Beginners equipment for B&W development

[ergates1]

I would like to develop my own B&W film (120 format). <p>

 

I was thinking of buying all the equipment in one go from freestyle.com.<p>

However, there is way to much to choose from :)<p>

 

I bought a bunch of B&W film from them to try out. Ever the curious I bought many different to try, but after

reading here I realised that that was probably a mistake given my non-existing experience developing the stuff.

I should probably have stuck to one type and learned to develop that.<p>

 

I put together a list of stuff to buy. I do not like to buy cheap crap so I aimed for things that would last (to

the decrement of my wallet, but to the satisfaction of using proper tools I hope). Since I'd like to order it

all in one go, I'd like your opinion on the items chosen and if I'm missing something or got the wrong thing.<p>

 

<b>Here is the list and the rationale for each:</b><p>

<i>The Film Developing Cookbook by Steve Anchell & Bill Troop - </i> $37.75<p>

I thought it would be prudent to have something to look at for reference (and I like books)<p>

 

<i>Arista Changing Bag 27 in. x 30 in. - </i> $21.99<p>

I don't really have room that is easily darkened and I understand this one is big and nice to work with (?)<p>

 

<i>Arista Stainless Steel Tank 16 oz. With SS Top - </i> $21.99<p>

<i>Arista Stainless Steel 120 size Reel - </i> $6.99<p>

Would think these to last longer, be easier to clean and they just look better. <p>

 

<i>Arista Graduated Cylinder 1000ml - </i>

$9.99<p>

<i>Jobo Bottle Pack 600ML (Set of 4) - </i> $15.99<p>

I understand that some of the chemicals can be re-used and thought that I would need somewhere to keep them (?)<p>

 

<i>Arista Premium Liquid Film Developer 32 oz. (Makes 2.5 Gallons) </i> $9.99<p>

<i>Arista Premium Odorless Liquid Fixer 32 oz. concentrate to make 2.5 gallons</i> $10.99<p>

<i>Foma Fomacitro Stop Bath 250 ml to make 5 liters </i> $3.99<p>

<i>Fotospeed WA50 Wash Aid 1 Liter - </i> $10.99<p>

<i>Fotospeed RA50 Rinse Aid 500ml -</i> $7.99<p>

 

These where more or less randomly chosen. No idea how much I'd need of each or if these are good ones?

I wanted to have all the relevant types of chemicals even though I understand I could do without some of them. I

like to do things by the book until I experience enough to understand why and how I can break the rules.<p>

 

Some stuff (<i>Agfa Rodinal developer</i> for example) was excluded from the shopping list since Freestyle wouldn't

air-freight them and I'm not *that* patient.<p>

 

Thank you very much for any help with getting me started.<p>

 

Håkon

[reichard]

You will need a timer and thermometer too. I always wear nitrile gloves but that's a habit from color film developing. And a place and method for hanging and drying negatives. I hang them with my wife's hair clips in the shower. I dont label my bottles -- i use grease pencils instead as the labels always came off.

 

After the first dozen or so of rolls, it gets trivially easy to spool on the developing reel. However, you might want to sacrifice a roll of film to learn how to load it in the light, then practice in the changing bag. I just stand in the pantry, close the door, and kick an old coat to stop the light from the doorjamb. Takes like a minute to spool it.

 

As far as keeping chemicals, I use 1L glass mineral water bottles. As the level in the bottles goes down, add glass marbles to displace to reduce the air headspace. This idea was from a member here -- great idea BTW.

 

I also keep a binder with all of the manufacturer's documentation and my notes on developing. I print the pdf files, hole punch the pages, and put them in a 3-ring binder.

 

Best of luck!

[randall ellis]

You don't need a lot to get started. Here's a list (with rationale) that I put together for students where I work.

 

http://www.redisonellis.com/filmdev.html

 

A couple of comments on your list:

 

1) It's a very good book to have, but don't get too wrapped up in it at first. Learn the basic procedures, read the book, and then try to understand what is happening as you work. Only once you have a good understanding of the process will the book come in handy. If you jump in too soon, it will just make it all seem overly confusing.

 

2) Get the largest changing bag. The smaller ones may cost less, but the extra room is worth the small extra cost. Bigger really is better in this particular instance.

 

3) I don't know about the quality of the Arista brand, but since you're buying new you should not have any problems with warped reels. Check them when they come in on a counter top to make sure that they are not bent (one side wider than the other). Not every one likes stainless, but I find that the students here seem to have less problems with them than the plastic reels for whatever reason. Get two 35mm reels for that 120 tank if you use 35mm, and always use them both together with the loaded reel on the bottom.

