Ultimate Guide to Developing Black & White Film At Home

[@nathanielnonis999]

Just developed my first roll of BnW, I was absolutely scared, but man the feeling when the negs come out. Just so goood

[@danielacaceres7097]

I developed b/w film for the first time today and your video was really helpful, it walked me all the way through and I didn't screw up at all. Thanks for this!

[@MurphysFilm]

Not a problem glad it was able to help you out 😊

[@thewildgoose7467]

It must be 30 years since I developed my last roll of film so I badly needed to watch this to blow the cobwebs away and re-learn the process. Have had the urge to return to film shooting for a while and your video has inspired me to dig out my old Nikons and get back to analogue photography, so thanks for that. BTW, back in the day we used to refer to the changing bag as "the nuns knickers"

[@bryanbrethauer2130]

So funny lol

[@marrerang]

I followed your instructions to develop a Kodak film that had been loaded in the developing tank for a couple of years and in my attic, which gets very warm in summers. When finished, I inspected the film and I realized it was not a black and white reel but actually a color film, Kodak 400 G-6. It actually rendered monochromatic pictures. I had shot that film back in 2000! There was a bit of grain in the images, but some were actually pretty good. Had I known that it was a color film, I would have never tried that experiment. Thanks again for the guide!

[@Mikkel324]

If color film is developed in B/W chemistry, you can actually recover the colors. The trick is to rehalogenate the developed silver, fog it using light, and then run it through the color developing process. The rehalogenation can be done with C41 bleach (not blix!). Make sure to scan the negatives first as this is a bit of a risky process. More info can be found by searching for "Rehalogenating C41"

[@weightsandwaifus299]

Just finished developing my first couple rolls of film and they turned out perfect. Thanks Garth.

[@Dstonephoto]

Brilliant video. Having stopped counting the number of film development videos I’ve watched this is the first one to actually cover the basics of what these chemicals actually do.

[@TheIMobile]

Ive got my first ever roll of film in a camera and once Ive shot all the exposures I'm gonna develop it myself using this video as a guide. Best get ordering everything I need to do it.

[@arcanics1971]

Been through loads of tutorials on this to find one that covered every step AND listed the stuff needed with enough info for me to feel confident. This was the one that did it. Everything I needed to say, "Yep, I'm gonna do that." Thanks a lot! Very helpful to a newbie!

[@joshmoonphotography]

Just bought my first Dev tank, really appreciate the video. Cannot wait

[@MarkHickford]

I would usually suggest putting 3 x dev reels onto the spindle, just to stop the one with film loaded travelling up it and coming out of your developer.

[@moganism1646]

Thanks for this - had a successful first attempt with b&w today! Thought I'd ruined the film as the camera hadn't rewound properly, so wasn't expecting it to work. So happy!!

[@paullevesque3543]

I just went out and purchased the gear I need to develop film. Thanks for putting this video together; I found it perfect.

[@darcieellson9423]

You sound like the art attack man and it’s very comforting while I follow the tutorial

[@ldbass62]

I just developed my first roll of film in many years. Your video was a tremendous help! Many thanks!

[@alanstanway6118]

Paterson tanks should have a white collar to hold spirals on the centre column to stop them rising. Sadly many get lost over time so watch out for this on eBay offerings. Nice vid Garth, ideal for anyone wanting to have a go

[@randallstewart175]

That's the least significant reason not to use Paterson tanks. Consider that they must be used by their "twist rod" spinning agitation process, which is clearly uneven in its agitation. If inversion agitation is attempted, you get leaks from the poorly design lid seal and massive mixing of air into your chemistry from the huge, excessive air volume trapped in the tank. Try a good steel tank or an AP plastic tank, which has none of the Paterson's limitation and is cheaper as well.

[@vikmanphotography7984]

@@randallstewart175 I stick to the traditional metal flip-style tanks and metal wire spools as they are more durable (I've known a lot of people with cracked Patterson tanks), can't snag film, and seem easier to load in the dark. There's also no twisty rod or random accessory to lose. It's just a metal tank, a lid, and a metal spool- all of witch is compatible across brands if you do every need to replace something.

[@AccessiblePhotography]

Many thanks for the guidance. Negatives came out well exposed and developed properly. Only issue was the daylight tank I used chewed up the roll. Some images are usable. I think the fault was mine and I have now been practicing loading with roll of film.

