The Easiest Way to Develop Film at Home in 3 Minutes - Cinestill Df96 Review

In this video I go through what I have found is the easiest way to develop black and white film at home. This is done using the Cinestill DF96 Monobath which is a developer that takes 3 minutes. If you are a beginner looking into how to develop film at home to get started this is by far the easiest way to ease into developing film.
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My Work:
/ willemverb
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Materials:
Developing tank: amzn.to/2MC4sCZ
Thermometer: amzn.to/2MDtt0H
Film Scanner: amzn.to/2TfsHtc
Better Film Scanner: amzn.to/2SblBbX
Cinestill Developer: cinestillfilm.com/products/df...
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I have recently partnered with Musicbed, they provide copyright free music from genuine, real artists to use on KZbin or any online platform. The link below is my affiliate link, if you sign up through here I get a small kickback: share.mscbd.fm/willemverb

[@unknownvlogs]

i live for your vids

[@WillemVerb]

Yo seriously! Thank you man 🙏🏼❤️

[@CVProductions]

dman how did you get here 😯

[@eccentricsmithy2746]

a wasted life then...

[@hardiiktrivedi]

@@WillemVerb can we make nano print like 3.5 MM in nagative film strips?

[@larrbrown7277]

You looked about the same age when I started doing this and I am 81yrs young good job going to try that developer good show.

[@apenguinnamedabraham]

this was such a sweet comment to read, did you try the developer? What sort of photos do you take?

[@hoorayforpentax3801]

"I don't think a developer like this will ever exist for colour film." But you'd love to be proven wrong, wouldn't you?

[@brendont394]

Is there such a thing?

[@hoorayforpentax3801]

@@brendont394 There isn't, as far as I know. But for sure, if there was I would use it.

[@HughNeutron]

Cinestill CS41 is the closest. You only need two baths, which is quite a bit simpler.

[@kanecain1981]

Its been 6 months now and I'm still on my 1st bottle of the stuff. So far, I've developed about 20-25 rolls of film (medium and 35mm), increasing the development time by a minute or so per used roll. Still going strong. I use it at room temperature, which is usually about 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour it in, give it about ten seconds of initial agitation, then agitate once every minute for about 5 seconds, while watching an episode of your favorite TV show, for a total time of about 20-25 minutes. You can leave it in for as long as you want, since its temperature activated. Just make sure you agitate at least five seconds per minute.

[@TheKondicional]

Can't believe it! To be clear, could you tell me how did you extending time of developing process once you reached 16 rolls? I mean first roll is around 3 minutes, second one is 3 min 15 sec etc. Last (designed*) roll is around 6min 45 sec - am I right? If yes, so for example you have been adding another 15 second to every next 'pour'? According to my calculations, roll number 25 for example should be developing around 9 minutes (but you wrote that it was around 20-25 minutes or friends' episode). Instead of adding +15 sec you started increasing development time by around 1 minute on every next roll, once you have reached roll number 16? Thank you in advance for explanation!

[@kanecain1981]

@@TheKondicional the instructions give times based on much higher development temperatures. ALL of my rolls were processed at room temperature for 20 or more minutes. The developer is typically around 60°F-65°F at room temperature in my home. At this constant temperature, you can leave the roll in the solution for as long as you want with no ill effects. I make sure that I agitate the film once per minute (5-6 complete turns on my Patterson Tank agitation stick). In other words, I almost completely ignored the instructions. Last night, I developed roll #32. 😀

[@mariajhackett1518]

So after your first processed set, you stopped agitating nonstop with your rolls? Or you never did continuous agitation through your first set (agitated for 5 secs every minute from first time use to 25th roll)?

[@kanecain1981]

@@mariajhackett1518 For each and every roll, I agitate for 5-6 secs per minute. At first pour, I usually will agitate for 10 seconds, but after that, 5-6 sec for every minute in the solution.

[@baptistevansteenkiste5338]

@kanecain1981 hey bro! So at how many minutes did you start with the very first roll and then kept adding 1 minute? I bought a bottle and want to develop my first roll of many! Thank you :)

[@oscar4215234]

I’ve developed like 5 rolls so far with DF96 and it’s just so ridiculously simple. Pretty good results so far too!

