Film Development At Home
It's been about 12 years since I've worked in a darkroom. Today however, I've managed to set up a system to develop my reels at home!
I've been snapping with my Canon AE-1 for years now but always out-sourced my development. Then lock down happened... then Corridor did their episode on film development... Then I felt I've been lazy.
Originally, I had planned on using the coffee development technique until I captured some good memories I didn't want to risk loosing them. Enter - the Monobath! A Monobath is a all in one solution, rather than your usually 3/4 so really low fuss approach- especially if you're like me and not much of a chemist. After getting my reels into the dark bag and into the developing tank, this solution only needed 3 minutes to do it's thing. And though there was a moment of doubt in my abilities, it's worked! The contrast looks a little strong, though this might be down to the temperature or time in the tank, but it's a result!
Next step is to find myself a reel scanner!
Any other home film-developers out there?
What do you shoot on film?
And, has any one tried the coffee technique!? 😄
Comments
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I developed my own BW years ago; never brave enough to go the color route. Today, I don't even have a film camera anymore after the film advance mechanisms on not one but 2 Praktica cameras gave out on my back in the early 90s, and I had never heard of the monobath or coffee method. It seems I am hopelessly out-of-touch now! 😀
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Triem23 Moderator Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 19,285 Ambassador@TomCowles @tddavis I have never worked with actual film and stand in awe of a skilled alchemist..
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@Triem23 Actually, I always found the mixing and stirring the easiest part of the process. All the freaking math for shutter speeds, f-stops- light meters that was the hard stuff! 😮
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Andy001z Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 3,001 AmbassadorI have a roll of film sitting on my self and that sirs is where it will stay.
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What's film? 😁😂😁
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@Triem23 @tddavis The traditional process still has me scratching my head and caused me many a weirdly developed film, but it's so fun!
Great feeling when not only has the development worked, but you've also taken a great pic 😄
and @Andy001z I encourage you to give it a try sometime - this stuff takes 3 minute and the results are great. Think this is a solid approach for those starting out for sure!
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Andy001z Moderator, Website User, Ambassador, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 3,001 Ambassador
@TomCowles Maybe Ill do it as part of chemistry homeschool with my daughter next year.
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Long time ago when I started with film I too used the Canon, I loved using it but I never learned how to develop my own film cause I could never set up a dark room. I was in the military and lived on base but I wanted to so bad so I did the next best thing, I cheated! I worked at a one hour photo shop but then again you still just used a machine for developing. I still have my camera's but neither one of them work. I can't remember what is wrong with the one but the other one won't advance the film. Now I just use digital camera's.
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@usafdummy That is exactly what happened to my Praktica and a TopCon. I always blamed my forceful finger action :) Maybe just a wear point.
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I had a darkroom for most of my life growing up. My parents always nurtured my photography and film hobby.
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@tddavis I think on the one I know it was my fault, trying to hurry and put the film in and it didn't catch right and I did force it cause it won't wind up the film and I heard it. Bought the other one for parts but they just sat there in a box.
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I had to up grade my camera, I could never figure out the frame rate on this one!
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DibsMcCallum Staff Administrator, Website User, Imerge Beta Tester, HitFilm Beta Tester Posts: 135 StaffI love shooting the occasional bit of film, I use with wife's, great aunts 1950's Voigtlander Vito B camera, manual focus and metering.
You get some impressive results with it, I just finished a pack of Neopan 400CN in it.
These were some of the results from the last few rolls using Fujifilm Superia 400 X-Tra
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We are so lucky. Now filmmaking is so easy!
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Managed to get myself a cheap film scanner. It's clear I definitely need to get a squeegee but it's they've all got this old 'Lighthouse' style that I just love!! 😍 ... might also have something to do with being at the coast though haha.
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When I was taking pictures with my Canon I liked using FUJI film. For some reason it always seemed to have brighter color's than the other film. But then again I also Loved doing some Wedding shot's in B/W outside with natural light and inside with shadows. I got out of that cause to many people thought that the cost was to high and Just once I did it for a friend for $250.00 and that to him was to high! So video and drone flying is my love now.
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I know Tom I got way off of your subject at the beginning so I did some checking around and it seem kind of simple to develop the B/W film this way and here is a you tube link that shows how to do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYjOqcbBEco
I'm sure you have done the same thing but if not hope this works for you.
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From where did you find this antique?. Can you please share some of the photos that you took from it?. I have some of the old cameras and I keep them as a memory and now after seeing yours I am really curious about the capabilities it has that time. If you have the time please try to post or share some of its photos with us.