 

4) Bottles are bottles generally speaking. I find that glass bottles are easier to clean, but plastic bottles work better for keeping partially full bottles for longer periods of time. You can also get glass marbles to fill the glass bottles up with if you have a partially full bottle.

 

5) You can use water for a stop bath as long as your development times are longer than 3-4 minutes. After that, the small amount of development that might go on will be minuscule. As for developers, everyone who has an opinion will have something slightly different to say. My suggestion to the students is stick with a common, well known developer until you can articulate the specifics of why you want to use something different. ID-11 or D-76 are great starters and may people never change from them. The Arista is likely something very much like these two, so you should be fine there.

 

The Wash Aid speeds wash times, and is not needed if you use a rapid fixer like TF-4. Read the section in the cookbook about fixers to get a more thorough explanation. Rinse aid should be used on film but is no needed on paper - get what ever cost less as they are all the same stuff.

 

Lastly, congratulations on your decisions to develop on your own and to stick with the tried and true method until you know more about the process. So many of the students here don't do that and end up frustrated with their inability to control their results. Good luck, and have fun!

 

- Randy

[ergates1]

Thank you both for your answers. I've added a cheap thermometer and taken out the plastic bottles (I realised I could probably just use some glass bottles we have laying around). There wasn't a cheap timer at freestyle.com, they all seem to run from $100 and up, so I thought I'd just find one locally or use my watch.

 

The changing bag is 27" x 30", is that to small? I couldn't find a larger one at freestyle.com, but I guess they do exist.

 

I don't have room for a proper darkroom setup so I will limit myself to film development and scanning the negatives. There are still a couple of places locally which will do B&W enlargements, so I think I'll use one of them if I need a 'proper' print.

[frank.schifano]

"Here is the list and the rationale for each:

 

The Film Developing Cookbook by Steve Anchell & Bill Troop - $37.75"

 

Nice to have, but not necessary at this point. It is a good primer if you want to get started compounding your own developers. It does not offer very much useful information about technique that can't be had elsewhere for free. Both Kodak and Ilford have very useful "how to" type documents that will get you started.

 

 

"Arista Changing Bag 27 in. x 30 in. - $21.99"

 

Good idea. The bigger the better here. See if you might want to substitude a changing tent for the bag. Works the same as the bag, but with an internal frame. Think of a mini darkroom with arm holes.

 

 

Arista Stainless Steel Tank 16 oz. With SS Top - $21.99

 

Arista Stainless Steel 120 size Reel - $6.99

 

 

Should be ok. I like plastic myself, and do use SS on occassion. As far as cleaning goes, it's the same either way. Don't let anything dry onto the reels. Rinse tanks and reels as soon as you're done using them with clear water and you're done. No scrubbing necessary - EVER! Hewes makes the best reels bar none. I've had trouble with house brand steel reels, but never with Hewes. They cost more, but are worth it in the long run.

 

"Arista Graduated Cylinder 1000ml - $9.99"

 

Too big for your purposes at this point, I think. The two most used graduates I have are 250 ml. and either 500 ml. or 600 ml. A kitchen type measuring cup is good for larger volumes.

 

 

Jobo Bottle Pack 600ML (Set of 4) - $15.99

 

 

Complete wate of money. Bottles are bottles, and these are the same size as a 20 oz. soda pop bottle. I keep reading about these guys who are using glass bottles with metal screw on caps. What a crock! The glass bottles are fine, but the metal caps are not. Developers want to reduce anything they can. Metals like to be reduced. 'Nuff said? Plastic soda pop bottles work great for storage of stock solutions etc., and are essentially free. Rinse them out, replace the labels, and keep them away from where you keep food. Use them for working solutions too.

 

 

"Arista Premium Liquid Film Developer 32 oz. (Makes 2.5 Gallons) $9.99"

 

Should be ok, though I've never used it. More than likely it is either a D-76 look alike or something very similar. I'd rather use D-76. It's sold as dry powder which won't go bad on the dealer's shelf as quickly as soething pre-mixed can. It is also bery inexpensive. Powder to make 1 gallon stock solution is $5.79. Use it as a 1 shot working solution of 1+1 and that's two gallons of one-shot developer. Very reliable, and very good.