[@WillemVerb]

Oscar Villanueva amazing right!?

[@kerma663]

I'm gonna develop hp5 400 iso so how long should I develop it in 80 degrees?

[@MikeLikesChannel]

kerma ! 3 mins if it’s your first roll. For every subsequent roll, add 15 seconds. If you’re on roll #7 of use you’d be at 4.5 minutes

[@aciifbabii777]

@@MikeLikesChannel any links to this rule of thumb information?

[@MikeLikesChannel]

@@aciifbabii777 it's on Cinestill's site for the product 👍

[@CHiLECHiLL456]

Willem Verbeeck is the truth, i just want to chill with this guy and grab some bagels in NY

[@WillemVerb]

❤️

[@randallstewart175]

Apart from is apparent convenience feature, two basic errors are made. At $20 a bottle (liter) with a 16 roll maximum capacity, Df96 costs $1.25 per roll. That seems cheap to someone who sends out their B&W developing, but it's more than triple the cost per roll of using conventional developer and fixer at home, even if the conventional developer expires before fully used. Also, Df96 is not a developer for someone who shoots a couple of rolls a month. Once the bottle is first opened (and presumably first used), it has a shelf life of 2 months. Two rolls a month becomes 4 rolls to expiration, or $5.00 per roll. Again, you can buy a gallon of D-76 for $10, use it 1:1 as a one shot developer, tossing out the used solution as you go. That's about 30 rolls or about $.30 per roll, but other dilutions will be more economical. If the stock solution ages out after 6 - 9 months, you can afford to toss the remainder and still run a per roll cost which is a faction of the cost of Df96. That cost difference is for the convenience and short developing times of Df96, but the developing times increase as you reuse Df96, so you have the added hassle of recording your ongoing usage and computing a new developing time for each new reuse. Df96 seems to have a surprisingly good image quality, given the checkered history of monobaths, probably similar to D-76, better than HC-110. Cinestill has some excellent photo comparisons on their website.

[@eccentricsmithy2746]

A year after your post and as you can see, nobody cares. They are doing it for the fun, not cost.

[@innocuouscircumstances4210]

@@eccentricsmithy2746 such a privileged response

[@KingNLGames]

@@eccentricsmithy2746 He is just trying to help people out finding their way of develping

[@scottplumer3668]

@@eccentricsmithy2746 speak for yourself. I found his analysis more useful than Willem's.

[@sumvs5992]

@@eccentricsmithy2746 in the UK, I've found the cheapest BW 35mm and 120 to be £4 and £5 respectively. Now if I were to go to get them processed it would probably be £10 to £20. However for that £20 I can get a 500ml developer and 500ml fixer. If you've got the money, good for you, but not everyone does.

[@JacobCarlson]

I saw Ed Pavez' video about this stuff last year. It's like magic and it's so cheap! Considering how expensive getting b&w developed in a lab is, this stuff is a no-brainer

[@WillemVerb]

Jacob Carlson seriously! And it’s so quick 😭

[@ilseoudheusden9989]

ordered all the stuff, tried it, and it worked!! super happy with it because this was my first time developing a roll. thank you so much. it really is as easy as it seems

[@neilfoddering921]

Several years ago, I bought a Tachihara 5x4 camera and all of the accessories needed to shoot large format. I’ve never used it, because I don’t have access to professional film processing for this format, nor do I have darkroom facilities. Until I came across your video, I was totally unaware of this one shot developer/fixer. Watching your video and learning how simple and quick it is to develop my own films without a darkroom has completely rekindled my interest in large format photography. I shall also start to develop my 35mm and 120 B&W films at home. Thank you so much for such an interesting and informative video!

[@lookmanostrings]

Thank you for this! So helpful and straightforward. Just ran through my first 120 roll on a Peterson tank and the cinestill using your instructions. Looks great so far.

[@ColinBloodworth]

Just moved to anew space with a little work area in the back. I'm super stoked to develop me own black and white. Great vid, Willem.

