isn't it better to stop with water rinse like recommended in serval literature?
2. Is there an advantage of steel rolls and tanks compared to the plastic patterson or jobo?
I have used water as a stop bath. Especially when using developers like Pyrocat HD where it is necessary.
For normal developers I was having an issue and believe it was using water without enough exchanges as a stop bath. Since going back to mostly Ilford I use their recommendations as much as possible ( but definitely deviate a bit)
Using a stop bath relieved the problem I was having so have been using it ever since.
Nothing wrong with using water as a stop if you are getting good results 👍
I prefer the steel tanks. I find them easier to load myself. They will adhere to a water bath much quicker other that that I just prefer them probably because I have just used them for so long. I have heard arguments for both. Not sure it makes that huge of a difference.
@@Distphoto thank you for sharing your experience 👍
Help! I've just started developing and I'm having a major problem. I'm developing HP5 in D76. @1:1. Think I'm doing every step mostly correct but my negatives are almost entirely covered in a black blob! The only mistake I think I may be making is my fixer is expired and I over-compensated by fixing for 10 minutes rather than 2-5 minutes. Do you know what could be the reason for the dark black splotchiness on most of the negative frames? The first four negatives are fine and then black blob. I've ruined three films now. TIA !!
Hey John. Sorry to hear… that can be frustrating for sure. HP5 and D76 is a nice combo.
Would like to see what this looks like. Any way you can send me a pic or scan?
When you say black blob it sounds like you might have a leak or something going on. Sounds like exposure on the film but would want to see this.
It would not think it would be the fix as long as it is fresh. However I would not over fix either.
My guess would be in the exposure or dev side of things. Are all chemicals fresh?
I would also go over to Phototrio.com (formerly APUG) and post a scan / image their. So many amazing film photographers that are always willing to help.
Feel free to send me pics/scans to my email or my @distphotofilm Insta acount and I will gladly take a look.
Also when you say expired fixer. Is it exhausted or just old? If it is not fixing properly that could also be the issue but again would have to see the film.
@@Distphoto That's very kind of you, thank you! I will send some pics of the negative and my dev details. Really want to get this thing sorted out. Cheers!
Thanks!
Your welcome!
Nah i can't pour the chems in the containers in the dark. I just start the timer when i get it all in, (I subtract about 30sec from the set total time) turn it off when it's time to pour it out.
Does your tank leak onto your hands when you invert it?
Right on, if it works for you then go with it! Yeah one of my lids leaks a little but nothing major. just annoying.
I'm revisiting this video. How do you expose your film to get the consistency you're looking for? And do you then compensate that during development? Example: Overexpose for shadow/Underdevelop for highlights?
If you want to get consistent results. Be consistent 👍
Expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights is the way to go for darkroom printing for sure. Expose your film consistently for the same shadow tones. And develop consistent for the contrast of the scene ( ie dev for the highlights)
You want to get the shadow detail, midtones and highlights all on the steepest part of the tone curve where their is the most contrast and separation.
For Medium format with HP5 I usually use 1 of 3 exposure and dev methods.
Normal sunny day and subject shoot at iso 300 and develop normally
Really overcast. Low contrast I will shoot between 400-800 and give 50% more development (ie from 10 min up to 15 min)
If it is a super high contrast scene I will expose at iso 160 and use a compensation development to control the highlights.
I find these 3 approaches gets me consistent results on roll film where I can make up for any variances on a roll in the darkroom.
Large Format I tend to try and be more specific to each sheet. A bit more zone system.
Scanning is a bit different beast but have found my negatives to scan well. I am first trying to have them print well in the darkroom 👍
Hope that helps!
@@Distphoto Thank you for taking the time to write/send this, Matthew! I certainly want to get consistent with my film work. This will help out a lot. I'm just now going through Way Beyond Monochrome 2nd Ed and The Darkroom Cookbook. Side note: Love of your Las Vegas night work; I live in Vegas so when I saw that video it was a pleasant surprise. Happy holidays!
@@mathewmccarthy9848 Awesome to hear... Love Vegas!
I would really try to get a method that works for you. Both those books are amazing.
Way beyond Monochrome is great but I try not to get to caught up in the super analytical stuff.
I have used tons of things from both of those books but do not do everything the same as either of those texts...
I guess, just do not get to caught up in doing things "the right way" there are many ways to accomplish prints you are happy with.
It really comes down to shooting a lot and finding what works for you!
Thanks
Your welcome!
That tape on the 120 film can be so dangerous!
I recently loaded a film onto the reel in a darkroom (my bathroom), and I suddenly thought to myself, that it's probably better for the development to remove the tape from the film. So I started peeling it off.
While peeling, I thought I saw a flash of light, but I shrugged it off. Thought it might be an illusion from the lack of visual stimulus. Then I kept peeling and saw it again! It then dawned on me. TAPE EXHIBITS TRIBOLUMINESCENCE (glows in the dark) when you peel it off. I even got an exposed mark on the negatives from that tape flash.
Lesson learned. Don't try to be smart. Just bend the tape over the film just like this video shows.
Man... thank you for this. Though I always leave the tape on the last part of the film (think it was a Fred Picker suggestion) and never had a problem with it... I have experienced the same phenomenon with removing the tape from the backing, I always thought I was imagining it. Guess not. Never noticed an actual exposure from it.
Now I know I was not losing my mind though :) H
Hope the negs were still ok! Wonder if going slowly will prevent this in the future?
@@Distphoto
Haha cool! Yeah I'm guessing the flash is proportional to the force being applied. The tape sticks very well on the film, so I had to pull pretty hard just to get some of it off. It's much easier to get off the backing paper, so you probably need to yank it fast to make it flash up. I'll definitely be more gentle with it from now on.