 

 

"Arista Premium Odorless Liquid Fixer 32 oz. concentrate to make 2.5 gallons $10.99"

 

Again, perfectly ok.

 

 

"Foma Fomacitro Stop Bath 250 ml to make 5 liters $3.99"

 

Do use it. Don't skimp. Your fixer will last longer.

 

 

"Fotospeed WA50 Wash Aid 1 Liter - $10.99"

 

Totally unnecessary for film and resin coated papers. Because the support of the film is waterproof, it washes out easily. This stuff is best used for fiber based papers.

 

 

"Fotospeed RA50 Rinse Aid 500ml - $7.99"

 

Good to have. I prefer Kodak's PhotoFlo 'cause that's what I've used for more years than I care to count. These types of products are all pretty much the same anyway. The trick to using them effectively is to use only enough to prevent water droplets from forming and no more. The recommended dilutions are only a starting point. Chances are you'll need far less than the recommended amount.

[tim gray]

Ditto on the bottles and the stop bath. Skip the stop bath, use water. While I do have some purchased photo bottles

lying around, I often use gatorade bottles and juice bottles. Ones made out of thick plastic are better than something

like a milk jug.

 

For the developer (the most sensitive of the chemicals), I'd even say split it up over small bottles. When I mix up my 5L

of XTOL, I split it into a bunch of 16 oz water bottles. It takes about 4 oz of XTOL (at 1:1) for a roll of film, so its only

four rolls per little bottle. I find this does two things: 1) makes handling the developer a lot easier in a little bottle and 2)

reduces oxidization because none of the developer sits around in half empty bottles for too long.

 

Of course, when using bottles like this, label them clearly and keep them out of reach from kids, etc. I live alone so its

not big deal, but when I do have people stay over, I try to warn them not to drink anything out of random bottles that

might be around.

 

I'm up in the air about the wash aid. I've been using it but I have a water problem where I live so I have to use distilled

water for *everything*. So, I figure if the wash aid helps a little and makes my final rinse more effective, why not, its

cheap. It also seems to help get out some of the dyes a bit.

[andrew_gale]

Skip the timer.

 

Personally i would get the power chemicals in one gallon amounts and mix in brown Delta bottles if you are planning on doing at least two rolls a week.

 

For the Developer use D76, or better yet K76 from Kentmere. Its the exact? same as the kodak and cheaper.

 

Tim is right, use distilled water (its like 70cents a gallon, so negligible when compared to chemistry)

[rivi]

"Arista Premium Liquid Film Developer 32 oz. (Makes 2.5 Gallons) $9.99"

"Arista Premium Odorless Liquid Fixer 32 oz. concentrate to make 2.5 gallons $10.99"

 

If you don't want to make the full amount in one go, which is unpractical with 2.5 gallons unless you shoot a lot, you'll need a precise, and I mean "precise", scale for the chemicals. That's why I used to use liquids rather than powders. Some experience in practical chemistry, i.e. preparing solutions etc. would be helpful. Some other chemistry gear as well: A measuring cylinder in the size you want to prepare solutions that need precision (like developer). Some beakers for other solutions, like stop bath, fixer, etc. And don't forget plastic gloves, you'll have brown fingers otherwise, also hydrochinon, a common developer chemical, can cause allergies.

[rivi]

Some practical advice: As timing is important, I used to have (I'm digital now) the solutions in the amounts I would need in beakers ready and at the right temperature. The solutions that can be re-used can be poured back into their beakers. It is awkward to handle that through bottlenecks when you know the time is running. You can do the bottle-to-beaker and back part when you have time then. Even when you have time, a funnel or two is a big help. Before using some part of gear, like a funnel, with another solution rinse it. Chemicals wil last longer this way.

[chris_waller]

One other thing I would recommend and personally would not be without - a water-filter. I use an Ametek 10 micron filter.

 

Also, for storing working solutions, I use old domestic bleach bottles which have air-tight, child-proof caps. I buy a particular brand of bleach because it comes in bottles of different colours according to the type of bleach, that way I can colour-code according to contents (e.g. dev in blue, stop in green, fixer in white) as well as labelling.

[james_ollinger]

A clock with a sweep second hand works very well as a timer for developing.

 

You might look at getting a squeegee and a soft cloth to wipe the film down to dry.

 

You might want to wear cotton gloves while you're loading the film on the reel. If not, wash and dry your hands very well before you start. Nothing like greasy fingerprints on your film to ruin a good photo.

