... Getting back in to developing my B&W

[Hamish Gill]

I'd like to get back in to developing my own black and White film...
I've lived in this house for over 18 months and I haven't got the chemicals out once ...

I used to use ...
Ilfosol s
Rapid fixer
Ilfostop

... For everything!

I'd like to be a bit more clever and perhaps use some chemicals for right reasons ...
For eg controlling grain

3200iso delta deved in the above is very grainy!

What might I use for better grain for high speed film?

Is there a particular set of chemicals that suit hp5

What about low iso film? Is fp4 a good film? What suits that?

I'd like to try all this film lark again, but this time I want to do it properly rather than my normal slap dash approach!

 

[Oliver Lee-Haswell]

We generally use Ilford LC29 for all our film developing and find that it is very good for all types of film, but from memory Ilfosol was made for finer grain films (might be the opther way round!)

ilford stop and fix (ilfostop and rapid fixer) as taken, but sometimes Pattersons Acufix if i cant get ilford.

wetting agent has always been ilford (olfotol) for me as it is what i have always used.....

tell us your findings always glad to hear more people doing there own B+W developing.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I really got in to it a few years back ... I was developing a film or 2 most weeks!
Problem was, I sort of lost interest as I didn't learn anything new after a while. With one thing and another (trying to become a pro photog) I got left, then eventually I just stopped! Silly really ...

 

[Paul Lange]

I now have everything bar the chemicals and paper but haven't got round to it yet. We're doing the house up at the moment so its a bit mental. However I need to sort out a space as a darkroom which will probably be the shed once I get a larger one.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I can't be bothered with printing my self ... Dev and scan is the way to go as far as I am concerned!

 

[Pete Askew]

Hamish, I've nearly always used ID11 (D76) for developing and Ilfostop / Ilford Rapid Fixer. For high ISO emulsions I usually use Ilford DDX but for push-processing I always use ID11 as I'm after the grain usually. I always develop at 24°C and adjust time accordingly and wash for about 15 mins in running water (dropping from 24°C to ambient). I don't use a wetting agent as I have access to distilled / deionised water and use this for the final rinse to prevent drying marks. The important thing is consistency of course and 'calibrating' your technique to the nominal ISO / exposure. Watch out if you have any old Ilfosol S as it doesn't keep that well even in unopened containers (I recently lost several sheet of 5x4 'cos I used some oldish unopened Ilfosol S as I was too lazy to make a batch of ID11!).

There are of course all sorts of brews etc that you can use to squeeze a bit more dynamic range out or reduce grain / amplify grain etc and these are worth experimenting if you have the facilities. But for developing at home I'd probably stick with a standard chemistry and just be very consistent with the process (time, temperature, agitation etc) and start with the recommended duration.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I got quite clever with ilfosol and hp5 my self
I'm happy with grain, but 3200iso delta and ilfosol was a bit much!
Will id11 make it a little smoother?
What sort of batch size do I need to make up, how long does it last, what do you store it in, dies it degrade in it's powder form?
Yes, don't worry, I've made my own mistakes with ilfosol!

 

[Pete Askew]

I wouldn't use ID11 for Delta 3200, use DDX instead. You can buy ID11 in 2.5 litre satchets. Once made up I distribute it into smaller bottles (actually I usually make up 5 litres and put it into 5 x 1 litre bottles (totally filled so there is no air). Unopened they keep several months (in the dark) and opened they keep for a couple of weeks (in deep tanks it can last a month depending on how much film you process and you can buy replenisher). Don't open the powder until you want to make some up and don't try to make up part of a batch (the Metol etc won't be uniformly distributed and you'll lose complete control of the process). The packets of powder keeps for years (decades probably!). I usually develop using stock strength.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Are there specific appropriate containers? What sort of quantity is used per film?
Is ddx a similar affair?

 

[Brian Moore]

I started home developing just a few months ago and I have been using Rodinal the whole time. Actually it's "R09 One Shot". It's not considered a fine grain developer so it may not be for you, but I love the stuff. It's economical, and undiluted lasts forever. It's nominal dilution strength is 1:25 or 1:50, but it's real good for stand development at a dilution of 1:100 (some people dilute even more). I've also cross-processed C-41 (color and black and white) in it and also E-6.

 

[Pete Askew]

I use glass Duran bottles from Schott but the polyethylene flexi bottles seem quite popular (see 47160 at Silverprint). I usually develop several films in one go either in a deep tank or a Jobo processor. But with manual spirals / tanks it's usually about 300 ml per film (it will probably be written on the bottom of your tanks).

DDX is a liquid concentrate so you make up a working solution just before you use it.

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=1094

 

[Hamish Gill]

Do you have some examples of cross processed colour film Brian?
How did you know what timings etc to use?

Cheers Pete!
This is going to make me regret selling the leica!
Ah well, at least I still have my f3 and r2a!

 

[Brian Moore]

Hamish I cross-processed Fuji Pro 400H in Rodinal. Also Kodak BW400cn. Also "Memories" brand 200 ASA. (Memories is a cheapo film sold at 99 cent stores here is US. It's Fuji film.) The only E-6 I cross-processed was a roll of Kodak Ektachrome Elite 100 that I found in a camera I picked up at a local flea market.

I used a stand development of 60 minutes and a dilution of 1:100 for all of them. All of them turned out OK. (That's the beauty of Rodinal.)

 

[Hamish Gill]

My list of photography stuff to buy is getting pretty long at the mo!
Rodinol added

 

[Pete Askew]

You'd better check out - http://www.secondhanddarkroom.co.uk/?gclid=CPD8rsT3yaoCFQhP4QodUiecyw

Nice guy and very competitive for paper and chemistry (don't worry, that's not secondhand! .

 

[Brian Moore]

Long Driveway by brian-moore, on Flickr[/IMG]

The above image is Fuji Pro 400H 120 film (expired) cross-processed in Rodinal 1:100.


Former Redondo Beach Library Building by brian-moore, on Flickr

The above is Kodak BW 400CN 120 film (expired) cross-processed in Rodinal 1:100.

 

[Hamish Gill]

That second shot is a beaut! I know it's not intention that has got it there ... But it really is very pleasant to look at!

 

[Brian Moore]

Much obliged, Hamish. Thank you.