The exposure was coin sized but "luckily" the pictures were all rubbish anyways 😅
Why do you add the photo flo to the developer, instead of washing the film with photo flo at the end like usual?
I do use the photoflo at the end as a rinse aid.
Adding it to the developer helps break the surface tension and can help with more even development. I actually started doing it as a remedy for small pinholes I was getting in a certain emulsion and have just done it ever since. Definitely not required and you have to be careful not to use to much. It did solve my original issue and have just kept using it even though I really do not shoot that film anymore. 👍
@@Distphoto thank you, I've never seen anyone doing it so it got me curious. I'll try it next time I develop it. You just use a couple of drops?
@@8andre3 yes 1-2 drops per liter.
So nice to see that younger people do darkroom work today again.
I've been developing films since my youth around 1982 and at the beginning I also used Kindermann's tanks and stainless steel spirals. But I never really liked her. For beginners in particular, i recommend the Paterson spirals. Not so often film sticking together because of jumping over to the next string. May be i am just a clumsy person ;)
The paterson tanks vent much faster, so that you can save yourself the hassle with the open lid in the darkroom. At short dev times under 5 min i always prewash with tap water to avoid streaks in the short developing time.
As a final bath, I always only use distilled water without a foto flo and without squeeging. I just hang them to dry. Because there are no minerals in destilled water there can be no stain later. Do NOT reuse the destilled water from the final rinse.
I never have any residue on the film.
Thanks for the info! It has been a long time since I used Patteson tanks. I will have to give them another go. I remember the ratcheting reels for 35mm. were pretty easy for beginners to learn!
For really important film I do not squeegee at all now either. I will give it a shot with out Photoflo next time as I do still end up with slight residual stains sometimes... easy enough to clean.
Hello I need help!!!! Wanted to revive my love for black and white film and printing in my darkroom. Just called Adorama to order , film, chemicals and paper. They had almost nothing, especially chemicals. Any one know where supplies are available?? Live in Ohio, local Camera stores are worthless.
I typically buy things through Adorama as they usually have stuff. Just checked and HC110 is on back order. Have to place a paper order soon…….
So I will also use B&H (but if stuff is back ordered at Adorama a lot of times same situation at B&H) B&H will not ship chemicals which stinks.
Another place I use a lot is Freestyle Photo in California. Great place but I typically pay more for shipping from them and prices can be better on some things and worse on others. I order a lot from them and their Arista rebranded stuff is quite nice and less pricey.
I am lucky to have a local place about 45 min that sticks film & chemicals so am trying to buy more from them.
I buy bulk chemicals from Photographers formulary if you wanted to go that route.
Hope that helps and maybe others have some more suggestions. Good luck!
Good stuff
Thanks!
I've be developing my B&W film for more than 60 years. I put this video in the top 2% of all YT videos if you want to learn how to do this properly. Only two comments: (1) I've never seen anyone use a two fixer bath fixer sequnce, as one, properly agitated for enough time, is totally adequate. Time your fixing period(s) per the manufacture's recommendation. His 2 minutes in used fixer, then one minute in fresh fixer, seems too short (collectively) for most fixers. (2) He is unclear as to the extent of his washing process. The Ilford Method he mentions requires more than the five exchanges he indicates (see their website for details), and Kodak's recommendation is 20 minutes in slowly running water.
Thanks Randall
Great
Thank you!
I wash my hands in dishwashing liquid and they feel like talcum powder.
I will have to try the dishwashing liquid… I often wash and dry my hands good just before, especially if I have just mixed chemicals without gloves so will give this a try!
I have watched a lot of YT videos proposing to instruct on how to process film. The majority of them are relative newbees just repeating what they saw in an earlier YT video. Errors are many and the relatively terrible Paterson System 4 tank with the wide mouth top and pop-off surprise plastic lid is standard. This fellow is nearly as anal as me about processing technique. A double bath fixer for film? I am impressed. (No, I do not.) I award 9 or of 10 points here. Where did that last point go? Washing technique. He's not real clear on the matter here, but it seems he is using the "Ilford Method", and if so, it is not archival as he presents. It is minimal/adequate for soon use film without intent for long term storage. For example, Kodak recommends 20 minutes in running water for archival washing. I use a "hypo eliminator" which chemically alters the active ingredients in fixer to reduce wash times by about 75% followed by a 10 minute wash in a film washing device. (That film washer uses enough water in one cycle to send a water conservationist into a coma, but it will do 3 120 or 6 35mm reels at a time).
Appreciate the feedback! I usually just do a tea minute wash with roll film. I mentioned the Ilford method because it may work better for some without a darkroom etc... I try to minimize the time in the fixer therefore needing less wash time and the film does not absorb the fixer like fiber based paper does. I use a two fix regimen with film mostly to ensure fresh fix for every film (second bath) and an easy way to monitor the silver levels of the first bath. Prob overkill but has worked well for me. Cheers!
PRESOAK in water for 3 minutes. All your processing flaws will go away.
Not been my experience. Also it has been advised that if you do personal use a minimum of 5 min
@@Distphoto three works for me. Proof is in the pudding. Would you like to take a look at my negs...no problem mate.
As someone who has never developed this video sure makes it seem very elaborate and difficult. Not encouraging at all 😂
Sorry man. I ensure you it’s easy. But a lot of info out there encourages bad habits best avoided from the get go.
@@Distphoto would developing one roll at a time in a smaller tank give the same good results if you pour through the lid instead of going dark for a quick pour?
You have a very _German_ way of doing things… ;-)