Friend's pile of Undeveloped Film. Good Grief!

mshchem · Nov 7, 2022

I enjoy developing film. I usually develop a few rolls at a time, within a day or so. My buddy came over the other day with a pile. So far I've processed 15 rolls of 35mm black and white, I have 6 rolls of 120, loaded ready to process. There's 6 rolls of color negative 35mm too.

Do you pile up a years worth of film, week, month??

Oldwino · Nov 7, 2022

I pile up C-41 as the chemistry has a limited shelf life once mixed. So I tend to do a bunch over the span of a few days. That also means I don't shoot that much C-41...
B&W is usually done within a day or two of shooting.

hoffy · Nov 7, 2022

Yes, yes I do. A lot of it comes down to motivation, pure and simple. I shoot, I put in the cupboard with the intent to do it "next weekend". Usually next weekend comes around, followed with a "can't be arsed" feeling.

I'm good at the moment. I think I have 1 roll of 120 and 5 sheets. I would do the sheets, but I like to do an even 4 or 6 at one shot.

Maybe next weekend...

Bronson Dugnutt · Nov 7, 2022

"We're going to need a bigger tank."

B&W is processed immediately, as is ECN-2 because I generally shoot enough of it at once (2-3 loads) to justify 200mL of developer. C-41 and E-6 will 'pile up' to 3-4 rolls as well, but it takes much longer as I don't use those films as much.

Sheet film is another can of worms; I'd probably wait to develop an entire box but I don't have that many holders.

Cholentpot · Nov 7, 2022

Oldwino said:
I pile up C-41 as the chemistry has a limited shelf life once mixed. So I tend to do a bunch over the span of a few days. That also means I don't shoot that much C-41...
B&W is usually done within a day or two of shooting.

I just developed 30+ rolls of 35mm 120 and 110 in a week going back to April. I'll spend the next few months scanning them. I get about 40 rolls out of a kit before I figure it's gone far enough.

Once I get that large amount done I generally wait until I have 4 rolls and then develop.

mshchem · Nov 7, 2022

I almost got out one of my (I've never used but it's cool) basket for SS reels. Develop 30 35mm at a shot. Takes 3.5 gallons of solution. I don't have that much fixer in the house

Sirius Glass · Nov 7, 2022

I used to collect 16 rolls for C-41 processing, but I do not like printing out that many rolls.

mrosenlof · Nov 7, 2022

I only do B/W, and typically process shortly after finishing a roll, or sheet. I mix from concentrates or from scratch and use developers one-shot.

MattKing · Nov 7, 2022

Cholentpot said:
I'll spend the next few months scanning them.

That will rot your brain - said at least partially jokingly.
I've a bit of a B&W backlog right now, but usually no more than 3-4 rolls.
C-41 and E6 goes to a lab. E6 in particular is a fair drive away, so sometimes that backs up as well.

Cholentpot · Nov 7, 2022

MattKing said:
That will rot your brain - said at least partially jokingly.
I've a bit of a B&W backlog right now, but usually no more than 3-4 rolls.
C-41 and E6 goes to a lab. E6 in particular is a fair drive away, so sometimes that backs up as well.

I usually develop my B&W pretty promptly but I've been letting it slide. I have 6 or 8 waiting to go.

My E6 lab is a drive away. Good price but I have to drive and pickup. I let the rolls pile up before heading out.

NB23 · Nov 7, 2022

Came back from vacation in august with 100 rolls of film.
Shot another 20 locally and 20 in Miami, in the mean time. Total 90 color films, 50 BW.

Yesterday I finished scanning the 90th color film and cutting.

Now I need to contact the 50 bw films which shall be done tomorrow.

Basically, took me 3 months to do all this. 5 days a week, 3 hours a day.

Now what’s left is printing the bw work. I expect about a month of work. And another month editing the color work.

Let’s say that I should be done by the 15th of january 2023.

250swb · Nov 8, 2022

I process film pretty quickly, the incentive is because of what comes next if I don't, endless contact sheets, endless printing or scanning, all before knowing if there are any results that may possibly be worth showing.

IMoL · Nov 8, 2022

I voted 'Yes', but that only applies to C-41 - I tend to develop that in batches. Black and White I never pile up, I generally develop that the day after finishing the roll - my weekly cadence is usually to shoot 1-2 rolls on a weekend and then develop them on a Monday, scan on Tuesday and so on.

faberryman · Nov 8, 2022

mshchem said:
I enjoy developing film. I usually develop a few rolls at a time, within a day or so. My buddy came over the other day with a pile. So far I've processed 15 rolls of 35mm black and white, I have 6 rolls of 120, loaded ready to process. There's 6 rolls of color negative 35mm too.

What a service! Will you develop my film too?

