Mark Pedley Posted December 4, 2011 Share #1 Posted December 4, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Dear All, as someone who has never attempted to develop film, but shoot mostly with film, it is time to develop my own. Does anyone have a good book recommendation that covers it all from a practicle perspective, from equipment needed through to development? I will only be developing B+W, usually Tri-X 400. Thanks in advance, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 4, 2011 Posted December 4, 2011 Hi Mark Pedley, Take a look here Good book recommendation for B+W film development. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stunsworth Posted December 4, 2011 Share #2 Posted December 4, 2011 There's a good beginner's guide here... http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/200629163442455.pdf It describes using Ilford chemistry, but the methods described apply to other developers etc. For a starting point regarding developers/films and their development times the Digital Truth website is hard to beat... Digitaltruth Photo - The Massive Dev Chart B&W Film Development Database There's also a Digital Truth iPhone and Android app that I haven't used, but others have found useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Pedley Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted December 4, 2011 Thank you Steve, that is a very good start. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted December 4, 2011 Share #4 Posted December 4, 2011 Don't read too many guides when you are getting started. They all work but each will have its own little differences in technique and you don't want to confuse things. A good standard guide like Steve has suggested is best, along with all the development times. When you can see in a practical way how and why it all works, and after you have made some beginners mistakes, it is time to read other sources and refine your technique. Good luck. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted December 4, 2011 Share #5 Posted December 4, 2011 Also, unless you do something stupid, such as put fixer in before developer, it's really difficult to totally screw up the process. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M9reno Posted December 4, 2011 Share #6 Posted December 4, 2011 I, too, started developing black & white for the first time this year. Bought myself a Focomat V35 and a copy of Michael Langford's "The Darkroom Handbook", which I found extremely clear and helpful in teaching myself the entire process. (I also bought a copy of Rudolph Seck, "Leica Darkroom Practice", but found it repetitive in parts, completely cryptic in others. Not helpful at all. Good luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Pedley Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted December 4, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks all, Steve, good point to start off with one standard approach. Indeed, there is a danger to confuse things at first. I'll go with that initially. I did read The Darkroom Handbook has had some good reviews for beginners, so I will have my eye on that too. Thanks for the tips! Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted December 5, 2011 Share #8 Posted December 5, 2011 The Ilford guide and dev chart should be more than enough to get you started. As Steve says it is really easy, like making a cup of coffee! If you have an iphone you can get a development chart app that includes a timer function, very handy. I think you'll have most trouble getting used to loading your film on the tank reels - with that in mind I suggest that you sacrifice a roll of film and use it to practice loading, do it in daylight then when you think you've cracked it, practice with the changing bag. The other tricky part is drying the negs so that you avoid water marks, dust etc. Use a wetting agent, and I picked up a nice tip that works for me - use a piece of folded up kitchen paper towel (fold it to form a pair of tongs) and run that gently down the length of film once, then hang. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Pedley Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted December 5, 2011 The Ilford guide and dev chart should be more than enough to get you started. As Steve says it is really easy, like making a cup of coffee! If you have an iphone you can get a development chart app that includes a timer function, very handy. I think you'll have most trouble getting used to loading your film on the tank reels - with that in mind I suggest that you sacrifice a roll of film and use it to practice loading, do it in daylight then when you think you've cracked it, practice with the changing bag. The other tricky part is drying the negs so that you avoid water marks, dust etc. Use a wetting agent, and I picked up a nice tip that works for me - use a piece of folded up kitchen paper towel (fold it to form a pair of tongs) and run that gently down the length of film once, then hang. Hi James, good tips. Thanks! I am proceeding to order the parts required, and work to the Ilford guide. I guess my unused Kodachrome 64 can be put to good use after all! regards, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fgcm Posted December 5, 2011 Share #10 Posted December 5, 2011 Dear Mark, Ilford chemicals are very very good, but I develop just a few rolls per month, so I use Kodak T-Max developer and Kodak T-Max fixer because of their long shelf life. Working solution lasts 6 month; concentrate solution lasts 2 years, also if the bottle is not perfectly closed. T-Max chemicals work very well on both Kodak and Ilford film. But if you develop a lot of film, you do not have this problem and you can choose any chemical you like. Fgcm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Pedley Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share #11 Posted December 5, 2011 Dear Mark,Ilford chemicals are very very good, but I develop just a few rolls per month, so I use Kodak T-Max developer and Kodak T-Max fixer because of their long shelf life. Working solution lasts 6 month; concentrate solution lasts 2 years, also if the bottle is not perfectly closed. T-Max chemicals work very well on both Kodak and Ilford film. But if you develop a lot of film, you do not have this problem and you can choose any chemical you like. Fgcm Thanks! I am sure I will be trying all sorts once I get going. Thanks for the tip! Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doolittle Posted December 5, 2011 Share #12 Posted December 5, 2011 Watch a few of the youtube videos on black and white development. I found I learned more that way than anything I had read up to that point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messsucherkamera Posted December 7, 2011 Share #13 Posted December 7, 2011 The Ilford guide that stunsworth posted a link to is a great place to start. Regarding books, I like Mr. Horenstein's book ( http://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Photography-Manual-Revised/dp/0316373052/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323283058&sr=1-1 ). Pages 129-149 deal with film development in detail and there is a nice summary on page 149. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Pedley Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted December 11, 2011 Watch a few of the youtube videos on black and white development. I found I learned more that way than anything I had read up to that point. I did just that. I came across Diafine, which sounded interesting and "robust" (for a beginner like me). I have ordered all I need, including Diafine, first Kodak Tmax 400 exposed today, now all set to turn off the lights to begin development. Thanks for all the tips. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
christer Posted December 12, 2011 Share #15 Posted December 12, 2011 The other tricky part is drying the negs so that you avoid water marks, dust etc. Use a wetting agent, and I picked up a nice tip that works for me - use a piece of folded up kitchen paper towel (fold it to form a pair of tongs) and run that gently down the length of film once, then hang. Kitchen Paper Towel! Sounds crazy - but it really works. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Pop Posted December 12, 2011 Share #16 Posted December 12, 2011 I'd second (or third, or fourth) the comments about the Massive Dev Chart; I use the app on my iphone and ipad when developing all the time. Once you get into it, there are variations to the times they propose (to tweak contrast, etc.) that you'll find everywhere, but the times they've proposed have never let me down. It's a great app, a real wealth of information. As for drying negatives, I've never been bold enough to use paper towel from fear of scratches (same reason you don't clean eyeglasses or camera lenses with them). I'm sure it works for some. I struggled for a long time with water/drying marks, until I realized that the hard water I was using from the tap was responsible (it's not the water leaving the mark, it's the stuff in it)...switched to distilled water with just the slightest touch of wetting agent (Ilfotol) or even nothing added for the very final, good rinse. Then try to shake as much water as I can off while the film is still spooled in the reel. I then hang the negatives up, at a slight angle if possible, to dry in the bathroom. They've been completely free of any marks - much to my happiness! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalArts 99 Posted December 12, 2011 Share #17 Posted December 12, 2011 This is the textbook I use for beginning classes (I teach in an art department at a major university.) Pearson - Photography, 10/E - Barbara London, John Upton & Jim Stone It's the 'classic' text that has been used for the past decade or so and is very comprehensive. It's in the 10th edition now. The chapter on film developing (chapter 5) is quite good particularly in that there is a lot of troubleshooting information. As far as specific development tables for film/developer combinations go, those are available online from the manufacturers and elsewhere. With undergrads we teach both digital and analog as part of their introductory classes. The analog does help them understand the basics and helps quite a bit with learning digital. After their required intro classes, they are on their own to pursue the technical side of things. That part is actually easy to learn. There's lots of info available now online and it really comes down to simply practicing and some trial and error. The hard part is learning how to use the mind and exercising critical thinking to conceive and produce the images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobYIL Posted December 13, 2011 Share #18 Posted December 13, 2011 Just to encourage you further, all the recommendations based on online sources so far were right on, they would suffice you to learn film development. Instead I would suggest you to buy a book rather on darkroom techniques if you intend to do wet printing too. With today's extensive range of simple-to-use developers it is very easy to master film development even after a few rolls. The hardest part for you could be to load the film in total darkness especially in a changing bag. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted December 14, 2011 Share #19 Posted December 14, 2011 Two recommendations that will last the rest of your life in B&W. You will find no better references. Edge of Darkness by Barry Thornton ISBN 0-8174-3815-7 Way Beyond Monochrome by Ralph W Lambrecht and Chris Woodhouse ISBN 0 86343 354 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted December 14, 2011 Share #20 Posted December 14, 2011 [...] With today's extensive range of simple-to-use developers it is very easy to master film development even after a few rolls. The hardest part for you could be to load the film in total darkness especially in a changing bag. That is without a doubt the silliest thing I have ever read anywhere. Developers and technique and possible errors in processing have not changed in fifty years. Welcome to the the real world. And the changing-bag - how stupid is that if you cannot find a dark room or work under the covers of your bed. Back to first grade for you. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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