How to Develop Black and White Film at Home

[@phillipdonnelly6430]

I did this professionally once, like 35 years ago! I don't remember it being complicated at all, use to do every day but it was 30+ years ago so I thought I had better revisit the process. So, best video on the subject. In my day everything was stainless steel except for the mix containers. Good job! The dark room bags are brilliant. Next step is to get myself an enlarger for printing I guess, that was also 30+ years ago, colour and B&W. I.T. just paid more money than photography but you never loose the passion.

[@Randuski]

I just wanted to pop on here and say that this is an absolutely phenomenal video. I have a decent amount of experience in the dark room, and just happened upon this video. Its very obvious that you put a lot of time into making this as easy to navigate and learn from as possible. Really impressive. Thank you for making superb content :)

[@PrimeStudios]

You are most welcome! Sorry for the late response as I don't always get to give my KZbin channel all the attention I would like. It always makes me happy to know I am helping people share in what I love!

[@Stoney-Jacksman]

Such a calm and collected dude.

[@DevonChristopherAdams]

We just started a film club at our high school, and this video is perfect to show my students. Thank you!

[@PrimeStudios]

LoL, i tried to make it as a simple as possible using the same kinds of film and chemicals a student in a darkroom class might use, but don't worry, i'll be making a more advanced film developing video sometime in the next year....

[@DevonChristopherAdams]

We’ve been doing b&w since I learned it from you. Months ago I added color now. Next up is teaching E6. :)

[@chrislindquist6802]

That's some healthy living there with the red bull and the vape!

[@PrimeStudios]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@kitztastic]

Thank you for making this video. Your tutorial is by the most comprehensive but also the easiest to follow on KZbin. Thank you!

[@shankargopinath1737]

The best instructional video I have ever watched on you tube. You are a fantastic teacher and thank you very much.

[@nateg9690]

Thanks for the video, lacked excess BS and nicely laid out. Nerdy dry humor with a soothing radio voice. Also, I liked your old apartment. hah

[@nhosurkar]

One of the best videos I have seen. There are several videos out there, but nothing is so detailed and so simple. Love it !!

[@Sara-tp6zd]

Thank you so so much, cannot wait to buy a film camera

[@ArsenijeRadenovic]

Wow, i thought that developing film was really hard and that it requires a lot of equipment and a special room for it. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge in such an easy way!

[@Raychristofer]

My man this is by far the best film developing tutorial I've seen on KZbin I love Ted Forbes but yours is even better than his LOL. Piece

[@hrisohoh]

Thanks for the really nice and detailed video :) Liked and bookmarked!

[@tmalsburg]

Great video. I really like that you're covering the whole process.

[@ariamaseerwatham]

I am new to film developing and this is a very useful tutorial. Thank you

[@HolliFullbright]

WOW! This video was absolutely amazing! I can't wait to start developing at home and saving some money! Thank you

[@kaushikbiswas28]

Very informative video. Really love the way you have broken it down into segments. Also the pdf cheat sheet is excellent for quick ref.

[@dr.suhailnajm]

Oh !! It’s long story; I couldn’t expect that complexity. However, I love 💕 that . Thank you 🙏.

[@kennynvake4hve584]

Another tip is to trim the film ends, at an angle, which will make the film easier to load in the film spools, or reels......thanks for this video...I did Kodak Tri X 400 back in the 90's..and your right, it does bring back memories..

[@felicitychevalier1116]

This was a great video! Brought back memories of a Photography 1 class (with darkroom use) that I took way back in 1996!

[@maxipfeil9590]

superb video and a great navigation. ladies and gentleman, THIS is userfriendly. thank you!!!

[@NicholasG28]

Normally don't comment on videos however this was really well done. Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us! Well done

[@vcstar5]

Loved your video. All of your links for products worked. Thank you.