 

This is off the menu but I'll offer it anyway. Get a roll of 120 film that's bad (i.e. already exposed, developed, fogged, whatever. Something nobody would want) and practice winding it on the reel. Do it in daylight numerous times until you're comfortable with it. Get to where you can do it without looking at it. Then practice doing it in a changing bag. Practice until it's very, very easy for you to do.

 

One of the hardest things for beginners to do is to wind film on a reel. Particularly stainless reels. Looks easy, but it takes practice. You will greatly benefit by practicing loading the reel at your leisure with a dud roll of film than doing it the first time with film valuable film.

[robert lee]

I have a few suggestions.

 

Reel is the one single place that you want the highest quality. Buy the Hewes for ~$20, not the $6 "good deal". The difference is being able to load a roll in 30 seconds versus 30 minutes of cursing at how impossible stainless are to use (all the while the film gets stickier, and stickier from condensation in the changing bag.)

 

For a first developer, Kodak HC-110 is good; actually, it's a good developer period. If Arista Premium is basically D-76 premixed, you might have to worry about oxidation induced failure as the developer is used and more air is introduced into the bottle. One advantage of HC-110 is its longevity in storage.

 

Don't buy a cheap spring type thermometer, even if it's marketed for darkroom use. These are inaccurate and worse, drift over time. I've found digital kitchen thermometers to be generally quite accurate and stable.

[bgelfand]

No one has mentioned measuring graduates and beakers. You will need them.

 

I use 2-liter soft drink bottle to store my mixed chemicals. The are definitely air tight. Just write the chemical name and the date you mixed the working solution on the bottle with a marking pen like a Sharpie.

 

For developer Ilfotec DD-X is a good place to start. It is liquid, therefore easy to mix, and works with a wide variety of film. Mix with water 1+4 and discard after use. Mix only as much as you need for the film you are developing. Keep the unused concentrate in its original tightly capped bottle in a cool place; do NOT refrigerate or freeze.

[the world in black white]

Wiping film with a squeege, cloth, or anything else is not sound advice. After soaking in diluted photo-flo, or similar product, for a minute or two, hanging the film to dry in a dust free environment should be all that is necessary. Wiping the film is inviting scratches or other debris.

[james_ollinger]

I disagree--I've had good luck wiping down wet films. But you do have to be reasonably careful.

[gt1]

I stopped wiping and with well diluted photo flo I see no reason to go back to wiping. My b&w instructor taught me to wipe so I thought it was a necessity. But, even with being very careful I've had a couple prime frames scratched for whatever reason so I'm never going to touch my negs before they're dry.

[ned1]

The easiest film developer to use is Divided-D76 (as opposed to plain-old D76). Photographer's Formulary sells it.

 

You don't need exact development times. Just keep it in the developer for between 3 and 4 minutes.

 

You don't need exact temperature. Room temperature is fine.

 

Keeps forever.

 

It's a two-bath solution. Put the film in one bath for three minutes then the second one for three. The first bath can be used over and over and over. The second one is plain old Borax dissolved in water. The Formulary kit gives you enough borax for one gallon but you can pick it up in any supermarket. And for stop you use plain water.

 

And it also pulls down the highlights, meaning that it makes it harder to overexpose your film.

 

Only downside is you can't push or pull with it, but as an everyday developer it's great.

[ron_miller5]

I do not know about the Arista reels one way or the other but I will tell you from experience that the cheap reels suck. I went that rought with Adorama reels and was so frustrated I bought the plastic reels/tank. Only to find out a week later from someone up here that the construction of the cheap reels was the problem. I then bought the Hewes reels and have never had a problem. The poblem with the cheap reels is in getting the film on. Dry or wet, it is difficult.

 

As for Arista film, I have not used it in 120 but I do use Arista Ultra EDU 4x5 - both the 100 and 200. I shoot the 100 at ei 50 and the 200 at ei 100. Develop in HC110 for great midtones. XTol shines with this film as well but again, I am talking about the 4x5 version and do not know if the 120 is the same emulsion.

 

For 120, I use both a short SS tank and a tall SS tank. Since I also do 4x5 B&W in daylight tanks, I recently moved to the 1200ml cylindars and am happy with that. You should be fine with 1000ml but remember that you will need 3 (1 for developer, 1 for stop bath, and 1 for fixer, and you can then re-use 1 of them for the final washes since you can open the tank after the fixer is done).

 

By the way, HC110 is liquid and lasts a long-long time. You just need one of those syringe things to measure out the liquid since you will be dealing with very little (6-10ml) of it and you should be more accurate when dealing with small quantities.