I came back from a three day shoot once with thirty rolls of film. I calculated how long it was going to take me to process them in my two reel tank. So I ordered a four reel tank. I was going to get an eight reel tank, but I didn't think I would be able to fill it and drain it within the recommended time for development.

Andrew O'Neill · Nov 8, 2022

No... but I pile up unprinted negatives! Piles sorted by project...

DWThomas · Nov 8, 2022

In film I only shoot B&W these days, and generally process it within a day or two. If I've been traveling and come back with a dozen or more rolls (120) they may drag out a bit -- but not months or years!

It does seem many people have stories of a relative finishing a roll at, say Christmas, sending it off and getting back photos of the previous year's Christmas, Easter, and the 4th of July picnic. For some, a camera is a write-only process!

mshchem · Nov 8, 2022

NB23 said:
Came back from vacation in august with 100 rolls of film.
Shot another 20 locally and 20 in Miami, in the mean time. Total 90 color films, 50 BW.

Yesterday I finished scanning the 90th color film and cutting.

Now I need to contact the 50 bw films which shall be done tomorrow.

Basically, took me 3 months to do all this. 5 days a week, 3 hours a day.

Now what’s left is printing the bw work. I expect about a month of work. And another month editing the color work.

Let’s say that I should be done by the 15th of january 2023.

Wow! That's a lot of shooting. Is this 35mm? Scanning slides isn't to bad, slow for me. Closest lab to me is 60 miles. I have all chemistry on hand. I definitely need to get out more.

MattKing · Nov 8, 2022

mshchem said:
Wow! That's a lot of shooting. Is this 35mm? Scanning slides isn't to bad, slow for me. Closest lab to me is 60 miles. I have all chemistry on hand. I definitely need to get out more.

Schedule a photography outing somewhere near the lab and drop off a prepaid mailing box at the lab when you drop off your film

mshchem · Nov 8, 2022

MattKing said:
Schedule a photography outing somewhere near the lab and drop off a prepaid mailing box at the lab when you drop off your film

That's a good idea.

braxus · Nov 13, 2022

Not a bad idea Matt. Usually Im not in the city though.

I save my rolls of C41 and E6 120 for when I go to Langley, or mail it out in one shot. 35mm I can get done at the local outfit here. I process all my own B&W though, so it gets done fairly quickly, unless my chemicals are low.

Andy. I have a pile of negs that still need to be scanned up. 120 I don't mind, but 35mm gives me the shivers. I literally waste a day doing one roll in 35mm.

Huss · Nov 13, 2022

braxus said:
Andy. I have a pile of negs that still need to be scanned up. 120 I don't mind, but 35mm gives me the shivers. I literally waste a day doing one roll in 35mm.

Takes me maybe 5 mins to scan one roll 35mm 36 exp.

Don_ih · Nov 13, 2022

Huss said:
Takes me maybe 5 mins to scan one roll 35mm 36 exp.

Does that include adjustments to the images that need to be made on a computer?

Cholentpot · Nov 13, 2022

Don Heisz said:
Does that include adjustments to the images that need to be made on a computer?

B&W takes me about 1/2 hour scans and adjustments. Color is more than an hour with adjustments, dust and hair and exporting. Negative Lab Pro sped things up a bit and the newest update got even faster with a few really cool new features. The most time consuming thing for me is cropping the photos post scan. I don't have a method of DSLR scanning that has the frame exactly the same for every frame. If I were able to duplicate the same framing then I could crop one and copy the setting onto the others. As for now I don't have that option.

Alan Edward Klein · Nov 13, 2022

It could be months before I send out my film for development. Even color chromes.

Alan Edward Klein · Nov 13, 2022

Cholentpot said:
B&W takes me about 1/2 hour scans and adjustments. Color is more than an hour with adjustments, dust and hair and exporting. Negative Lab Pro sped things up a bit and the newest update got even faster with a few really cool new features. The most time consuming thing for me is cropping the photos post scan. I don't have a method of DSLR scanning that has the frame exactly the same for every frame. If I were able to duplicate the same framing then I could crop one and copy the setting onto the others. As for now I don't have that option.

I believe Irfanview might be able to do that for you. It's free on the web.

Friend's pile of Undeveloped Film. Good Grief!

Do you pile up undeveloped films

Yes

No

mshchem

Oldwino

hoffy

Bronson Dugnutt

Cholentpot

mshchem

Sirius Glass

mrosenlof

MattKing

Moderator

Cholentpot

NB23

250swb

IMoL

faberryman

Andrew O'Neill

Moderator

DWThomas

mshchem

MattKing

Moderator

mshchem

braxus

Huss

Don_ih

Cholentpot

Alan Edward Klein

Alan Edward Klein

Friend's pile of Undeveloped Film. Good Grief!

Do you pile up undeveloped films

Yes

No

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Moderator

Moderator

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