[@MrBlairskie]

This is the best video I've seen on home developing film. Thanks dude

[@alanmooney]

Can't wait to get started, I am in lockdown at present, organising chemicals this weekend

[@marklittrell3202]

You cut the tail and the connection to the spool so that the leftovers dont cross rows/rails on the spools. It can damage the negative where it touches.

[@OlivePittsOnDesk]

Especially with 35 mm B&W film, a mistake people make is using rinse water that is the wrong temperature. That's why I have a gallon jug of water at room temperature and not cold water directly from the tap. The temperature shock to the film by too cold/hot a water/rinse bath will cause the emulsion of the film to slightly crinkle which increases the micro-grain size making the pictures appear slightly lumpy. Some people like the grainy look, but if you want a smooth B&W transition of tones, same temperature wash is preferred.

[@vikmanphotography7984]

Honestly, I only clicked the video to see your specific shopping list as I've developed plenty of film, myself. That said, I did stick around and am glad that you encouraged newbies to PRACTICE with a waste-roll while in the light. I've known plenty of photography students that screw up multiple rolls that they actually care about just because they weren't familiar enough with the process before doing it blind. Also, I personally prefer the metal spools and flip-style tanks. They're more durable, seem to snag less, exposure to chemicals seems a little more consistent, and it's pretty hard to kink your film on one. But it's all personal preference.

[@VEJ8]

Thank you so much for this video! I just developed at home for the first time with the help of your video 🎉

[@ColinBloodworth]

I'm starting my black and white development soon and I'm so excited.

[@nathaniel_cook]

Just picked up everything I need for a darkroom today. Going to write down a "recipe" for my Tri-X 400 film using Ilfosol 3 developer with your instructions. Will report back!

[@reacc18]

thank you sooo much for this !! my mom recently gave me her fe2 she had in college & i’ve been shooting soooo much film & was just able to get everything i needed to develop them all !! so exciting thank you !!

[@zouteharing007]

you made it real easy for the beginners!! I develop the same way, but with a stop bath, and rinse it out for 10 minutes after the fix.. but the trick you said with the hair dryer is new for me! will do that with te next developing session!

[@MurphysFilm]

the hair dryer trick is the best bit of advice i got in ages before it i had so many times my film would snag but it seriously fixed it for me

[@randallstewart175]

Keep doing it your way. By his diddling around getting into a post developer wash and the modest agitation thereafter, he's adding about 20% to his effective development. Stop bath chemically cancels development; water just flushes the developer off the film surface without stopping the action of the developer already in the emulsion. His wash procedure does not flush water over the film surface and his wash time is minimal, so he's not getting a complete wash. He cannot judge this without a chemical test, so he'll find out when is images start bleaching out.

[@Sanjiocom]

Great video. Thank you. Do you scan with a mirrorless camera or flatbed scanner?

[@FlannelHoodie]

I haven't developed my first roll yet, but now I know what I need to have on hand before I begin. Now, to complicate things I have a roll of Tri-X 400 that I've pushed to 800 - -and which I'm pretty sure I've pulled all the way out of its canister, so getting it clear of the camera is likely to be a challenge. Thanks for this video == fingers crossed!

[@UNNAMEDHUMANXX]

great video, but I am confused that why did you put 400mL in the final volume instead of 300mL?

[@MurphysFilm]

just to make sure the film is fully covered by chems/water

[@donpark759]

Not a slick presentation, but the most informative I have seen so far by a country mile. Nice one!

[@b.griffin317]

1. Is fixer light sensitive? Is that why its in a light-proof bottle? 2. Is developer light-sensitive? 3. You can fixer can be re-used, but not developer? 4. Does fixer need to be mixed in the dark? Will it last longer if it is? 5. If the fixer is reusable, why do you need both a dilute bottle of it and the original undiluted bottle?

