Where do you get it done? I dropped off a roll of black and white at wolf camera and the turn around is 2 weeks. I am going to get a dark room at some time but for the time being its local. Discuss.
Film devloping
- Thread starter mhdagley
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Light tight bag, developing tank, scissors, can opener, stop watch, chemicals, drying rack and a sink.
Once there, you can either use a film scanner, or pick up an enlarger, or both.
If you can get a good lather off of a puck of williams, you have the ability and patience to develop your own film.
Once there, you can either use a film scanner, or pick up an enlarger, or both.
If you can get a good lather off of a puck of williams, you have the ability and patience to develop your own film.
- Thread starter
- #3
Curse you AD I now own a complete darkroom set up.
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- #5
Pics require me not to be lazy. I got Kodak chemistry for tmax black and white. With a 35 mm reel and tank. Along with jugs, graduated cylinder and thermometer.
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- #6
In the same thread what do I need to go from negatives to prints? Cant seem to find much info on the net. 
Enlarger / Lens
Darkroom timer
Safe Light
Photo easel
4 trays (Developer, Stop Bath, fixer, Rinse)
rinsing syphon
Dark spot with running water and a table
photo paper and chemicals
Darkroom timer
Safe Light
Photo easel
4 trays (Developer, Stop Bath, fixer, Rinse)
rinsing syphon
Dark spot with running water and a table
photo paper and chemicals
Other great forums for photography/darkroom: apug.org, rangefinderforum.com.
In the same thread what do I need to go from negatives to prints? Cant seem to find much info on the net.
There are a few books that go into detail. Off the top of my head I can think of "Black and White Photography" by Henry Horenstein for b/w print methods, and "Photography" by Barbara London and John Upton for color print methods.
I have both of those books, and they go into enough detail to get started.
You can print in a bathroom like they did in ghostbusters 2.
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- #10
Thanks for the books ideas, they shall be looked for. Pictures might happen here in a sec if I get it all out.
- Thread starter
- #11
Woohoo pictures.
At the very least, you will need the following to print 35mm negatives:
Paper Developer (such as Dektol)
Fixer (same fix as your film should work, but dilution may be different)
Stop bath. Not absolutely necessary if you use resin coated papers, but it is a good idea. I normally use water. If I'm printing a lot that session, I'll do 50/50 water and vinegar.
3 tongs (again developer, stop, fix). Bamboo ones are cheap and work fine.
Enlarger with 50mm lens and 35mm negative carrier
Absolutely light-tight room
Paper (I recommend resin coated (RC) variable contrast (VC) paper), or VC RC.
Four trays at least the size of your paper (recommended one step up). One for developer, one for stop, one for fix, and one of water for holding finished prints before washing.
I highly recommend an easel. It makes it much easier to keep your paper flat, so there is no curling that could lead to unsharp corners. I also recommend a timer, but it's not too difficult to count when you have the enlarger on and to count when the paper is in the chemicals.
A grain focuser is less necessary at 5X7, but as you go up to 8x10 or higher you will need one. It makes sure your enlargement is as sharp as your negative.
Here is a typical print for me. All of this takes place in a DARK room, with the safelight on:
Mix all chemicals per the direction, and make sure they are proper temperature.
Put the negative I want in the enlarger. The shiny side should be facing up toward the wall when it is inserted in the enlarger. The numbers should be away from you, but that part doesn't matter as much. Just be consistent so you don't drive yourself crazy.
Turn on enlarger set to max aperture. Focus and size up image as needed, then turn off.
Put sheet of paper inside easel, emulsion side up (the side that sticks to the inside of your lip)
Turn on enlarger and expose 1/8th or so of the sheet for 2 seconds at f/8 (use a junk sheet of paper), moving the sheet back 1/8th every 2 seconds until the entire sheet has been exposed.
Turn off enlarger, and put sheet of paper emulsion side down into the tray of developer. After 10 seconds, use tongs to turn it over. Agitate the print continuously until a minute or a minute 30 passes. Agitation means either shaking the tray, using the tongs to stir the chemical, or whatever.
