my first bw developing

[steve_tenggala]

Hi all,

 

just tonight, I managed to develop my first bw 120 film myself (very excited

to share this). Overall, it seems to be going well (I'll find out more once I

print them) and I find myself eager to develop more. I first learned

photography thru dslr before finally getting myself some mf camera and it

really amazed me to see that those big negatives appearing when I open the

tank's cap.

 

But then, I also have questions for developing in the future. How crucial is

it to wear glove to do this. I spill a little developer on my hand when I

mixed them and the tip of my finger/nail felt a little funny afterward. I just

wonder how hazardous those chemical in direct contact with human skin. Second,

how important it is to follow the development time and the temperature from

manufacturer? For example, how much over/underexposure should I expect for an

additional 30sec development time? 1degree celcius higher? Thanks, your

responses are really appreciated.

[paulh]

Good fun isn't it?!

 

As for the hazards, it depends greatly on the developer, and whatever sensitivity you may have to certain chemicals.

 

And for development times and temperatures, it again depends on developer, plus dilution. For example, using Rodinal 1+100, which results in longish development times, 30s either way, or 1C temperature drift don't have much effect. Diafine can be used over a wide temperature range, and as long as the film is in each bath for at least 3 minutes, any extra time doesn't matter.

 

Having said all that, times, temperatures and dilutions are all down to what works for you. Use the manufacturer's time or the times on the Massive Development Chart as a starting point. The most important thing is to be consistent with your technique.

 

BTW, you'd be better off posting this to the B+W forum.

[phil_jarrett]

Welcome to the home-developing medium format club! You're sure to enjoy it, and congratulations on developing your first 120. I see this happening more and more; people starting on digital and then coming to film.

 

Right, first things first - photographic chemicals are all toxic to some degree or another. Dev. Stop. and Fix are all fairly harmless, but I wouldn't go drinking any of it... there are people that have spent 30-40 years around chemicals that develop (no pun intended) ailments related to long-term exposure to them. However, if you're using a standard stock developer like ID-11/D-76 etc, then getting a bit on your hands won't kill you. Wash your hands thoroughly though before doing anything else. I've seen people do some developing and printing then go eat lunch without washing their hands. Stop is just vinegar , and Fix... well that's not too bad, just smells bad.

 

Other chemicals are more toxic - such as selenium toner. You MUST wear gloves and, if you're working in a confined space, a face mask... when used properly it can do some truly beautiful things to your prints, but you don't want to get it on you!

 

Film developing is trial and error task. Start with the guidelines from the film manufacturer, but don't take it as gospel. Leaving the film in for just one second longer will change the final negative... but not so much you would notice. There are utter perfectionists out there... but I wouldn't worry about getting 'the perfect neg' just yet. I'd focus on finding what works for you. The combination of film / developer / dev. time is more important. Some films do well in some developers, not so well in others. It's about finding what goes together... like making a cocktail. I'd say stick with the same film and try some other developers. Rodinal is good for high acutance, fine grain. Acufin II will make your negs really nice and sharp etc.

 

All of this may sounds daunting if you're come from a DLSR, and it is. But stick with it, and you will be amazed at the results. If you're doing your own printing, then you will learn that the best black and white prints are made the old fashioned way. Enjoy!!

[michael_p6]

I am also a "new" MF B&W shooter (did my first film in november, but I now "try" to do one a week -- 135 or 120) and if you are developing for scanning, I don't think you /can/ screw up the development enough to ruin a picture... just try to err on the side of underexposing and/or underdevelop and you can always recover it in photoshop, there will be a price to pay in grain/noise but it'll be fine in the end !

 

Of course getting the exposure and developing just right will give you a much better image, but at least you don't get the frustration of having "ruined" the film if you do experiment a little !

 

As a side note, I /really/ enjoy film (I do B&W and E6), and I did convert a few people into digging back their old cameras (or buying one !) just by being so enthusiastic about it :D

[terence_spross1]

See the thread also going on about another Steve doing his first B&W 120 , the comments should also be useful.

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[steve_tenggala]

Thanks for the responses guys. So, I guess most bw processing chemical would be harmless as long as I wash my hands asap, right? Color or slide film would be a different story I suppose.

 

Then another question, I shot ilford bw film and used their developer and fixer since their development time are clearly specified in the manual (and this is my first time and I just want to get it right first before experimenting anything else). But then, what if I shoot differnet film, for example kodak. Can I still use the same developer and fixer? How about development time? Where can I get this kind of information? When I first shoped around for these chemical and asked questions, the sales reps suggested me a D76. Is it somekind of generic developer that would work with any film make? If not, what is it and is there somekind like generic developer and fixer that should work with any kind of film? Again, thanks for the responses guys.

[craig_shearman1]

1) I've worked in the darkroom for more than 30 years and never had any problem from getting developer and fixer on my hands, but some people's skin is more sensitive than others. I've seen old photographer who sloshed prints around in the trays barehanded who had darkened fingernails from years of doing this but never knew anyone with any illness from it. Definitely be sure to wash your hands afterward, especially before eating. 2) Developing of B&W negative is like exposure in the sense that too little (underexposure or underdevelopment) can make a negative that's difficult to print but a little extra doesn't hurt. An extra 30 seconds in the developer or extra degree or two of temperature will give you a slightly denser negative but in B&W that usually doesn't hurt anything. 3) Kodak D-76 is identical to Ilford ID-11. Exactly the same formula and can be used interchangeably. Ilford film sold in the U.S. comes with development times for Kodak developers but the Kodak film sold here does not come with times for ILford developers. Not sure what they provide you with on Kodak sold in the UK. But if you get Kodak and it gives you a D-76 time use the ID-11 and you'll be fine. D-76 was pretty much the standard Kodak developer until T-Max came along but is still highly popular. It is very forgiving of time-temperature variations as is Kodak Tri-X film, Kodak's equivalent to HP-5. Welcome to the darkroom!