[@blackimp4987]

pity he didn't mention one important step after fix: the bath for eliminating fixer thiosulfate that is quite important for having film last in time and prints to not turn yellow. I don't suggest to load the film so fast nor to unroll it from it's reel at once because film tends to curl and scretch itself and scretch on the support are visible when you print. cut the thinner part with scissors cut the corner of the following full size film, insert it into the spiral reel and keep it between index and thumb, then turn of the light and while keeping the film reel on a surface and film between your finger start loading. You can leave the film from your finger if you still keep it with a little pressure of one thumb while loading.. after 15cm or the equivalent of 4 photograms are loaded you canl stop holding the film because at that point it can't escape the spiral reel. Leaving the film reel on a surface prevents the weight of the reel to make the fillm escape the spiral, and unrolling it 4-5 photographs eacth time prevents the film from curling and scratching. At the end you must be able to cut offthe film from the reel in the dark and you must pay attention even more now as the film not yet loaded, after the cut, curls suddenly like a coil and can produce bad scratches. Load the film until you are sure it's completely inside the spiral and it can freely be moved by hand in circle without obstacles and without unrolling.

[@ekomanurung]

This is cool. Im gonna start on film camera, so I need to learn how to develope my own film at home. Cheers Murphy, you are the best. Love far from Indonesia.

[@andyvan5692]

GREAT idea, having an 'APP' to decipher all this ratio stuff for us, THANKYOU 😎

[@marrerang]

Great video. Thank you! I ordered the Kodak HC 110 and received a bottle that will expire in November 2022. Will it work after that expiration, in your experience? Worried

[@jfs_films]

Jo thanks so much, this is the best hands on tutorial for bnw, just developed!

[@sTekSOo]

This helped me hugely - thanks. Successfully developed my first roll of film yesterday

[@kenf2662]

I like the back of chair view

[@Hyadfsbejkfhegwg]

Hey great video it was very helpful!! How do you eventually dispose of the developer and fixer?

[@dinogello1949]

Great tutorial but talk about tearing the last page out of a book. Would be amazing to see the results too.. good work dude well done. I’m off to develop my first film !!!!,

[@jimcook3882]

Best VIDEO out there. Great job!!

[@LinoCrafts]

Great video very helpful. I am about to order my chemicals for very first development of black and white film. I was wondering which chemicals could be re used and how many times and which chemicals has to be kept in a black botles?

[@garethgregg6486]

Will be using this for developing! Just need to find the time

[@johnallen3423]

I s possible to use a few drops of household detergent in the last rinse?

[@acecreates]

Legend mate. I'll definitely be using this!!

[@markusgibsonsg]

Thanks mate, great step by step. Straight forward and no fuzz. Thanks for sharing.

[@gr3ndizer97]

helpful tutorial thank you, although i have 2 questions: it says 290mm of water with developer for 35 film but you filled the tank with 400mm why is that? 2nd question: do i have to maintain the specific temperature all the time or just when mixing water with developer? my apology to this because im new to film and im starting to learn for i buy my first film camera.

[@tomlewis5227]

Great video, I will be giving this a try and watching more of your videos, brilliant work

[@justingarner961]

Great video mate. I’ve got loads of film cameras but never developed my own film. Your video makes it look easy to do it yourself. I’ll definitely be having a go. I’ll be doing this for the first time on my channel. People will find it interesting I reckon. Nice one anyway 👍

[@nemosgaze]

At 12:27, I don't understand, he is saying one thing (like he needs 300ml of water) but the screen shows another (388ml), he then concludes that he needs 9ml of dev liquid but the screen shows 13ml... I don't get it?

[@stuffenjoyer2223]

I was confused too but it turns out he just entered the wrong number. If you put in the recommended 300 ml, then your total should be 9 ml of dev + 291 ml of water like stated in his video.

[@MarkBrown-gz5bh]

Thanks. Will use this video to start

[@blaskkaffe]

Great video! Super clear and informative! Just one question, I always wind the film back all the way to the container, any good tips on how to wind it back enough to be able to pull it out without opening the cartridge? Just stop cranking when it gets released from the takeup spool or how do you do it?

[@PHILMICRACIN]

Great video! Well shot, well structured, informative, you have a new subscriber! GREAT WORK!

[@tuisitala9068]

I was very interested to see what you do with the hair dryer. I reckon that about half of the films that I load onto the spirals get snagged, usually about halfway through the roll. This is even with using my fingers to keep the film in the slots and going very slowly. If the film does not snag then it still pops out of the slots sometimes. My success rate is very poor. How often does your film snag?

[@larrywilliams5708]

If you are not trimming the leader off of your film roll before winding onto the reel, try it. I think your hit rate will improve. Also snip a small 45 degree angle to the corners after cutting off the leader!

