B&W developing protocol using Kodak complement - review and critique

Paul Howell · Feb 16, 2022

I know that Sirius Glass is very fond of Xtol, with traditionally grained film like TriX and HP5 and PF4 it is hard to beat. But if you are using a Tmax film, then Tmax developer was designed to work with Tgrain films. Looking at the chart Tmax Developer and I assume DDX developer provides increased shadow detail with best acutance of the developers listed. Tmax 100 has such fine grain that the increased grain is positive as the larger gain give the the appearance of sharpness. When I shot a lot of T grain filmed I used DDX or Clayton F90, sadly F90 is no longer in production. D76 is a classic as it does a fine job of maintaining film speed, fine grain, and good shadow detail, but Xtol does the same thing as does HC 110. The reason I don't use Xtol is that it comes in 5 liters kits which is a bit too large for me, Foma does make a 1 lit kit, the cost really goes up.

bdial · Feb 16, 2022

Regarding mixing your stop bath, the accepted rule in chemistry is to always add acid to water, not the other way around. For a stop bath, great precision is not required, so you can safely measure the full amount of water, and add the requisite amount of concentrate to it to get to your planned final volume. If you happen to be off by a few ml, it won't matter.

As someone else mentioned take some scrap film, or a roll that you use for the purpose and practice loading the reel. Do it several times watching, then several more times with your eyes closed to simulate doing it in the dark.

Sirius Glass · Feb 16, 2022

Except for developing with pyro, always use stop bath. PE, a retired Kodak Photo Engineer who was an expert on film and developers, strongly recommended using stop bath. Beside stop bath with indicator is not very expensive. Also use PhotoFlo or other surfactant and follow the instructions.

AgX · Feb 16, 2022

Well, the OP came here, because he was unsure about his doings at his first film processing and likely only wanted confirmation.

But already a short glance at the replies make me wonder whether he got this and is not puzzled even more.
I guess I can speak for many of us, saying that I processed my very first film without any textbook, video, let alone internet.
I watched a friend doing this in his bathroom. Then I went to a department store and bought all I thought I needed.
So all I had as instructions were the leafets that came with the Jobo tank and with the Tetenal developer and what was printed on the bag of fixer.
All went fine !
From my 4th roll on I bulk loaded. Again without any instructions and without knowing that such as a bulk loader even existed.

I hope this gives some confidence!

But there is one advice I would like to add, and which I did not get back then: use gloves !!!

tokam · Feb 16, 2022

AgX said:
Well, the OP came here, because he was unsure about his doings at his first film processing and likely only wanted confirmation.

I guess I can speak for many of us, saying that I processed my very first film without any textbook, video, let alone internet.

+1
In 1973 I bought my first enlarger. Borrowed dad's camera and shot my first BW film. Was very wary of developing it myself so I gave it to local pharmacy for processing plus contact prints. Came home and made my first enlargements.

On my next trip to pharmacy the chemist, a film enthusiast, told me how easy it was to home develop film. He ended up selling me a Paterson System 4 tank plus chemicals and away I went and never looked back. I bought a few books and was completely self taught. Pre internet days I bought loads of photo magazines, mainly UK and US editions up until about 1990.

Gotta love the old time pharmacies which were also mini photo stores, almost.

Sirius Glass · Feb 16, 2022

My best friend and I set up a darkroom in his basement. He brought an enlarger and tanks. With advice from the teachers at his school we started developing film and printing.

Paul Howell · Feb 17, 2022

I was lucky, our high school had a darkroom, taught as a art elective and was used by the school newspaper and yearbook, we had a very well used enlarger, don't call the make, and a set of Kodacraft tanks with aprons for 35mm and 120.

markjwyatt · Feb 17, 2022

When I started with photography, my dad taught a photography class at a local high school and maintained a nice darkroom facility. I was able to use it occasionally, I took his summer course and also was a lab assistant for his night class. Finally I worked a local rental darkroom for a while and got a discount. I think we set-up a darkroom at home in a bathroom once, but it was too difficult to set-up and take down to be worth it. Later I used labs, but it is not the same. I develop and scan film at home now, but do not have a darkroom.

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 17, 2022

Paul Howell said:
I know that Sirius Glass is very fond of Xtol, with traditionally grained film like TriX and HP5 and PF4 it is hard to beat. But if you are using a Tmax film, then Tmax developer was designed to work with Tgrain films. Looking at the chart Tmax Developer and I assume DDX developer provides increased shadow detail with best acutance of the developers listed. Tmax 100 has such fine grain that the increased grain is positive as the larger gain give the the appearance of sharpness. When I shot a lot of T grain filmed I used DDX or Clayton F90, sadly F90 is no longer in production. D76 is a classic as it does a fine job of maintaining film speed, fine grain, and good shadow detail, but Xtol does the same thing as does HC 110. The reason I don't use Xtol is that it comes in 5 liters kits which is a bit too large for me, Foma does make a 1 lit kit, the cost really goes up.

