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Starting out with Film
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Kentmere400 is quite a fickle film to start out with. I’d try something more robust/mainstream.
Although I use quite a few different films and developers, I could recommend perhaps three favourites to start with:
Agfa APX 100, Ilford EP4+ and Kodak Tri-X are all wonderful and adaptable.
e.g. Tmax and Acros are also great, but can be a bit less forgiving.
Developers: any of the mainstream ones: Rodinal (or R09) of course, HC-110, DD-X, Ilfosol….
Caffenol is also fun.Thanks Chris for the input. I think to start out it is probably the best bet to develop the negs and scan from there.. Just to start!! Defiantly have to create some time to get this going!!
Thanks also The Fine Print, very helpful tips there.
I can’t imagine what it would be like using Caffenol! Had to google it to check!!
I have purchased a cheap enough Paterson tank, so will be going about the chemicals and jugs etc. next. Have to get out and take some shots to develop next!Thanks for all the tips thus far.
Sounds like you’re on the right track, developing b&w is easy and fun, enlarging / printing is a bit more involved, more equipment needed and a fair bit of trial and error. If you develop your own film to start with then you’ve of course got the choice of scanning or just getting the shots you like printed.
You can really get away with a minimum of stuff for developing, I use a Patterson tank, a 10ml syringe for measuring, a couple of empty 500ml drink bottles for mixed developer and fixer, water with a few drops of white vinegar as a stop bath (ascetic acid – it’s exactly the same thing), I use Photo-Flo to finish but washing-up liquid and water will do or you mightn’t even bother if your local water is soft. I get the film in the tank under a heavy coat, under a duvet! At night if your paranoid or using high ISO, cooler too. I ‘scan’ with a DSLR.
Oh, and a thermometer. Mix hot/cold water in the sink to about 20/21C, put dev/fix bottle in the sink till they warm up, check dev temperature and compensate dev time if neccessary (or adjust temperature) and away you go. Stop bath shouldn’t be ice-cold either.Start with Rodinal/R09 developer – it’s dead cheap, there is tonnes of information on the web on using it since it’s practically ‘the original’ developer. Really nice too. Any fixer will do really, the Ilford one is probably most common so just use that (I have an Agfa one which is handy as you can use it for paper too, not sure about the Ilford one).
I love Fomapan film – bought it to start off because it was dead cheap but it’s actually really nice, contrasty at box speed which I like but pull it a bit and shoot/dev at lower ISO and it becomes much more tonal.
Hi Fotometric,
Great info there. Thanks.
Yea, that’s the plan I am on at the min. Have a veho Vfs-004 scanner for the negs to have a look and then I was thinking of sending the good ones in to get printed in gunns or one of them. I think the Veho scanner is probably ok for getting some small prints done..Thanks again,
AlHi All,
Just wondering if anyone knows why there is a lighter shade in this photo? It’s on a couple of the Negatives I got back.. Just so if I can avoid it when I go to develop shortly.. got the chemicals in the end so just have gloves and a thermometer to go!!
Thanks,
AlMy guess is that it’s uneven development in a rotary tank. Looks too uniform to be a light leak anyway.
Thanks Chris for the input, I was thinking that alright but good to get a second pair of eyes on it!
Al
it also may be that you didnt put enough developer in.
if you used 120 film and only put enough developer in for 135 film?
I didn’t do the dev myself so not sure what way it was done to be honest. Not to worry.. planning to do my own next so hopefully I can avoid this!!
Thanks,
AlWell, got around to developing my own negs. It was a very satisfying experience if not nailbiting waiting for the clock to tick down!!
I did however experience an output like the above post, possibly not enough dev in the tank – although I did go by the recommended.. Might have to increase that for the next experience. But happy so far.. At least some developed. Not sure if correctly but at least they did!!
Example:
Thanks for all your help to get me to this point.
So the moral of the story is if I can do it anyone can!!
Al
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