[@KingJvpes]

Hellllll yes!!!!

[@tankthetuba]

Hey Garth, cheers for this one mate!! home developing is something I'll hopefully be starting doing myself in the next couple of months. (Keith, the boater from Burscough)

[@randykirby2326]

Since you can just use plain water in place of stop bath, if you do have stop bath, just don't make it as strong as they recommend. Make a diluted form of it. That way, the bottle of stop bath will go a lot further. That way, you can save more of it for when you are doing prints.

[@randallstewart1224]

Plain water doesn't stop development, a point largely ignored in these types of videos. It just slows it until the film gets into the fixer, which is acidic and will stop development. If you are using 15 minutes development times, use of water or stop bath doesn't make a significant difference if you move it right along to the fixer. If you use a 5-minute development time, then screwing around with a water bath will end up adding 10-20% to your development time. The chat about saving the cost of stop bath (which is cheap as dirt) fails to acknowledge that omitting stop bath allows the residual developer in the film to more rapidly degrade your fixer.(*) The faster consumption of fixer may actually cost more than stop bath. As to stop bath dilution to working strength, and speaking only for Kodak Stop Bath, the official dilution is one part of stock to 200 parts of water, which may be nice for Kodak to ell more product, but is unnecessarily strong. 1:400 is equally functional, saves money, and avoids the risk of gas bubbles forming in the emulsion, which can burst and leave tiny holes in your image. (*) Note that stop bath does not degrade your fixer (i.e., acid fixer that is, like most) because the only active ingredient is also a component of the fixer.

[@GeorgiosKalaydjian]

Is agitating with the rod enough, I mean can we just agitate with the rod and void rotating the tank?

[@markbeadle6434]

Excellent but does the fixer have to be on a black bottle ? Stuck in for the rest of April after being Furloughed and want to develop my film. Looking to put a kit together with what I can get to hand !

[@MurphysFilm]

Can be any one liter bottle as long as it’s clean and can be air tight

[@markbeadle6434]

Murphys Film awesome ! Cheers, waiting for my chemicals to arrive. Doing it on a budget for now if I like it when this is over I’ll get more stuff

[@josephasghar]

Brilliant. Thanks so much for putting the time in to make this 🙂

[@stevensko5586]

Do i need to upgrade the time, when i develop two rolls of film. Talking about hp5 and hc-110 ? Or is it the same, with just more developer and water mix ?

[@taylamuhvic9364]

Hi there, very helpful! Just wanting to make sure i am doing this correctly. I have the ilford fixer however i am using a different film... will the fixer dilution ratio still be 1-4? Going to give it a go myself at home for the first time :)

[@MurphysFilm]

Yep still 1-4 dilution for fixer that’s a standard dilution 😊

[@Brooksms]

I wish I’d watched your video before being stuck in a dark bathroom for a few too many minutes trying to get the film on! 😅

[@TimDobbs]

Nice one mate .... it is good to show how easy developing your own film can be ... also cheers for having my instagram photo up on your screen Haha!

[@jonathanbaxter4366]

Hi Garth, Very informative and your approach resonates with me, can`t wait to get started. cheers.

[@andyvan5692]

hey MURPHY, you forgot one tool which can get the tongue out , a grabber, that pulls it out!, and importantly, this saves getting any metal rubbish inside the changing bag.

[@8552wendb]

How do you know the agitation times for the developer? I am using T-Max 400, a different film stock than in this video. Will agitation times be different?

[@MurphysFilm]

No as standard I use the same agitation across all b&w film

[@8552wendb]

@@MurphysFilm does agitation time change when doing more than one roll? I want to do (3) rolls at once.

[@MurphysFilm]

Nope agitation stays the same regardless of the amount of film in the tank

[@randallstewart175]

HC-110: The good - it lasts in stock storage forever compared to others; it's cheap in that only small amounts are required to mix the developing solution. The bad - Compared to most other developers, the images are at best of modest quality, grain largish, sharpness less than average, and tonality - so so. HC-110 was not developed by Kodak to please the DIY home user or deliver high quality performance. It was developed in the 1950s to meet demands from Kodak's large commercial user base - the local B&W pharmacy labs. They wanted an inexpensive developer with a long shelf life, and which could be mixed without screw up by the high school kid who developed the daily load of customers' film in their automatic processing equipment. That it survives as a current Kodak product is testament to ignorance and convenience over quality.