[@ashishgrover3791]

excellent video.. great help , gives you the confidence it can be done at home

[@patrickpfister2377]

Two suggestions I would make to the process. When you rewind your exposed film (35mm), don't completely rewind it into the cassette. You can feel the tension change when it is freed from the advance lever. With the leader of the exposed film out, trim it straight across. You cannot accidentally reload it into the camera and you can start it on the developing reel in the daylight. Also, mix your Photo Flo in a small separate container (cottage cheese container). Remove the washed film from the reel and dip and dunk it in the separate container. Adding Photo Flo directly to the developing tank can contaminate the reels for future use. Patrick P

[@PrimeStudios]

Thank you for the suggestions Patrick! I never thought of these but I think they are definitely good tips that can help people out and I may try them myself.

[@eduardotinajero2901]

Great video. I was going to get a Lab Box, but this video helped me decide against it and go with the changing bag/tank method. Thanks.

[@alanweak]

This was pretty cool to watch. I just bought my first 35mm and am expecting it any day in the mail. I definitely intend on using this video to help me when I start developing myself.

[@davidbennett8383]

Superb demo on how to develop B&W film. I love the accuracy of your technique. I also love the fact that you have been so precise ....... and you did it in your kitchen ..... fabulous. That's how i started almost 40 years ago.This video brought back such happy memories for me starting out on the journey of understanding film. There is so much dross on youtube with people proclaiming how to do this and that. ...... and they are rubbish. When you get the bug for B&W photography especially using the Zone System for exposure .... your development of the negative is of prime importance. For all those serious students of Photography buy yourself a spot meter and a book on the Zone system of exposure. When you progress .... the development of the negative is in your hands and you can put those grey tones wherever you wan't them to be. The negative becomes your friend not your enemy. David Bennett Director of Photography.

[@Guairenito]

Nice comment David, and also a very great and useful video from Prime Studio even with additional material. I am just starting in the film photography world, got my 35mm and 6x4.5 film cameras, one lens for each of them, few rolls of film, and now I am about to start the journey of developing my own film at home. If you don't mind, would you please recommend me a nice and useful book about the Zone System Exposure? Also a recommendation for an effective and affordable Spot Light Meter will be very highly appreciated.

[@johnkraemer5505]

Very nice overview! Thank you very much for sharing!

[@christopherrasmussen8718]

I see this is an older video and I hope all is well with you. I am getting back into film for the first time in about 20 years. I am going to set up a darkroom shortly for the first time in about 40 years. Gives you an idea of my age lol. When you mentioned water temperature I first thought of a glass thermometer. I have an IR thermometer and will use it. Thanks for the reminder how to make up the chemicals. I got into color film and slides back in the day and interned to do it again. Thanks.

[@PrimeStudios]

I'm glad you found the video helpful! If you're going to do color and slide the process is almost identical, just different times, chemicals, and temps. Thankfully thing like this exist now: bhpho.to/38WiI3t

[@hugoalvarado8697]

Thank you! This is an excellent explanation, very much appreciated.

[@matthewgonzalez4342]

Excellent tutorial! So glad you took the time to make this video, it really shows. Thank you so much!

[@k0ba_]

This is the best vid out there on developing

[@elizabethswan8960]

Nice video I am just learning and I loved it! Thank you.

[@robertosupertramp9322]

Just subscribed. The best video about developing film a watched so far. Thank You!!

[@juliadalpont3079]

This is a really helpful video ! Thank you :)

[@VikasKM]

Super awesome video on darkroom ever.. how can one unlike this?? Thank you very much for this video...

[@bradley5122]

Great video mate. 👌

[@dhirajshetty483]

Brilliant Video !!! Thank you so much !!!

[@HolliFullbright]

I have a question. When buying supplies, do I have to buy to light safe gallons? Or can I just use regular water jugs?

[@PrimeStudios]

The real enemy to longevity in film developing chemicals (or beer for that matter) is light and oxygen. You can use two liter soda pop bottle for instance, so long as they are stored in a dark environment (like a dark cabinet). The darker opaque bottles made specifically for storing chemicals are that way to try to make the developing chemicals last as long as possible.

