So I got chemicals:

Chorcai

This is my little home kit, picked it up today in Gunn's (BTW you couldn't meet a nicer bunch of people !!!).
All I'll be doing is developing my 6x6 & 35mm B+W negs.
I have a fair idea how it all works but its about 10 yrs since I did my PLC course, in short what I'm asking for is any books/web guides/youtubes/websites that anyone could recommend me viewing/reading.

Thanks

RE*AC*TOR

Depending on your film / dev combination http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php is useful.

Otherwise it's very straightforward! Enjoy!

Simplicius

Congratulations and welcome to the darkside ...:D

DutchGuy

When I tried it recently I used this guide; now the pictures didn't come out but I think that was more to do with my lack of skill in building a pinhole camera... I'm hoping to have more luck with a film from my Fed-2 in the next week or so.

Nisio

I use that Illford guide and an iphone app from the massive dev chart website to do the timings/dilutions

Diabhal_Glas

Chorcai, how much did this all set you back?

Best of luck with it all

Chorcai

Diabhal_Glas wrote: »

Chorcai, how much did this all set you back?

Best of luck with it all

€64.14 the hose/clips you can live with out and add to it as you go along I guess. Really have give a thumbs up to Gunn's, so helpfull.

TinyExplosions

I'd make sure you get a couple of accordion bottles too for holding the mixed up fixer etc, as you can re-use it a few times (they're 12.50 each in Gunns). I don't know if the pic was everything you got, but a couple of washing up bowls and a graduated cylinder are useful too (bowls for helping keep chemicals at a constant temp as well as fixing developed film, and graduated cylinder to accurately measure developer, as sometimes plastic jugs do not have small enough graduations). Oh, and a thermometer is handy too!

-I'm no expert btw, but the tings above are currently on my shopping list

dave66

It's a while since I developed my own negs, the Ilford site used to have good guides. Did you get a changing/film bag? They are really handy as you can work in a normal room.



When I started out I found that it helped using some old/exposed film to practice loading the film onto the reels. It might be worth getting a second reel for the tank as then you can do 2 35mm films at the same time.

An alternative the accordion bottles are some old (very well rinsed) dark bottles as I recall dark brown are the best - your local pub might help you out!

I found the key was, take your time, don't rush (especially the wash stage)

Enjoy yourself, be careful it's addictive ...

Chorcai

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I'd make sure you get a couple of accordion bottles too for holding the mixed up fixer etc, as you can re-use it a few times (they're 12.50 each in Gunns). I don't know if the pic was everything you got, but a couple of washing up bowls and a graduated cylinder are useful too (bowls for helping keep chemicals at a constant temp as well as fixing developed film, and graduated cylinder to accurately measure developer, as sometimes plastic jugs do not have small enough graduations). Oh, and a thermometer is handy too!

-I'm no expert btw, but the tings above are currently on my shopping list

I have a thermometer alright, I plan to pick up bits as I go along.

dave66 wrote: »

It's a while since I developed my own negs, the Ilford site used to have good guides. Did you get a changing/film bag? They are really handy as you can work in a normal room.

An alternative the accordion bottles are some old (very well rinsed) dark bottles as I recall dark brown are the best - your local pub might help you out!

Na I didnt get the bag, I have a dark-loo ! Would the 1litre bullmers bottles work ?

dave66

Chorcai wrote: »

Na I didnt get the bag, I have a dark-loo !

That'll work, I remember when I was starting out loading film while sitting in a wardrobe! When you say dark-loo, I assume you are talking about a temp darkroom. If not, I would suggest you go into the loo, turn off all lights and sit with your eyes closed for a few minutes, then open them, if you can see you hand it ain't dark. temp dark rooms (loos) are great, just make sure everyone has used the loo before you start to work, other people's bladders are often the cause of bother

Chorcai wrote: »

Would the 1litre bulmers bottles work ?

Once it's good and dark and you can make an airtight seal I don't see why not - bear in mind it's some years since I did this. But when I did, it was always dark bottles screwed/corked closed and then I'd store the bottles in a dark place. Just make sure to remove the bulmers label and ensure everyone around you knows there are chemicals in the bottles.

All that said, I generally only stored chemicals for making prints, I was wasteful when it came to film processing

TinyExplosions

Chorcai wrote: »

I have a thermometer alright, I plan to pick up bits as I go along.

Yeah, I've kinda gone about it that way too -I have chems, and the film loaded in a developing tank, but need to get the time to get the other bits and bobs before I can develop!

Chorcai wrote: »

Na I didnt get the bag, I have a dark-loo ! Would the 1litre bullmers bottles work ?

It should do -I reckon you could always cover it in Gaffer Tape to ensure it's dark (would also help people realise it wasn't bulmers in there!)

artyeva

if you do wanna go down the route of proper accordian bottles and any other bits and pieces keep a look out on e-bay - i've found stuff there at much much lower prices than i could find in any bricks and mortar shop. some peeps just don't know the value of what they found in the attic ...and you can get cheap blackout fabric in guineys if you have any light leaks around your doors/windows.

i have all my kit assembled [finally], got my graduated cylinders today so going to give it a go tonight. it's over 10 years since i did my last developing too, so a bit nerve wracking. i did spend a while with a free fuji film just loading it in the changing bag to get the feel of it.

out of interest chorcai are going to be scanning the negs yourself after?