[@mueslimuncher1950]

Well done young man! A most inspiring and and informing video. Nice to someone keeping film alive. I've been developing film for about 50 years, but I've never tried a monobath!

[@richardg6109]

Nice video as usual, Willem. I've read mixed reviews of that developer - glad to hear you are satisfied with the results. I have to say rodinal or xtol plus TF-4 is pretty damn easy. It's good to experiment, for sure.

[@HG.S_]

just found your channel and am so surprised that you don't have like a 100k subscribers. I know you'll get there though, keep it up!

[@juliowagner4985]

this is really good. Definitely one of the top five tips for developing film this past semester

[@AliMTK707]

Always a pleasure watching one of your videos , great job!

[@eedddyyyy]

Great video bro, this is exactly what I was looking for since I don’t do too much B&W film! Shout out!

[@BryanBirks]

Just bought this kit. $1 a roll compared to $8 develop at the lab and waiting a week was just too tempting. 🤙🏻

[@mamiyapress]

You missed one important point, once the bottle is opened it has approximately a 2 month shelf life, a bottle of Rodinal will last for years.

[@kanecain1981]

From their website: "...and once used should be reused within 2 months. Film will still finish processing as chemicals age but will eventually produce thin negatives when developer is exhausted. Store in a tightly capped, full container..." We can assume that it can be used beyond the 2 month period. The site does not mention if the chemicals breakdown due to sitting on the shelf or if the developer is exhausted through actual developing. No one has performed this experiment as of yet.

[@jonnoMoto]

Yup. It's goes dark brown but works fine. Stand development in rodinal is foolproof. Plus you use so little of it and scans well.

[@cloudsilver1]

Thanks so much.. I just tried it, I can’t believe how simple it is!!

[@EddieInzauto]

Just discovered this stuff. Amazing. Thanks for the demo. Lucky for me, I dig heavier contrast rather than excessively open shadows. Win win.

[@Bume1WKTPlanet1]

I think you inspired me to finally try this chemical. Great video, Willem!

[@WillemVerb]

Yo! Youre already on that high contrast game this is right up your alley haha

[@baileydiss33]

i'm about to begin my film photography journey, happy to have found this vid!!

[@lajotini3710]

I definitely wanna try to develop film, it doesn't look so hard. Keep going tho! Your videos are pretty cool and informative.

[@mauricio.drugama]

Awesome as always, man. Regards from Mexico.

[@yoshinoyajones8924]

Thanks for this vid, the chemicals and equipment cost scared me away from B/W photography in 1996' and I recently found my cameras and some old shots.

[@buyaport]

Great video! Good to see some "development" in the film area. (People only understood the proper technique of horse riding some time after cars came up, which should tell us something about "old" technology.)

[@PatrickGregoryDaniels]

Thanks willem my lab has been very relaxed about getting my scan orders completed. I needed this bro. God bless and keep doing your thing...also I'd like to have as zine or book of yours in my collection...so keep me posted on it..peace bro

[@pedromeza2398]

You are and Old Soul photographer, that is relearning a past life, I have been developing film since my Junior High days in the late 1960's, and will definitely look into this new chemical one stop develop method. In your video did you mention what type of water to use for the rinse, because some many people nowadays have water softener that can have salty water.

[@yemarican]

I enjoyed watching your video and I love black and white photos .. thank you so much for sharing this with us.

[@JoeyShip]

This stuff is great for simple, basic development. I don’t see much experimenting with it, but for box speed shooting hp5 or tri-x, and single stop pushing, it’s great. I developed some tri-x at 1600, 99 degrees for 3 minutes, and they came out decent. Pretty grainy at 2 stops...but otherwise, I love the stuff. Literally doesn’t get easier than this. Excellent for the timid beginner.

[@13has]

I love your videos so much! I’m gonna get a dev tank and try this :)

[@chrisdavenport9262]

I just bought this type of developer and I am sitting here with my film in the tank and ready to go. It looks way too easy. WAY!! Here we go!! Thanks for the tutorial.

[@levim.s.2106]

I’ve always been kinda scared to develop my own photos because I don’t want to mess anything up but this looks so simple. I might give it a try.