[@ComGoBoo]

A very nice video about developing! Really well done, i think! One thing i have done that worked perfectly fine is, that i have used the developer (also D 76, stock, 1 Liter) multiple times (on 6 Reels of film, so in 3 development-"sessions" with 2 films each, always a few days apart). It worked just fine. Every time, i used to pour in 600 ml and then pour that back into the 1 Liter bottle. Every film was developed exactly as stated in the massive dev chart. (the development times were the same, temp. at 20 °C) It did not seem to make any difference and will save a lot of money. But if that's wrong and there are some effects that i might have missed, please tell me.

[@PrimeStudios]

You certainly can do this, but the developer will lose its effectiveness the more you reuse it. The purpose of the developer is to strip off the silver halide crystals that were not exposed to enough light, so the more you reuse it the less silver it can strip off. This may result in pictures that have less contrast and detail. If you are satisfied with results, or strapped for cash, then I think it's just fine.

[@Alvaropse]

Thank you so much for this video! You really helped me a lot 🙏

[@brianhudson5807]

Great video thanks.

[@Trickpa30]

Hi! Amazing video, the best out there on the subject. Quick question: you say "i dont suggest you pour it down the drain, but that's what i'm doing" So i'm wondering, what should you do with it "correctly"? And for that matter, how do you correctly dispose of the other chemicals once they're used enough?

[@PrimeStudios]

It is largely considered ok to dispose of small amounts of photo chemicals into a municipal sewer system, but not a stand alone septic system. Here is a PDF from Kodak with more health and safety information on photo chemicals: www.kodak.com/eknec/documents/05/0900688a800f8105/J300ENG.pdf

[@Trickpa30]

Oh okay, thanks for the useful info! Last question, can i use 2 1L D76 powder bags to make 2L of stock solution? Only have a 2L container so i can't go for the 3.8L variant...

[@PrimeStudios]

Sure, just remember that in this video I used the D-76 solution in a ratio1 to 1; 1 part D-76, one part water. You can use different mixing ratios if you like, just make sure to choose the correct ratio option in the Massive Dev app and it will spit out the right developing time.

[@oskarlind4217]

Very informative. Greetings from Sweden!

[@farouk6564]

Very nice video thank you for sharing

[@LisamounteerphotographyCa]

Thank you! Great video,

[@CARLOSGUTIERREZ65]

Wow! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[@Richard-mz7qu]

Wow; this is one excellent tutorial! This is exactly what I have been searching for. Very well done! Of course I subscribed and liked. Thank you so much.

[@markharris5771]

2 things: 1) Your kitchen is brilliant and reminds me of happy times with relatives no longer here. 2) I've bought Tetenal Paranol which is a Rodinal mix, I've also got the other chemicals from the same manufacturer. I can find my times for the Rodinal, 11minutes at 20c but how do I find the times for my stop bath etc please? Massive dev is now £8.99 which I resent paying if there is another way of finding out the times. I think they may be on the bottle but I can't find a magnifying glass strong enough to read them. Thank you in advance.

[@PrimeStudios]

Stop bath during film developing is usually fine at 1 min. The Massive Dev App gets it's data from this website which is free: www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php

[@markharris5771]

Prime Studios Thank you very much for the help and prompt reply.

[@markharris5771]

Prime Studios I've just developed my first film 😀. After watching far too many videos on developing, I used yours and your cheat sheet has been printed off for future reference. A very big THANK YOU!

[@LewisStVictor]

this was super helpful! THANK YOU!!

[@arasan9497]

Thank you for the video.