Paul, North Coast Photo in CA use Clayton F76+ developer (in lieu of Kodak D76).

Alan Edward Klein · Feb 17, 2022

The OP said he spends $45 at his local photo store to develop. I mail mine away for around $8.50 a roll (no prints).
https://northcoastphoto.com/35mm-color-film-developing/

Don_ih · Feb 17, 2022

AgX said:
use gloves

Possibly the best advice. Some people develop an allergy to metol from very limited exposure to it. It doesn't wash off as easily as you'd think, since it gets absorbed by your skin. And I absolutely hate the smell of fixer on my hands. Plus it's a good practice to adopt for when you start messing around with other things. And you will start messing around with other things...

AgX · Feb 17, 2022

When I started no one had it about gloves.
But I used tongs at trays, and at tank development I was very careful, never had skin contact with developer. Nonetheless once I got a few droplets of Tetenal Ultrafin concentrate onto the back of my hand, only for few seconds before I rinsed my hand unter the tap. But still I got itching blisters. I was quite surprised by this effect.

pentaxuser · Feb 17, 2022

AgX said:
Well, the OP came here, because he was unsure about his doings at his first film processing and likely only wanted confirmation.

But already a short glance at the replies make me wonder whether he got this and is not puzzled even more.
I guess I can speak for many of us, saying that I processed my very first film without any textbook, video, let alone internet.
I watched a friend doing this in his bathroom. Then I went to a department store and bought all I thought I needed.
So all I had as instructions were the leafets that came with the Jobo tank and with the Tetenal developer and what was printed on the bag of fixer.
All went fine !
From my 4th roll on I bulk loaded. Again without any instructions and without knowing that such as a bulk loader even existed.

I hope this gives some confidence!

But there is one advice I would like to add, and which I did not get back then: use gloves !!!

We all have our say with the intention of helping but there is the danger of us collectively confusing the person making the inquiry such as here

It is very funny

pentaxuser

Sirius Glass · Feb 17, 2022

AgX said:
use gloves !!!

Especially with pyro and TF4 or TF5.

MattKing · Feb 17, 2022

Alan Edward Klein said:
The OP said he spends $45 at his local photo store to develop. I mail mine away for around $8.50 a roll (no prints).
https://northcoastphoto.com/35mm-color-film-developing/

In Canada, it costs us almost that amount to mail a roll of film.

Sirius Glass · Feb 17, 2022

MattKing said:
In Canada, it costs us almost that amount to mail a roll of film.

Is that because the Canada Post still uses dog sleds?

MattKing · Feb 17, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
Is that because the Canada Post still uses dog sleds?

No, it is because film has to be shipped as a parcel - it is too thick to be shipped under the lower, envelope based rates.

Romanko · Feb 17, 2022

AgX said:
But there is one advice I would like to add, and which I did not get back then: use gloves !!!

Also use gloves when loading the film into the reels. Gloves protect the film from finger marks so you can handle it more easily. If you are using the change-bag they help with reducing humidity as your hands start sweating.

albada · Feb 17, 2022

tokam said:
For the earlier Paterson System 4 tanks, (pre 1980), Paterson supplied a locking collar which is fitted to the centre column after the reel has been slid onto it. The purpose is to prevent the reel sliding up during inversion agitation. For the newer Super System 4 tanks and reels a locking collar is not supplied as it is supposedly not required. To make doubly sure, if you are not confident, you could twist a rubber band onto the centre column after sliding the reel on and snug it down against the reel. This should hold the reel at the bottom of the column. Another way is to place additional reels on the column above the loaded reel, either empty or, if processing more than one film at a time, loaded with film.

Here's another way to prevent the reel from slipping up the centre column:

Cut a piece of one-inch diameter PVC pipe to 49 mm long, and you'll be certain the reel won't slip upward.

Mark Overton

tokam · Feb 19, 2022

albada said:
Here's another way to prevent the reel from slipping up the centre column:
Cut a piece of one-inch diameter PVC pipe to 49 mm long, and you'll be certain the reel won't slip upward.

Mark Overton

Nice one Mark. I had a similar idea to cut the bottom off of a 35mm film tub supplied by Kodak, Fuji, Ilford et al. This would give me a tube of around 47mm long to act as a spacer in the dev tank.

B&W developing protocol using Kodak complement - review and critique

Paul Howell

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Alan Edward Klein

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B&W developing protocol using Kodak complement - review and critique

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