[@jrodori]

But it was Ansel Adams’ favorite... 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@randallstewart175]

One of the more popular urban legends. Apart from such, Adams was shooting large format, which by its image size makes no difference of grain and sharpness. since enlargement magnification is modest. Also, Using his Zone System, Adams was tailoring his development process to get his personal standards, and he did not depend on Kodak to tell him ow to process.

[@nickfanzo]

Randall Stewart what developer do you use?

[@randallstewart175]

I started in 1958 with Microdol-X, in retrospect not a particularly good choice. Later moved to D-76. Still later I got into compounding developers from raw components, starting with Divided D-23, moving on to several others, then many years with a DIY compound of Ilford Microphen. About 15 years ago, I started testing FX-37 (DIY), later preparing my own modificatton of FX-37 with sodium ascorbate: which I now consider just this side of perfect. That represents many hours (days) of testing to determine EI and developing times for Ilford HP-5+ in 120 and 35mm, FR-4 as well. I am currently working on a repackaging to create two liquid solutions for the stock, which should have a shelf life in the range of HC-110.

[@stuffenjoyer2223]

“Testament to ignorance and convenience over quality” Lol people just want something they can afford. It’s not that deep.

[@andyvan5692]

one other point, to KNOW how much chem. you need see a video by Tod Korol, he explains per sheet/roll exactly how much, so this ratio stuff makes sense!!, and HE shows us how to develop SHEET film, not just 35mm.

[@Agnes-gl1lf]

Thanks, this tutorial helped a lot! 🙏

[@eoghanhennessy15]

Hi Garth, I'm ready to give this a go myself - do you have a particular place you buy the chemicals and the darkroom accessories online, other than the usual eBay/Amazon route?

[@MurphysFilm]

a good place to start in the UK is first call photographic but there postage can be expensive besides that i mostly use ebay

[@eoghanhennessy15]

@@MurphysFilm Hi Garth, bought the stuff now... will keep you posted :-)

[@eoghanhennessy15]

@@MurphysFilm Shot three rolls of B/W film over the weekend, developing my first one tonight

[@plz515]

@@eoghanhennessy15 how did it go

[@eoghanhennessy15]

lszmr19 really well, developed over 10 BnW films myself now using this method

[@shamikchoudhury5924]

Fixed need not be heated? Also, if I use stop bath chemical, does it needs to be heated at 20 degree?

[@MurphysFilm]

Room temp for both fixer and stop bath should be fine

[@justix55]

Brilliant. Thanks. I’m about to give it a go. Watch this space!!😆

[@cameronhill7769]

Hi Garth, where is the best place around Liverpool for getting 35mm film developed?

[@bqfilms]

I guess it doesnt matter for the amount of developer, but wouldnt you want the actual mix of water and developer to be 20c ?

[@MurphysFilm]

for mixing it can be room temp just make sure to check the temp when actually developing

[@PASTY06]

Ayyyy fellow scouser: auto subscribe

[@jacovanlith5082]

What do you want to prove by showing the Leica camera? You better get yourself a decent Hasselblad or a SINAR Norma 8 x 10.

[@joemedlock5011]

Does the fixer need to be mixed in 20C water too?

[@MurphysFilm]

roughly yes as long as its room temp it should be okay

[@jacovanlith5082]

Where is the fixing ring to keep the real down in the tank. During the process the real will rise and left the 300 cc developer

[@thehighroad6396]

So what did you say you do with the developer solution? It can't just go down the drain, right?

[@melody3741]

Fixer doesn't actually touch the image at all All it does is wash away the excess undeveloped material that was never exposed to light which prevents the non-image portions from becoming dark. If your entire film is black it's because you didn't fix properly and not because it's over developed at least typically. And this is assuming that it was exposed properly.

[@BluemazeWesley]

Correction, fixer removes the silver nitrate that was not affected by light and developed.

[@Tonybc99]

What does the "dillution" letter means in the chart?

[@zubenelganubi1583]

Click on the 'Notes' at the right and you should see an explanation for the relevant letter

[@fgj4990]

Great video! Many thanks.