Use the tongs to dunk the sheet into stop. It needs to stay there for approx. 30 seconds.
Dunk into fix. After 30 seconds, turn on the room lights and observe. The paper needs to be fixed for 3 minutes or so, but you can turn the lights on after 30 seconds for the test sheet.
Observe the results. One of the strips should be perfectly exposed. If so, use another sheet and expose for that amount of time, repeating the above steps.
I do that for each negative i want to print. It may be handy to keep a small book of what you did for each negative, so you can reproduce the results in the future.
Hope this helps.
Paper Developer (such as Dektol)
Fixer (same fix as your film should work, but dilution may be different)
Stop bath. Not absolutely necessary if you use resin coated papers, but it is a good idea. I normally use water. If I'm printing a lot that session, I'll do 50/50 water and vinegar.
3 tongs (again developer, stop, fix). Bamboo ones are cheap and work fine.
Enlarger with 50mm lens and 35mm negative carrier
Absolutely light-tight room
Paper (I recommend resin coated (RC) variable contrast (VC) paper), or VC RC.
Four trays at least the size of your paper (recommended one step up). One for developer, one for stop, one for fix, and one of water for holding finished prints before washing.
I highly recommend an easel. It makes it much easier to keep your paper flat, so there is no curling that could lead to unsharp corners. I also recommend a timer, but it's not too difficult to count when you have the enlarger on and to count when the paper is in the chemicals.
A grain focuser is less necessary at 5X7, but as you go up to 8x10 or higher you will need one. It makes sure your enlargement is as sharp as your negative.
Here is a typical print for me. All of this takes place in a DARK room, with the safelight on:
Mix all chemicals per the direction, and make sure they are proper temperature.
Put the negative I want in the enlarger. The shiny side should be facing up toward the wall when it is inserted in the enlarger. The numbers should be away from you, but that part doesn't matter as much. Just be consistent so you don't drive yourself crazy.
Turn on enlarger set to max aperture. Focus and size up image as needed, then turn off.
Put sheet of paper inside easel, emulsion side up (the side that sticks to the inside of your lip)
Turn on enlarger and expose 1/8th or so of the sheet for 2 seconds at f/8 (use a junk sheet of paper), moving the sheet back 1/8th every 2 seconds until the entire sheet has been exposed.
Turn off enlarger, and put sheet of paper emulsion side down into the tray of developer. After 10 seconds, use tongs to turn it over. Agitate the print continuously until a minute or a minute 30 passes. Agitation means either shaking the tray, using the tongs to stir the chemical, or whatever.
Use the tongs to dunk the sheet into stop. It needs to stay there for approx. 30 seconds.
Dunk into fix. After 30 seconds, turn on the room lights and observe. The paper needs to be fixed for 3 minutes or so, but you can turn the lights on after 30 seconds for the test sheet.
Observe the results. One of the strips should be perfectly exposed. If so, use another sheet and expose for that amount of time, repeating the above steps.
I do that for each negative i want to print. It may be handy to keep a small book of what you did for each negative, so you can reproduce the results in the future.
Hope this helps.
- Thread starter
- #13
First roll went ok. I need some more practice.
I entered this contest for fun:
http://blog.epicedits.com/2008/08/11/photo-project-the-50-dollar-film-camera/
My entry url is:
http://rei.bustkaratedojo.net/post/50dollar/review.html
At the bottom you can see my home set up for developing and printing film.
I used to do my printing in a darkroom, but these days I don't have the space to dedicate to a darkroom.
http://blog.epicedits.com/2008/08/11/photo-project-the-50-dollar-film-camera/
My entry url is:
http://rei.bustkaratedojo.net/post/50dollar/review.html
At the bottom you can see my home set up for developing and printing film.
I used to do my printing in a darkroom, but these days I don't have the space to dedicate to a darkroom.
- Thread starter
- #15
Well I did another roll and it went alot better. Only lost 4 frames on a 24 frame roll. I did not use enough stop. Im learning and looking for an enlarger.
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