What film and chemicals do I need?

[udefinephotography]

Hello everyone.

 

I want to learn how to develop B&W film on my own. Recently, I

ordered developing tank and film loader. I may order films and

Thermometer within 3 days. I want to use Tri-x 400. What chemicals do

I need? Can I use Tir-x 400 as 100? And what else do I need to

complete my tools for developing film?

 

Thank you!!!

[kaiyen]

Fei Fei,

 

I see you are continuing on your road. first of all, check out the ilford document at http://ilford.com/html/us_english/bw.html

 

They have a lot of great info there to cover all of your questions. It gets kind of long to list the stuff you need, especially since some of it varies from person to person. However, at the least, you will need developer and fixer. D76 (Ilford's equivalent is ID-11) is a great developer to start with. Most fixers are basically the same. You might consider also getting hypo clearing agent (Permawash, Ilford Wash Aid, are all different names for the same thing) and wetting agent (phot-flo is the kodak product).

 

And what do you mean if you can shoot Tri-X 400 as 100? Do you mean can you rate it at 100? You can, certainly, but you'll have to make some rather significant adjustments to your process to accommodate that. Why not shoot it at 400?

 

allan

[habib_b]

The first BW film that i developed was illford hp5, its a great film to start out with. I would reccomend you using kodak d-76, and the kodak fixer thats what i have been using for a while and ive been getting great results! You also might want a timer to time how long you have the developer in the tank, and to also measure the 30 sec. inversions. Hope you have alot of fun! But remember to always wear a mask if you are mixing powdered chemicals its not too good to have thoose powders in your lungs.

[grinder]

fei fei, Welcome to the world of black and white film you will enjoy it, As far as chemicals there are so many different film developers it can make your head spin I use rodinal, X-tol and diafine but have tried others. I recommend you pick one and stick with it until you get you film developing down pat.

If you want the simplest developer and IMO the best for Tri-X try diafine 3min+3min in A and B baths no worries about temp or precise time. As to Tri-X at 100 I would not recommend it try APX 100 for low speed it is very economical and a very pretty film. I buy it in 100 foot rolls for around 30 USD that yields about 18 36exp rolls. Also do not forget some rapid fixer and hypo wash and wetting agent such as Photo-flo. As was mentioned earlier Ilford has some great first film first print .pdf files very helpful and they are a great company to support unlike some U.S. yellow companies that pull products with no warning cough cough (Kodak). Good luck and enjoy.

[James G. Dainis]

Kodak D-76 developer<BR>

Kodak indicator Stop Bath<BR>

Kodak Rapid Fixer<P>

That is all you need.<BR>

You might also want to pick up some Hypo clearing agent so make washing of the finished film faster, and photo flo to avoid water streaks. If you have the tank, the only other thing you need are some type of clips to hang the film from while it is drying.

[edward_davis2]

Don't forget to check out Ebay as well for purchasing your equipment. There are plenty of people selling their equipment (you will be able to find all the things you need on there) for a relatively cheap price. That's how I bought my thermometers, measuring cups, storage containers, etc.

[Brian_Edwards]

You will eventually want to do some film speed tests, to determine what your personal film speed is. There are plenty of BW books out there that describe the process. It's not too hard, you just have to be careful and systematic. This will answer the question of whether you really want to rate your Tri-X at 100. Many rate it at around 200, but what you do will depend on how accurate your camera shutter and thermometer are, what developer you use, how you agitate, etc. The important point is to develop a method of developing your film that you are comfortable with, and do it the same way every time you develop your film. That way, you can control what you are doing. In particular, you can begin to control contrast by varying development time, and do so systematically.

 

Good Luck!

 

P.S.

 

My suggestion for developers is to keep it simple. Start with D-76 or Ilford ID-11. You will also need stop bath (either Kodak Indicator Stop Bath or Ilford Ilfostop will do), and fixer.

[udefinephotography]

Thank all you guys!!!!

 

There are too much knowledge I have to master. I need take time to learn and make all equipments available. For now, I have a question. Can I use Ilford ID-11 to develop Tri-X?? What fixer do I need?

 

I see there are many information on the Ilford websit. I think I'll have questions about that, too. :)

 

Thanks!!!

[kaiyen]

Fei Fei,

 

You can use just about any developer with any film, regardless of brand. They all work on the same principle. You can even use Dektol, a _paper_ developer, on film if you want. You will, however, get different results with each combination.

 

But yes, you can use ID-11 with Tri-X.

 

Be aware that you have to mix ID-11 from powder. It's not hard, but you might want to just use something that is a liquid concentrate, like Rodinal, for ease of use.

 

As for fixer, they should all be about the same. I use Ilford Rapid Fixer, and I'm not familiar with Kodak's particular items. Again, they all work on the same principle.

 

We're throwing a lot of info your way, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Start somewhere, master that process, then start modifying things later.

 

allan

[paulh]

Hi

 

As a relative newcomer (started this year) to development, I'll pass on my experiences. So far, I've not had any disasters :-)

 

I'd start with something simple and repeatable, and stick to one developer until you are comfortable with it.

 

The fixer and stop type are not so important, just get what is readily available. You may also want a "wetting agent", which helps prevent water spots (Photoflo or Agipon for example). You will also need some film clips (one should be weighted), or use clothes pegs or similar. A darkroom or changing bag are also required. If getting a changing bag, get a larger one.

 

As for developer, it is probably easiest to start with a "one shot" liquid developer, something that you mix for each film. The advantage of these is that (at least for Rodinal and HC-110) they tend not to go off. Rodinal is legendary for its shelf life. Once you've developed the film, you just throw the mix away, so you don't need to worry about replenishing or whether or not the developer is exhausted.

 

Document each film you develop; record the time, dilution, temperature, agitation and the results. With you using one film, you should be able to quickly see what works for you. When testing, change one thing at a time - such as film speed, dilution, time, etc.

 

If you want something simpler, where time and temperature don't matter, you could go with Diafine (which also lasts almost for ever). The difference here is that Diafine dictates what speed you shoot the film at. For TriX, this is usually around ISO 1000-1600 according to taste.

 

I went with Rodinal, and use either 1+50 or 1+100 dilutions, which makes it really cheap.

 

Good luck.

 

Paul

[udefinephotography]

Hi Allan,

 

Thank you!! I'm collecting all the equipments that I need. I think I will deveop film on my own very soon. I'm so exited. Haha. :)

[udefinephotography]

Hi Paul,

 

Thank you for sharing your experience!!! Your information is very helpful ,too!! It lets me know that what options do I have and what equipments I still need to get. Thank you so much!

[scott_kinkade]

Fei Fei...<BR><BR>

 

I'm in the same spot as you. I don't know nothin' about nothin', but you might want to check out <a href=http://verba.chromogenic.net/archives/2005/04/become_your_own.html>this page.</a> It not only has a step-by-step walkthrough of a simplified process, it has a shopping list that links directly to a store that sells the stuff. I just bought the whole bag myself earlier today (about $50 US.)<BR><BR>

 

Good luck.