[@robiulahmed]

This is excellent. I live in a hot country, though, hot enough that you can have a hot shower with the cold water tap, so I'm assuming the development times will be different.

[@lucab1733]

I just use cinestill monobath and I can do this whole process in three mins with just one solution and repeat it with about 10 35mm films

[@FACup-eu2dt]

You said, "Buy some cheap film and practice," I've looked all over the place, and can't find any cheap film, any suggestions where else to try?

[@MurphysFilm]

Try get some colour plus that’s going to be the cheapest or search eBay for some expired film

[@FACup-eu2dt]

@@MurphysFilm Thanks, I will.

[@dennisgreene7164]

Nice video thanks!

[@daverojo77]

so if you are doing 2 rolls then you need 500ml of chemicals?

[@hilltopviewer8204]

I enjoyed your video, very informative! Vinny, Dublin

[@keepondoubletruckin8466]

Thank You

[@doyoudevelop]

I'm just confused as to how much water you're using. For one roll of 35mm my final volume is 300ml, not 300ml + x amount of developer ..

[@MurphysFilm]

for this particular roll, it was 9 ml + 291 ml water but with it being so close to 300ml of water i just went close to it

[@doyoudevelop]

gotcha :) @@MurphysFilm

[@andrewwright5190]

Very helpful

[@doyoudevelop]

Great tutorial mate! :)

[@MurphysFilm]

Thank you Jahan :D

[@carlitodcreative]

Awesome!!!

[@Scott-hb1xn]

Bottle opener works just dandy...

[@i.c.a.productionsbyr.p.]

Very interesting. Good!

[@jacovanlith5082]

You are making a big mitake. You have to cut the the start of the film When the 10 cm is cut off clip the corners at the beginning of the film.

[@atroche1978]

I just developed my first roll. Tri-X 400 in ID11 at 1+1 for 8 minutes. After I poured out the developer, without rinsing, I put stop film in for about 2 minutes. Afterwards I poured out the stop and rinsed for several minutes then added the fixer, which I kept in for like 3 minutes. I then rinsed and used that Flo stuff for several minutes. I then rinsed and hung to dry. I have images but I haven't scanned yet. Do you have any advice? I'd appreciate it. Also, what can and can't be reused? Thanks.

[@randallstewart175]

To save time, limit your stop bath to about 30 seconds. That is more than enough time for it to work. Also, you do not have to water rinse between stop and fixer; the active ingredient in stop bath is also a component in most fixers. Your fixing time is probably too short. (Depends on type of fixer and film used.) For rapid fixer and non-T-gran type films, fix for about 5 minutes; for T-grain films, 8-10 minutes. (The times are in the product instructions on the bottle; just read it for Christ sake.) After fixing, you "just rinsed"? There is a washing step there you are missing: Running water (over the film, not over the tank, for 10 minutes or more. There are other washing processes which take less water, but if you are afraid to waste water washing your film, you need to give your tree a hug and go back to digital. After washing, a separate Photoflo-type bath for about 30-60 seconds completes the process. Do NOT mix your Photoflo working solution stronger than recommended or it can scum up your film; I use mine half strength and it works fine. If you have hard water or crap in your water, mix the Photoflo with distilled water so you get a super clean negative with no water marks. I strongly suggest that you rewash (properly) your negatives to date, or save the anguish by just throwing them out now.

[@randallstewart175]

I much prefer a "one shot" type of developer, rather than one that is reused, since the development process itself will be changed each time you reuse developer. The consistent results from not reusing developer is far more valuable than a few pennies (literally) saved by reuse. Stop bath comes with an "indicator", a dye which is usually yellow when the solution is okay, but turns a dark purple once the stop bath is exhausted from reuse. Apart from actual use, the stop bath will last for ever. Fixer has both a shelf life (it can go bad over time if not used) and an exhaustion (can only "fix" so much film or paper). Read the instructions for specifics. A stock bottle of rapid fixer (not mixed to working strength with water), should have a shelf life of a couple of years or more. If you are doing a lot of B&W processing, you can buy a little bottle of solution which indicates whether your fixer solution is good or bad. (You put a drop of it in the fixer; if it clouds up - bad, if not - good; one bottle will last a lifetime). Photoflo - mix to use, then toss when done for the day; stock bottle will last forever.

[@andrewwright5190]

Love you sheets but I would use Border Collies