I love 35mm film but want to develop and print my own film

SomerHimpson60 · Oct 17, 2022

Hi I am a 35mm film lover and own a 1953 Nikon S2 which I simply love. There are so many aspects to this camera that I love, but I think my favourite is the noise of the shutter opening. I would like to develop my own films and have a Leitz Focomat 11C enlarger, which I know nothing about as I do not how to use it. I would welcome anybody on the forum to help me with using it.

Chan Tran · Oct 17, 2022

SomerHimpson60 said:
Hi I am a 35mm film lover and own a 1953 Nikon S2 which I simply love. There are so many aspects to this camera that I love, but I think my favourite is the noise of the shutter opening. I would like to develop my own films and have a Leitz Focomat 11C enlarger, which I know nothing about as I do not how to use it. I would welcome anybody on the forum to help me with using it.

Personally if I were to do my own printing I would sell the Focomat and buy another enlarger. The reason? The focomat is worth a lot of money but for using it? I don't think I want to use it.

Paul Howell · Oct 17, 2022

Here is a link the manual

Leitz Wetzlar Focomat IIc Instruction Manual - Page 1 of 22

Focomat IIc - read user manual online or download in PDF format. Pages in total: 22.

manualsbrain.com

Paul Howell · Oct 17, 2022

I used a Focomat once, when I was a working PJ we had field office that had 2, great enlarger, lens are very good, only issue that I have come across in past years is sourcing the right bulb.

GregY · Oct 17, 2022

Chan Tran said:
Personally if I were to do my own printing I would sell the Focomat and buy another enlarger. The reason? The focomat is worth a lot of money but for using it? I don't think I want to use it.

I would absolutely use it.....that's what it was built for.

mrosenlof · Oct 17, 2022

There are many resources, both online and in print that instruct how to do film developing and printing. Your local library may have something. But there is always a benefit to personal (or group) instruction. I'm assuming you're in the UK, maybe some forum members there would have some suggestions for instruction.

Rental darkrooms, if you can find one, are often a great way to start. Even if you have an enlarger, the darkroom and other equipment *do* require effort and costs to collect and put to use. You might want to get a little educated before taking on that project. Instruction often accompanies a rental darkroom.

logan2z · Oct 17, 2022

Paul Howell said:
only issue that I have come across in past years is sourcing the right bulb.

I know that's the case with the v35 - one of the main reasons mine is collecting dust - but does the IIC also use a bulb that is no longer in production?

jonmon6691 · Oct 17, 2022

SomerHimpson60 said:
Hi I am a 35mm film lover and own a 1953 Nikon S2 which I simply love. There are so many aspects to this camera that I love, but I think my favourite is the noise of the shutter opening. I would like to develop my own films and have a Leitz Focomat 11C enlarger, which I know nothing about as I do not how to use it. I would welcome anybody on the forum to help me with using it.

This is a good series of videos that teaches you the basics of darkroom printing

Sirius Glass · Oct 17, 2022

I recommend starting with a steel development tanks and Hewes reels. Use a darkroom bag and trim the film corners with a scissors to make starting the film on reels easier.

Welcome to ~~APUG~~ Photrio!!

awty · Oct 17, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
I recommend starting with a steel development tanks and Hewes reels. Use a darkroom bag and trim the film corners with a scissors to make starting the film on reels easier.

You do like inflicting pain on the unsuspecting.

jonmon6691 · Oct 17, 2022

awty said:
You do like inflicting pain on the unsuspecting.

That's what I learned on, slightly tougher on day one, but it pays off in being simpler, more durable, and more reliable in the long run.

You HAVE TO PRACTICE in the light with junk film first, then do it with your eyes closed, then do it in the dark, then do it with real film.

madNbad · Oct 17, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
I recommend starting with a steel development tanks and Hewes reels. Use a darkroom bag and trim the film corners with a scissors to make starting the film on reels easier.

Welcome to ~~APUG~~ Photrio!!

Be careful and leave the sprocket holes on the trimmed end intact.

awty · Oct 17, 2022

jonmon6691 said:
That's what I learned on, slightly tougher on day one, but it pays off in being simpler, more durable, and more reliable in the long run.

You HAVE TO PRACTICE in the light with junk film first, then do it with your eyes closed, then do it in the dark, then do it with real film.