[@Lio39lz]

I've been developed my first two films on my own using ilfotec lc29, ilfostop and rapid fixer on hp5+ and fp4+. everything went right except when the film finally dry was water spotted. I didn't use any photoflow and simply wash it with tap water. my question is : can I wash the film again and clean it? can I use something else instead of photoflow? (like a neutro hand soap)

[@PrimeStudios]

Yes, you can wash it again using Photo Flo as a wetting agent. It removes the calcium carbonate (limestone in the ground water) that show up as water spots. I don't recommend using soap at this time as I do not know what effect that would have. Don't try to reload the reel with the film, simply put the film back into the empty Dev tank and add a little Photo Flo and some filtered water and wash for two minutes, then squeegee with your clean fingers. That usually gives me the best results. You can also use Anti-Static Film cleaner, but that stuff is pretty strong, and can damage the film if not used correctly. If you do decide to use it make sure to use ti with something like Kim-Wipes which are lint free. I hope this helps.

[@joeyu6706]

Great video! Have you attempted C-41 development at home?

[@PrimeStudios]

Thank you! No, I have no yet learned how to develop with C-41 or E-6, but I'm hoping to by the end of the year.

[@thegoodvinyl6394]

oh this is great. thank you!

[@katerabrown4822]

Were could I find that arm black thing you did that in

[@PrimeStudios]

Its referred to as a changing bag, or a film changing bag. It's my understanding that the material it is made from all comes from only one factory in China, and is sold under different brands with slightly different designs. The brands I know sell them are Paterson and DLC, which is a part of the Promark Group (a distributor of photo products). Here is a link to the Paterson one, which I believe is the one I'm using in the video, and yes it is an Amazon affiliate link: amzn.to/2sB0LUC

[@tommasoperrone2771]

amazing! Thank you very much!

[@Tx75126]

I'm a poor high school student looking to develop my own film. I really wish i could buy everything on the list, but alas, the price of some things is just too high. so, i will not purchase the stop bath. do you know how long ill need to rinse it in regular water instead of the bath?

[@PrimeStudios]

+Matthew Huneycutt About 5 minutes should do the trick.

[@andrenathan5355]

Hi. When developing two rolls at once in the same tank, is 500ml enough or should I use more of each chemical?

[@PrimeStudios]

+Andre Nathan If you are developing two rolls than you should use between 600-650ml depending on the exact tank you are using. 625ml should be safe. The developing tank you use will most likely have the volume of chemicals you need to use for different film types and number of rolls engraved on the bottom of the tank.

[@elloimbekkii3820]

double the amount of chemicals you would use for 1 roll of film

[@eduardotinajero2901]

so, now my product is here. I'm using Rodinal and want to develop two rolls of 35 in one batch. Do I need to double the amount from 1+50 to 1+25 for the same amount of water in the tank? thanks.

[@PrimeStudios]

No, keep the mix ratio the same, just use more of it. You development tank should indicate on the bottom how many cc's of chemical you need to fill the tank with for two rolls of 135.

[@eduardotinajero2901]

@@PrimeStudios Thanks a lot! just loaded my first 2 rolls onto the spools in the changing bag. that was the part I was most worried about. Best regards from Berlin.

[@danrusso]

Why didn't you use Ilford products for your developing? Ilford on HP5 is faster?

[@PrimeStudios]

While Ilford makes some fine chemicals that get great results, I decided to gear this video more towards students. Most classrooms use d-76 developer and other Kodak chemicals because students will often shoot on several different brands and types of film and D-76 will work for most of them.

[@78kombi]

thank you

[@pogisosehume4228]

What place you use to develop you film after you have done it at home.

[@PrimeStudios]

+Pogiso Sehume I normally use a scanner I own to scan the film myself. If I want prints I either print them on my own printer or take a high resolution copy to a local printer. Most of the time I just keep them digital or don't scan them at all.

[@pogisosehume4228]

+Prime Studios John thanks a million I trying to follow your Lead you knowledge has been useful I'm trying to learn as much as I can would you do another video on developing color film just a short one I like your improvisation of dark room its simple.