[@theoldcameraguy]

Love the Df96 Monobath - Film developing can be so intimidating, but with this monobath, it’s so easy! I still send my TMAX P3200 out to a lab, but for HP5+and Tri-X, this stuff is the bomb. Your video really conveys how simple this process is and is very easy to follow. Well done!

[@Krmnnnkr]

I know its 2 years since you posted this comment, but how is the films durability after it's been developed?

[@theoldcameraguy]

@@Krmnnnkr No problems

[@paulkerruems]

10/10 for superb brevity and followability* *not a word

[@samueljames5167]

Thanks, I will need to pull out my old SLR, and try this. I also want to get into digitizing my own film as well.

[@jonjon1217]

Thank you for this information young man. It's much appreciated ✌

[@lauraguedes4012]

i just used your video as a background to write an descriptive process for my english 2 class at uni :) thanks

[@sovelle]

your edits are really getting to be fire. 2019 is gonna be some good shit for you!

[@WillemVerb]

Thank you as always 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@eleoxora83]

I follow you for a while and I am proud of you and somehow you sparked my ambition as well as all the people around you. Got to a point where we found ourself fulfilled doing like you with our energies and diligence. Felt the pressure to conform, and it gets me further. (Just I can't find the wonderful CineStill Monobath at the same price in London and from the Official Website, shipping costs are obviously expensive. Any tips for that?). For the rest, amazing work Willem.

[@RonsLens]

I'm impressed! I might have to give it a try!

[@mylesross1718]

best channel on youtube rn

[@hochi313]

i love this, i am definitely going to have to try this out

[@ScottHead]

Thanks for this review. I do both BW and color at home and this seemed too good to be true or at least gimmicky. But with your review I will try this.

[@bodudas8346]

Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful project and easy process..... great photo site ++++++

[@Alpha8713]

Well, that's interesting. It would be nice if you could someday do a comparison by developing similar pictures in, say, D76 and this. I've never seen a development method this simple before.

[@sarova2000]

IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE BUYING: I went all the way and bought it and... it works, it's quite convenient for the simplicity of having just one bath of chemicals, BUT I wouldn't recommend this for begginers because it's not worth it in terms of money. See, 16 rolls could seem like a lot, and for most people it is, specially for begginers, but what all these videos don't tell you (and you have to go to cinestill's website to know this) is that once you open the bottle, it expires in two months. So means that, in order to make the most out of it, you would have to shoot and develop 16 rolls of film in two months, and that's just unrealistic for begginers, which are the main focus of this product. Also, it produces worse results than the more traditional development methods, in wich you have more control over the final product, and is more expensive keeping in mind the price, the shelf life, the number of rolls... so I wouldn't recommend this product.

[@MrGina-tt9cn]

Hi!!! I’m obsessed with your channel. Could you possibly do a vid explaining how you get your film through the airport???

[@Garacha222]

one option is to mail it to a destination address. bring your development tank, and buy the developer at your destination, or use destination as the shipping address wherever you order developer from. you just need a method to carry your processed negative back home safely without finger prints or crinkles.

[@nickfanzo]

I’ve never heard of this, usually use hc110. Impressive.

[@dieselten01]

Thank you, awesome tutorial!

[@edgrattan2523]

Thanks for this, dope stuff.

[@thienphunguyen5496]

Hi Willem I’m glad I came across this video. Been a fan of yours for a while. Just wanted to ask, do you still recommend this developer? as I’m looking into developing some photos myself

[@jchiodo]

Please show us that orange background you use for the product shots - I LOVE IT.

[@dominicmrakovcich]

MONOBATH??!! that saves me so much money... thx, doing this on a budget at the moment.

[@tonyjonaitis2511]

Good video, dude! I'll give this developer a try...

[@Ferrari360Spyder]

Yes exactly the video I needed! Ty! What or how do you scan your film? Help! Ty!

