Before I started the “Leica as a teacher” project, I mostly shot slide film and never thought about developing myself. But since I now only shot with Tri-X I decided to give it a try. I went online to look for a “starter” set for developing B&W film and found one that looked good. I found it soo easy that I decided to share my workflow here.
What you need
- Developing bag (buy a large one)
- Developing tank (I use one that can hold 2 film reels)
- Bottle opener (to open the film canister)
- Scissor (to cut the film)
- Developer (I use Kodak D76)
- Fixer (some German brand that I can’t remember, but it’s a fast fixer)
- Wetting agent (I use Kodak Photo-Flo)
- Film clips (to hold the film while drying)
- 1 liter plastic jar (for mixing the chemicals)
- 2x 1 liter bottles to hold the chemicals once mixed
- Thermometer
- Timer
All of this can be had for less than €60,-
Now for the workflow:
- Take your film canister, the development tank, the bottle opener and the scissor and put them all in your developing bag.
- Transfer the film from the canister to the reel(s) that come with the development tank by opening the film canister with the bottle opener. Cut the film so that it is straight (i.e. cut of the thinner flap). Put the reel with the film back in the tank and seal it before you open the bag.
- Add the mixed developer, make sure it is close to the recommended temperature, and start the timer once all the liquid is in the tank. Put the lid on and start the agitation cycles. In my case I use Kodak Tri-X shot at ISO400, so my development time with Kodak D-76 is 6:45min. I agitate by inverting the tank 10 times at the start of every 30 seconds, in total 14 times.
- Once the time is up, poor out the developer and stop the development process with either a stop batch or with water. I use plain water and have had no issues. I fill the tank with water and invert it 10 times and poor it out again, I do this 3 times.
- Time for fixing – Concerning the time, follow the instructions for your specific fixer. In my case I fix for 2:30 and agitate constantly during this time.
- Poor out the fixer, your film is now light proof. I wash it with water the same way as in 4.
- After washing remove the lid of the tank, fill it with water again to cover the reels and add a drop or two of Kodak Photo-Flo, this helps to avoid water marks or mineral residue when drying.
- Take the reels out of the tank and hang them somewhere, in my case the bathroom.
- I dry of the negatives, very gently with a special glass cleaning cloth made of some micro-fiber, I have not had any issue with scratching and it cuts the drying time substantially.
- Thats it, cut the film up in suitable pieces for storing and you are set.
From what I can tell from different forums on the net is that developing your own film is a very personal process, everyone does it a bit differently and you have to find the way that works for you. This is the way that works for me and I get good results. I think the most important thing to remember is to follow the development and fixing times stated by the producer of the chemicals. The rest is up to you.
Don’t hesitate to send me specific questions, I’d be happy to help.
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[...] about the costs, don’t! Shooting B&W film is not that expensive and if you choose to develop and scan at home it makes it even cheaper. If you shoot colour it is not the cheapest, but in my [...]
[...] Ok, here are the details of my personal choice of gear for the project. I’m using a Leica M6TTL BP, a 35mm Summicron ASPH and Tri-X 400. Tri-X is not too expensive and very easy to develop yourself. It’s also flexible and you can push it to ISO 1600. If you want some pointers on developing your own black and white film, I wrote a short article about it here. [...]
[...] Ok, here are the details of my personal choice of gear for the project. I’m using a Leica M6TTL BP, a 35mm Summicron ASPH and Tri-X 400. Tri-X is not too expensive and very easy to develop yourself. It’s also flexible and you can push it to ISO 1600. If you want some pointers on developing your own black and white film, I wrote a short article about it here. [...]