[frank.schifano]

James, you wrote, "I disagree--I've had good luck wiping down wet films. But you do have to be reasonably careful." Well you're either always very careful and never make a mistake, or you have been incredibly lucky. Use of sqeegees, sponges, paper towels, chamois, or whatever have you on wet film will eventually cause you grief. Use the wetting agent, and let 'em drip dry. No muss, no fuss, and NO chance of damaging wet film.

[james_ollinger]

I buy my film in bulk and I can burn off a foot here and there for tests. Next time I'm in the darkroom I'll snip off a couple pieces and dip them in Photo-flo. One I'll squeegee and the other I'll let drip dry, and see if there's a difference--scratches, spots, whatever.

[ned1]

Me, I swear by photo-flo

[silverscape]

That's great! I just learned how to develop my own black and white film in March, and I've lost count of how many rolls I've used and developed now.

 

I think you went completely overboard though. You don't need a stop bath, just use water. Also, I've heard that a stop bath can sometimes cause pinholes on the negatives with some kinds of film, because of a chemical reaction with either the developer or the fixer. And I can say that film is apparently very sensitive to some chemical reactions, because one time I tried to use a rinsing agent for dishwashers, and I did get tiny holes all over my negatives. Now I just use a film rinsing agent called "Spot Free" with distilled water, and I don't get any water spots and it doesn't harm the film at all.

 

I use a plastic reel and tank. I don't remember the brand, but I bought it at a camera shop. I tried to use a stainless steel reel and there's no way in the world I would have been able to work with that. The film kept getting kinked and I could just never figure it out. It was so frustrating. The plastic reels are so much easier to load. I practiced with a junk roll one time, but that was it, I didn't have any problems after that. You just insert the end of the film into two tabs and turn the reel...it automatically feeds the film onto the spiral when you turn the reel. I really think you'll be a lot happier with a plastic tank and reel. There are already a lot of variables and new things to learn, so I don't know if you'll want to deal with the frustration of a stainless steel reel for your first time.

 

For measuring chemicals, I just use plastic measuring cups that you can get anywhere. For storing chemicals, I just use plastic 1-gallon bottles. I did get dark colored bottles at a camera shop, but sometimes I just temporarily store chemicals in empy 1-gallon water bottles from the grocery store. I use distilled water and a bucket for mixing film developing chemicals, and sometimes I'll temporarily just store them in the empty bottle.

 

A lot of times, there really isn't any need to get special "photography" supplies, when a regular household item will work just as well. A camera shop will charge you $10 for measuring cups when you can just go to Walmart or a grocery store and get them for like $3. Same thing for thermometers and timers. Heck, just use the stopwatch mode on you watch!

 

I definitely recommend archival gloves though, and you can buy those pretty cheap from Freestyle or any decent camera shop. It makes handling your negatives so much easier and safer. It was driving me crazy trying to hold the negatives just by the edges and always being afraid that they were going to slip out of my hands and get scratched. The gloves will protect your negatives from fingerprints and makes everything SO much easier.

[gt1]

"I definitely recommend archival gloves though, and you can buy those pretty cheap from Freestyle or any decent camera shop."

 

Yeah, I really need to start doing that. I was just at Freestyle today, too, should have picked them up.

[silverscape]

...I'm going to agree with Frank. Rinse the film one last time in distilled water, and then let it sit in a measuring cup with distilled water and a rinsing agent for a couple of minutes (while it's still rolled up from the reel). In fact, this is another reason why a plastic reel is so much easier. I just open the tank, snap open the reel and drop the film right into the measuring cup with the rinsing agent. Then take it out and immediately hang it up to dry. I was having a lot of problems with water spots before, but this finally took care of it. I don't get any more water stains. I hang the film up to dry on its own in the bathroom...I don't touch it at all. I just hang it up, leave the room, and close the door so no dust can get in. After about an hour, it's dry.

 

Put on archival gloves when you pick up the film after it's dry and you'll have no problems at all.

[ergates1]

Wow, I'm a bit overwhelmed by the response here. Thank you very much.

 

I'm revising my shopping list based on the advise here. I will definitely get the Hewes reels and some gloves.

 

I'll have to read everything very carefully again and decide on the rest of the items.

 

Meanwhile I checked other suppliers locally and on monochrome.com, but it is more expensive by a factor of 3, so I think I might stay with freestyle.

 

Again, thank you so much.