[@beaupfeifferrecordings]

looks like a developer that could go on my list as ive being using LC29 for a while now

[@alfonsgustafsson4301]

Hello Willem I just developed my first 120film and it turned out good. Happy for a first development and that my ”new for me” but old yashica D worked. Super happy. Used your video as guide! Awesome. Tricky to get the film into the roll in the dark but made it. Without sacrifise of a roll to practice in the light. Only concern i have is that after development when pooring back fluid. It had turned Blue, is this common? Or did i do something wrong? What do you think? Best regards Alfons Gustafsson

[@lawrencemartin1113]

Excellent! Thanks.

[@mauricio.drugama]

Stop everything! Willem video's out!

[@WillemVerb]

Mauricio Drugama I’m dead, thank you 🙏🏼

[@cagedrex6584]

Anyone else here the oof sound effect at 3:48 LMAO

[@Juwann22]

The black marks on your film and high contrast look is because of the warm water. Developing in warm water is fine but make sure you wash the film in cold water. Using water that is too warm will loose the emulsion from the film and literally rub off/show black marks and the scans will have a lot of contrast. Happened to me. Kind of sucked but was a learning experience 👌🏾

[@WhereDidHugo]

Derrick Massey I actually had a problem because of cold water - I developed some Tri X with df96 at the recommended temperature and rinsed it with cold water and when I scanned it the images had a weird cracked texture. Apparently it’s called reticulation and it’s caused by rapid changes in temperature. I was advised to wash the film at similar temperature to avoid this in future

[@Juwann22]

@@WhereDidHugo YES. Thanks for the extra info. Our whole class was confused at the time so it's nice to know exactly what it's called lol

[@randallstewart175]

derrick says he's a student, so he's forgiven for being exactly wrong in his advice. Film emulsions made today (Not 1950) are hardened so his concern is not valid at the 80 degree processing temp used for Df96. With a monobath, contrast can be modified a little by lowering the process temp a degree or two, but for the most part, contrast, sharpness, density and contrast are "you get what you get". For this, wash water should be between 75 and 80 degrees (same as process temp). In all B&W film development, wash should always be at least 65 degrees, as water lower than 60 degree largely looses its ability to wash the film at all. Got to wonder who's teaching his class.

[@Juwann22]

@@randallstewart175 Our sinks were newly renovated and had inconsistent temperatures (we waited for repairs after we discovered this). The roll I was referring to was washed at a temp that was, by feel, definitely warmer than 65 degrees (at least 80-85) and like mentioned we figured it was due to the change in develop and wash temp. I wanna speaking not from guessing but from direct experience with mine and multiple classmates rolls. The resulting film strip had very loose emulsion (which I rubbed off accidentally in a few areas after drying) and when I was finally able to safely enlarge it the images the sharpness, contrast, and density were all negatively affected. For our class we only used hp5 for all our assignments and after shooting other rolls and developing them (after sinks were fixed) we concluded it was the varying temps in the dev/wash that messed us up. Our class didn't not use DF96. It was not a monobath setup so of course my experience may not apply but I still feel it's useful info to keep in mind in case someone gets stuck

[@williamfox4521]

Great vid, thank you.

[@traintrambus]

Thank you for your great video

[@radicaleyemag]

Wish I had the balls to develop my own film, haha. Will hopefully give this a try at some point!

[@MikeLikesChannel]

Radical Eye Magazine it’s stupid easy. I just started 6 weeks ago and this stuff gives awesome, oddly magical results for like zero effort. Hardest part is loading the reel but a Samigon reel is cake. Throw away the Paterson ones they suck.

[@nickfanzo]

It’s not hard

[@raajjann]

Good to know! Thanks!

[@Paytonwh]

For 35mm, is there a certain kind of b+w film that you would recommend buying which doesn't have much contrast that would offset the extra bit of contrast given by the developer?

[@ourhomeourgarden.1372]

Great video and channel. I'm just starting developing at home. Did you wash the film in cold water? Thanks, Nick.

[@ellecree]

New subscriber, great vids

[@mariajhackett1518]

Thank for this video! Is this enough developer to use with a 3 reel tank (35mm)?

[@arvinclassics]

Good video! Do you think this will work with black and white film like Ilford XP20 designed to be developed with the C41 process?