[@thevalleyofdisappointment]

incredible content

[@shirinmarshall3145]

Hey John, Just to clarify, did you say that you use 500ml of developer, stop path and fixer to develop one roll of film? Also at 11:45 what do you mean by "one part developer and one part stock solution" ? Do you mean one part WATER and one part stock solution? Thanks so much.

[@PrimeStudios]

Yes! I made a mistake, thank you for pointing it out! I meant one part WATER and one part stock solution. Stock solution is what you get from following the mixing directions on the package. Also, 500ml is a bit over kill, 375-450mm should do just fine, and you want that amount for developer, stop, and fixer to make sure the film is covered in the tank for each step. The stop bath and fixer can be reused quite a bit. Developer can be reused as well, but it will lose it's effectiveness each time you use it, so you usually have to extend you developing time a little for each re-use.

[@shirinmarshall3145]

Excellent, thanks for that. Just two more things before I feel confident enough to go ahead: With the agitation, can I do it 4 times for the first 10 seconds of each minute like it says at the bottom of the Ilford chart here? www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Film-processing-chart-.pdf And If I can't get the temperature of the developer right in a school classroom, I guess I can use this conversion chart? www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Temperature-compensation-chart.pdf

[@justcallmesando]

I loved processing film but I just remembered how much water is wasted in the process :( Great instructional video though. Thanks!

[@ParisLavet]

Im not familiar with film yet but how would you upload film photos online & is there anywhere you could go to get the film developed in shop?

[@PrimeStudios]

In order to put film photos online they need to be scanned digitally. You can have this done by a photo lab near you, who can most likely also develop the film for you, or you can buy your own scanner. This is the scanner I currently use: amzn.to/29POgLE

[@UdodaTube]

I was wondering, what if I bought night vision goggles so I can see what I'm doing. would that be a good idea??

[@PrimeStudios]

Night vision goggles work by amplifying the light that is already present. Ideally you want to load your film into the developing canister in zero light conditions, and thus, night vision goggles would not work. Even a tiny amount of light can cause a haze to form on the film.

[@SirZechs77]

But what about red rooms werent they used for developing?

[@PrimeStudios]

That's generally not a good idea. The red light can still cause a haze to develop on the film. A dark room light is really only intended to be used when printing.

[@urtfoodwater]

I just closed my eyes and loaded it in the light. it worked great!

[@Foto22417]

LOL No, it didn't!

[@SnakeBitesTattoo]

You don't pre wash your film before putting the developer in?

[@PrimeStudios]

21:42

[@justkyle4046]

can it be in red light

[@PrimeStudios]

If you are talking about loading the film into the developing tank, then no, it must be done in total darkness. Once the film is securely in the developing tank, it does not matter what the light situation in since it is light tight. You can only develop prints in a darkroom using a special kind of red light.

[@hoorayforpentax3801]

There used to be black and white films called orthochromatic that could be developed in dim red light, but I'm not sure those are made any more.

[@rolandthomasset1713]

No...you can't do that anymore...but back in the 30's and even 50's several films were panchromatic ( therefore not sensitive to red light) and you could develop them under a red light. Those emulsions were slowly discontinued because red objects were obviously not recorded correctly. A red dress, for instance, would end up looking too light on a print.

[@johnnyrinsma]

Is it cheaper to develop your own film?

[@PrimeStudios]

Over the long term, yes it is much less expensive.

[@judegrover2804]

Do you need different developer for ilford medium format film?

[@PrimeStudios]

Nope.

[@ValiRossi]

Reminds me of all grain brewing.

[@PrimeStudios]

I sometimes brew my own beer too! Maybe I should make a video about that...

[@Guairenito]

you should definitely do it!!!

[@ArloF96]

At 17:01 "wunnagunnadoo"

[@PrimeStudios]

It's..... a regional dialect...

[@jonathansosa1781]

hey kids, don't drink the chemicals