Chorcai

artyeva wrote: »

out of interest chorcai are going to be scanning the negs yourself after?

lol welcome the 10yr club !

Well thats the plan, I only have a run of the mill scanner but sure give it a go anyways.

artyeva

i bought an el cheapo epson v200 off adverts a while ago. but i'm amiss as to how to tweak the resolution settings right. i've been scanning 35mm colour film so far and i can get ok scans for web but haven't sat down and properly tried to figure out what i would need for prints.

but it was €30 so how bad?:p

joeKel73

Chorcai wrote: »

'm asking for is any books/web guides/youtubes/websites that anyone could recommend me viewing/reading.

Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1sMgim5I4M

i_am_dogboy

Two things that might be worth picking up, an antistatic cloth, and some isopropyl alcohol, for cleaning the negs. The alcohol being particularly useful if you're in a ****ty water area like me.

Another thing, if you're scanning, don't be too put off if the tones or colours come out seeming dull compared to what you saw, the scanner may have to be coaxed into getting things right with certain films. I have an epson V500 and more often than not I have to do some amount of tweaking in epson scan to get things looking right.

artyeva wrote: »

i bought an el cheapo epson v200 off adverts a while ago. but i'm amiss as to how to tweak the resolution settings right. i've been scanning 35mm colour film so far and i can get ok scans for web but haven't sat down and properly tried to figure out what i would need for prints.

Most important I would think, is making sure the film is flat. I flatten by loading my film into archival sheets, and leaving it under a stack of books for a day. If you can get away without digital ICE or the software dust removal that would help too. Enabling the unsharp mask, also helps.

joeKel73

I've never thought of this developing negatives for scanning idea - very interesting!! Nice combination of old and new! Have used the darkroom with the college photosoc before, might look into a similar setup to what you have over the summer!

DaireQuinlan

Actually, it might be worth your while checking out Feeling Negative http://www.feelingnegative.com/ who have been doing a series of articles on development. I started following them when they blogged one of my photos, there's some good stuff there. And obviously it's run by people of taste

Elmar Fudd

It's possible also to leave the film into a good mini-lab and get it scanned to a CD, this works best with uncut film and costs me 5 euros.

thefizz

Yes Gunns are very helpful. Developing film can be exciting so when you get used to that, consider making prints in a darkroom, even more fun.

Chorcai

Ok so I developed my film, amazed I got some pics from my little Daci Royal



this is my scan, I placed a white sheet on top then a book on top of that to make sure the neg was flat. I think the scanner is ****e or I am doing something wrong, dont know !



these are pics of the negs, I had to wrap a white sheet of paper around my desk lamp. http://pix.ie/chorcai/album/375980





Colour pics + converted to B+W.

This is a pic of the neg inverted in PS




Anyone else scan in their own stuff at home ? What settings do you use ?

Or should I just bring em in to be scanned ?

joeKel73

What kind of scanner have you?

I'd imagine there should be an iluminated back-light if it's for scanning film?

Chorcai

foto joe wrote: »

What kind of scanner have you?

I'd imagine there should be an iluminated back-light if it's for scanning film?

Just a normal flatbed scaner. I think I know what you mean now, off to get the negs scanned then.

Ghost Train

looks good, without backlite scanner best diy option is photographing them.... getting them scanned should be a lot better than this

Chorcai

Ghost Train wrote: »

looks good, without backlite scanner best diy option is photographing them.... getting them scanned should be a lot better than this

Well the best DIY I could come up with is place the neg on the scaner, place a white sheet on it, then move my desk lamp right up to it and scan...



lame scan all banding but sure worth a try I guess.

Ghost Train

Thats doesn't look too bad. I couldn't get usable results when I tried it. have three shots here that were photographed a few cm above an lcd screen (awkward setup though)
http://pix.ie/ghosttrain/album/344461

lab scans of are in this album for comparison http://pix.ie/ghosttrain/album/350634

I've seen others places where people put the negatives against a window and then photograph them there

artyeva

if it's something you think you'll be doing a good bit of it would be my advice to go and get yerself a scanner with backlight and negative holder. as i said i got one for €30 on adverts. it's an older model epson but does me grand for what i paid.

nice work though. i STILL haven't done mine yet... i'm here waiting for it to get dark before i head off into the bathroom

[or i could just open a bottle of vino and do them tomorrow instead:pac:]

Ghost Train

artyeva wrote: »

if it's something you think you'll be doing a good bit of it would be my advice to go and get yerself a scanner with backlight and negative holder. as i said i got one for €30 on adverts. it's an older model epson but does me grand for what i paid.

nice work though. i STILL haven't done mine yet... i'm here waiting for it to get dark before i head off into the bathroom

[or i could just open a bottle of vino and do them tomorrow instead:pac:]

you could take the wine into the bathroom

Elmar Fudd

Chorcai, about lab scans where I wrote that I get them for 5 quid, I've only ever used 35mm, I realise now you used medium format, I never tried that, hope it is not too expensive to scan. Sorry if my advice was no use.