[@omegaman1409]

I don’t use my slr enough to justify the hassle and cost. Found a good way to keep costs down. Send in the rolls to pro photo connection and let the dip the rolls for 3.99 a roll. There is a flat fee of 7.99 for shipping so sending 3 rolls 36 exp mounts to 118 pictures for 20.00. Not bad. Then buy a photo scanner and scan them yourself.

[@bbratter1661]

I'm a little confused. It's mentioned that you can reuse the chemical. Can your reuse it 16 times or can you only use it for 16 rolls (which would be 8 times for 35mm)?

[@JoeLopez]

I want to do this. A few questions; 1. How long do you rinse for at the beginning? 2. How much developer do you add?

[@photomitch]

Just processed several rolls of film with this developer, it works well with some types of film, but a lot to be desired with some. The one positive I like about it is the rapid processing and not dealing with multiple chemicals and the temperature was a good advantage living here in Palm Springs where cold water run from the tap at 80 degrees. The disadvantage is that this developer is rather hyper active and once it comes in contact with the film, it begins developing while you are pouring the liquid into the processing tank. This results in annoying streaks on most of my images. Is there anyway to prevent this? If not, I'll return to conventional processing..

[@devtank]

Cool your chemicals to 20c & add time to the cycle, that will reduce contrast. Thanks for the vid.

[@CleanBean882]

You're a young GOAT! You're the one that got me into the rz67. I literally just graduated high school. I have to get that sucker bruh

[@WillemVerb]

CleanBean882 yessir! Thank you 🙌🏼❤️

[@dylanzivitz8429]

From reusing the monobath (I store it in amber glass bottles) I noticed sediment like substance that has gathered in the bottom. Does anyone know if this is normal?

[@nathanjohansen7169]

I like the shot at 4:13.

[@eatshrots]

dope dawg, dope

[@herbie.e]

So. How much does using different types of film affect the processing times ? Because when I developed my B&W I just used the rough timings rather than finding the ones specifically for my roll. I hope that's the issue, because I don't know what else could've gone wrong.

[@Nedyroc2]

Can you do a tutorial on scanning at home? maybe recommendations on scanners?

[@sinochopin]

Epson V600

[@treyshiflett6498]

Yo you should do an apartment tour, but with your kind of awesthetic!

[@bySeuss]

so dope!

[@hellablond710]

thank you!

[@joeee8272]

When you scan, how are you getting film borders? I also have v600

[@thejimmyfermin]

Joseph Bullock this might be late, but when you scan the photos on your v scanner don’t put that plastic cover that comes with it. Try to line it up where it scans the film and you should get the borders.

[@StateChampsNY]

How long do you typically dry the film for? And what's the best process? Just clip them up somwehre and let them hang? Inspired to try this method, just wanna make sure I don't miss a step.

[@howdyhannav]

StateChampsNY it can take up to 2(ish) hours. just gently clip them and suspend/hang them in a dust free zone like your bathroom. i hang mine from my ceiling in my bathroom over my bathtub/shower. i get hardly any dust through that area due to the amount of steam produced from showers so it keeps it pretty dust free!!!

[@REFIGUY69]

I read that once the DF96 monobath is open it has a thirty day shelf life? Is this the same for the Cinestill brand? If it is I'd be binge developing and make sure (if its 35mm) get all 16 rolls worth in that time period. Cinestill site sale $16.99 us

[@roncasebeer3260]

I’m finding that the first photos are turning out darker than the rest. Am I just loading the film incorrectly? should I be agitating less or more?

[@davidroos6275]

Thx!

[@orbolanos]

Have you tried the slower development times to see if there's a change in the contrast and grain?

[@Garacha222]

looks like they recommend a lower temperature to lower the contrast.

[@cocoamourrr]

After you scan them how do you print them ?

[@WafflePrince]

So awesome! Does anyone know if you can use the same method for super 8 movie film?

[@claycabes2143]

My film is still really dark, should I try running it through the process again?

[@ProductionLSK]

This technique is good for all black and white films ?

[@dawsonrockburne5462]

Can u do this way with colour film?

[@ashikaahso7276]

how much does it cost to acquire all the equipment approximately? thanks.

[@jordansanchez4536]

So sick