You could do all that or just get one of theses.

jonmon6691 · Oct 17, 2022

awty said:
You could do all that or just get one of theses.
View attachment 319379

But how will OP feel superior if they don't use the stainless steel reels and tanks?

Paul Howell · Oct 17, 2022

logan2z said:
I know that's the case with the v35 - one of the main reasons mine is collecting dust - but does the IIC also use a bulb that is no longer in production?

I found several on Amazon, halogen one for the color head another frosted for the condenser. Not sure if the blub for the condenser head is correct of just close enough for government work. The manual will give details.

pentaxuser · Oct 17, 2022

Chan Tran said:
Personally if I were to do my own printing I would sell the Focomat and buy another enlarger. The reason? The focomat is worth a lot of money but for using it? I don't think I want to use it.

Can you say why the Focomat is worth a lot of money when several drawbacks associated with it including your own final sentence have been cited? Worth a lot of money and difficulties in using it do seem somewhat irreconcilable

Thansk

pentaxuser

awty · Oct 17, 2022

jonmon6691 said:
But how will OP feel superior if they don't use the stainless steel reels and tanks?

I can understand the comedy of watching someone try and load a stainless steel reel, but as we can't see them not much point.
Although it's a toss up whether they are worse than loading flimsy 120 film onto a Jobo reel. I can do both, but it often includes swearing.

Sirius Glass · Oct 17, 2022

awty said:
I can understand the comedy of watching someone try and load a stainless steel reel, but as we can't see them not much point.
Although it's a toss up whether they are worse than loading flimsy 120 film onto a Jobo reel. I can do both, but it often includes swearing.

I have used both. Experience problems with both, but that is part of learning to develop film. Buck up and put on your big boy pants. No need to swear.

Rick A · Oct 17, 2022

If you lived close by I would have you stop in and walk you through a dark room session. You would need to clear a couple of days to get basic film developing and then printing. Since you aren't close, there are many videos available on YouTube that you may find helpful.

GregY · Oct 17, 2022

I'm a fan of stainless steel reels. The best invention since sliced bread IMO was the Kinderman loader... i have them for 120 & 135. The reels are as good as the Hewes. I have a stack of their reels as well.

Paul Howell · Oct 17, 2022

Too bad no one is making an update Kodacraft tank and apron. My high school in L.A had a couple, ,mid 60s, worked really well as long as we used a longish development time as the tank was slow to drain.

awty · Oct 17, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
I have used both. Experience problems with both, but that is part of learning to develop film. Buck up and put on your big boy pants. No need to swear.

I mostly use an old Paterson Bakelite 35mm reel and tank with the little too small funnel, don't need a fancy YouTube vid operate that baby.
Swearing is part of my culture, so #@$! Off!

Molli · Oct 18, 2022

Welcome to Photrio! I don't know if you're a book learner or more visually motivated but, either way, Ilford Photo has got you covered.

Personally, whichever method you prefer, I'd recommend finding a set of instructions that you find easy to understand and following them, rather than reading or viewing a thousand different ways online to do something (because there ARE a thousand different ways!) and bogging yourself down with too much information and too many choices.

I learned how to develop film and make my first print from a one page write up in an old magazine. My head would have exploded if I'd tried to take in the gazillion pieces of well meaning advice given on the Internet!

Just the basics:

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Processing-your-first-black-and-white-film.pdf

I started off making contact prints from the outset and find them extremely useful as well as giving me an index print of every single photo I've ever taken:

If you're wanting to get straight to making a full sized print, however:

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Making-your-first-print.pdf

jonmon6691 · Oct 18, 2022

One thing that overwhelmed me when I was learning was times, dilutions, and temperatures. I've screwed up all of those and can safely say that for a beginner, don't lose any sleep over those factors, you can be way off on all 3 and still get an image on the negative. Of course they all have an impact on the amount of development that occurs, but paper grades and scanning software will make that an issue you don't have to worry about until you get the basic steps down

Don_ih · Oct 18, 2022

The Focomat is a great enlarger. Light bulbs are easy to find for it. Even better if you have a proper easel and the locking mechanism on the base. You likely would never need another enlarger.

Buy the Paterson/Ilford starter kit for film. You get everything you need for b&w - including chemistry. Visit Ilford's website for info.

I love 35mm film but want to develop and print my own film

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