Film processing with green safelight

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 7, 2014

Over the weekend, I tried for the first time process film through inspection. I have to say that it's pretty cool. I've been reading up on it on the internet and I got a used safelight with a dark green filter with a 15 watt bulb for $12. I still have a lot to learn, but my negs are quite usable. I processed some 5x7 Arista EDU 400 and it didn't get fogged from the safelight. Do any of APGUers use this method of film processing?

c6h6o3 · Jul 7, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Over the weekend, I tried for the first time process film through inspection. I have to say that it's pretty cool. I've been reading up on it on the internet and I got a used safelight with a dark green filter with a 15 watt bulb for $12. I still have a lot to learn, but my negs are quite usable. I processed some 5x7 Arista EDU 400 and it didn't get fogged from the safelight. Do any of APGUers use this method of film processing?

I do. I use a 7.5 watt bulb. Gives me a little more time to look. I use HP5+

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 7, 2014

1/2 the wattage

c6h6o3 said:
I do. I use a 7.5 watt bulb. Gives me a little more time to look. I use HP5+

2x the fun!

Rick A · Jul 7, 2014

I have one, but never use it. I've thought about using it, but I don't develop in trays.

bsdunek · Jul 7, 2014

I thought that inspection developing by green light was only for the old more ortho films. Panchromatic films will 'see' the green light.
Am I wrong? I've never tried it.

MartinP · Jul 7, 2014

A check for a few seconds, more than 2/3 of the way through the development, is apparently survivable for pan films due to a reduction in sensitivity during development (sensitising dyes washed out? shielding by developed silver? dunno). I haven't personally tried development of panchromatic film by inspection, only ortho sheets long ago, but many people have used the technique so it is not fictional. Just be sure to realise that it doesn't mean you have the safelight sitting next to the dev-tray, and also that the inspection time really is just a few seconds.

It would be interesting to hear from a user of this technique, precisely how they use the technique with current materials and at what point (in a test-to-destruction rather than normal work hopefully) they see fogging on the film.

cliveh · Jul 7, 2014

bsdunek said:
I thought that inspection developing by green light was only for the old more ortho films. Panchromatic films will 'see' the green light.
Am I wrong? I've never tried it.

Yes, you are wrong, the spectral sensitivity for panchromatic film dips in the green region. Exposure = intensity X time, so as long as your green safe light is not too close and you don't have it on for too long, it is a workable method.

Sirius Glass · Jul 7, 2014

I have a dark green safe light, but I could not out how to develop by inspection with a metal tank or a Jobo processor.

cliveh · Jul 7, 2014

Sirius Glass said:
I have a dark green safe light, but I could not out how to develop by inspection with a metal tank or a Jobo processor.

In that instance you would need to take the spiral out the tank during development and peel back enough film to view the last frame from the emulsion side on the spiral.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 7, 2014

I heard of this method over 20 years ago working as a student assistant in a university. My former boss and long time friend told me that his retired colleague used develop by inspection. Sam, my friend told me that it fogs the film and I never explored this method until this weekend. I have to tell everyone that it does work, but I'll have to process film this method more often get get better at it. Being an amateur cook, it like baking a cake and towards the end when the cake is close to done, I inspect the cake with a toothpick to see if it's done. Just time and temperature will get you close with both, but inspecting gets me closer to the results I want. I only turn on the safe light a few seconds at a time.

MattKing · Jul 7, 2014

cliveh said:
Yes, you are wrong, the spectral sensitivity for panchromatic film dips in the green region. Exposure = intensity X time, so as long as your green safe light is not too close and you don't have it on for too long, it is a workable method.

This is part of the reason it works.

Equally important, our eyes work the other way - they are more sensitive to green light than other colours, so light of a lower intensity works.

I've never used the technique, but understand that it requires experience, because most people over-develop at first, as the appearance of a properly developed negative isn't what you might expect.

cliveh · Jul 7, 2014

MattKing said:
This is part of the reason it works.

Equally important, our eyes work the other way - they are more sensitive to green light than other colours, so light of a lower intensity works.

I've never used the technique, but understand that it requires experience, because most people over-develop at first, as the appearance of a properly developed negative isn't what you might expect.

Thanks Matt, as I forgot to mention our eye sensitivity to green light. I must admit that I don't practice this method, but have tried it in the past. To anyone wishing to give it a try, I would suggest you spend at least 20 minutes under a dark green safe light before viewing the film. This will allow your eyes to adjust to this very low level of illumination.

removed account4 · Jul 7, 2014

i use it for 35mm. 120, 4x5 .. i can't remember the wattage bulb,
i develop in trays ( sheets ) and reels (rolls) and with the sheets, i will grab a sheet while it is in the
post develop water bath/rinse, step on my enlarger timer which the green bulb is attached to
and peek at the film. rolls, i turn the lights off and when it is rinsing, i unroll a few frames and peek at them too.
i don't do it all the time, once in a while .. when i need a cheap thrill

NedL · Jul 7, 2014

How NOT to use the green safelight....

More than 40 years ago I was standing in my parents' basement, green "film" safelight on, trying to get my first 35mm film into a plastic reel... turning, turning, it would start to go in and then get jammed... then the sprocket holes started to tear... then I managed to push most of it in... I don't remember if that film was completely destroyed or if I salvaged anything from it. But I sure remember the intense level of frustration and how much I cared about that film that was getting ruined! I threw away the plastic "self winding" thing, I think I managed to break it. I thought the green light was so you could see what you were doing spooling the film. Not long after that I learned how to use the metal reels in complete darkness.

Allen Friday · Jul 8, 2014

I tried it with mixed results a few years ago. I moved on to using night vision goggles. Much simpler and you can view your film through the whole process.

c6h6o3 · Jul 8, 2014

The tanning effect of pyro based developers further desensitizes the film, allowing you a bit longer look. I've inspected my large format negs for as long as 10 seconds with no discernible fogging when developing them in ABC pyro.

cliveh · Jul 8, 2014

Allen Friday said:
I tried it with mixed results a few years ago. I moved on to using night vision goggles. Much simpler and you can view your film through the whole process.

Doesn't this make you look like someone from "Silence of the Lambs"?

BetterSense · Jul 8, 2014

Kodak has instructions on using a green safelight right in the TMAX datasheets. The way people talk, I guess not very many people read the datasheets.

Jim Noel · Jul 8, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Over the weekend, I tried for the first time process film through inspection. I have to say that it's pretty cool. I've been reading up on it on the internet and I got a used safelight with a dark green filter with a 15 watt bulb for $12. I still have a lot to learn, but my negs are quite usable. I processed some 5x7 Arista EDU 400 and it didn't get fogged from the safelight. Do any of APGUers use this method of film processing?

I develop 90% of my film by inspection, and have done so for over 70 years. You just have to know how to do it and what and how to look for it.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 8, 2014

Wow!

Jim Noel said:
I develop 90% of my film by inspection, and have done so for over 70 years. You just have to know how to do it and what and how to look for it.

I only have been doing it for a few hours. With your experience, can you give me some insight? Has film emulsions changed over the years that have made it easier or harder?

c6h6o3 · Jul 8, 2014

BetterSense said:
Kodak has instructions on using a green safelight right in the TMAX datasheets. The way people talk, I guess not very many people read the datasheets.

Are you referring to the instructions on page 3 under Darkroom Recommendations telling us not to do it?

Film processing with green safelight

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