Need advice on developing B&W.

Of course everyone will have their own opinion on this.

Mine is

(a) The Patterson tanks are fine as long as you know that you can't load a reel if it's even slightly damp as the film sticks to it and does not go in properly. So with 2 reels you can only develop 2 rolls at a time, then you have to leave the reels to dry.

(b) HP5+ is a fine film to start with, but I would start by rating it at box speed (400 ISO). Once you're comfortable with Normal development you can try pushing.

(c) With Ilford film I would choose Ilford chemistry, since Ilford will assist you with any problems you may have. They can't assist as effectively if you're using chemistry they're not familiar with. I'm not aware of any other manufacturers who are as helpful as Ilford when it comes to diagnosing problems from low volume users like ourselves.

(d) I would start with a straightforward developer that's suitable for all films - my own choice was ID-11 diluted 1+1 and I've never regretted it. The Ilford data sheet times are a good starting point.

(e) Ilfostop stop bath, Ilford Rapid Fixer and Ilfotol wetting agent (optional but recommended) complete the chemistry.

(f) The Ilford information leaflet Processing Your First Black & White Film is excellent and takes you step by step through the process. If you follow these steps you should get a printable negative - there's no black magic required.

(g) Use a suitable thermometer like the Patterson B&W one. Ensure the developer is at the correct temp to avoid over- or under-development. Avoid any substantial temperature changes between stages to avoid reticulation (crazy-paving cracking of the emulsion) but frankly a few of degrees F difference between stages won't do any harm.

Have fun!
Andrew

mklw1954 said:

I use D76 stock solution for developing and come up with $0.60-0.70 per roll, as MattKing estimated.

Find books in your public library on developing film. There are quite a few, many written around the 1970s as this is not a new craft. If you ask people for advice online you will get lots of different opinions and much of it is not good. And follow the data sheets for your film and chemicals

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Good advice about reading all you can about it, except the library won't work so well anymore. I started my self education about 10 years ago and every library I've been to in the last 5 years has no books about film at all any more. They all got old and worn out and have been replaced by books about digital. You'll need to find a used book store or thrift store, such as Goodwill. They will be dirt cheap.

I think there are some decent books still available on dark room work at Amazon. "Photography" by London/Upton is still around pretty cheap, and a good source for general photography. There are others, "The Art of Photography" by Bruce Birnbaum is another good reference, and lest I forget, "Way Beyond Monochrome" by Ralph Lambrecht is a must read.

summicron1 said:

I also use a mac. So there you are. Your results may vary. Offer void in some states.

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I use a Mac AND plastic reels.

How much developer do I put in the tank? Enough to have the film submerged while the tank is in the upright position?

Yes. Also, read this: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/200629163442455.pdf

f/16 said:

How much developer do I put in the tank? Enough to have the film submerged while the tank is in the upright position?

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You use what the tank requires. My stainless single reel 35mm tank calls for 8oz (225ml), while my double reel (2x35 or 1x120)needs 16 oz(450ml) I have no idea what the plastic tank requirements are, but they should be printed on the tank some where.The tank needs to be upright to fill. Stainless tanks fill easier if tipped slightly, but the Paterson has a big funnel opening that is easy to fill.

The tank designers have all intelligently worked out what the capacity needs to be to both cover the film and allow enough space for correct agitation. Simply fill the tank with what the maker recommends.

It really is as simple as that

pentaxuser

f/16 said:

How much developer do I put in the tank? Enough to have the film submerged while the tank is in the upright position?

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Yes, with one qualification.

Many developers can be used at a variety of different dilutions. If you use one of the more dilute options, it is possible that a small amount of highly dilute developer won't have enough "oomph" to do the full job.

("oomph" is a technical term, just like "soup").

So if you intend to play around with some of the more dilute options (like HC-110 in unofficial dilution H: 1+63) then you may need to put a bit more developer into the tank. To figure out how much, you will need the manufacturer's capacity information, and some arithmetic.

f/16 said:

How much developer do I put in the tank? Enough to have the film submerged while the tank is in the upright position?

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Many tanks, including the Pattersons, show the required volume of chemicals on the bottom of the tank.

I use paterson tanks an old red cap and a new system 4 both are easy to load 35 mm as long as you campher the leading edge of the film. 120 film needs a bit more patience but I rarely have to pull it off and try again. My local pro shop filmimport.no recommended t-max 1/4 developer and I have used it ever since for kodak, ilford and rollei films without feeling the need to look elsewhere. The rest of the setup is ilfostop and ilford rapid fixer and the Massive Dev app, oh and I use an app called Film scanner light with my smartphone for previewing my negs as positives.

By the way if you shoot 120 you can star making paper contact prints without an enlarger.

To find that out, fill the tank with water, even with the top of the reel, and measure it as you pour it out.

On pay day I'm gonna order some stuff from B&H-can't wait till I develop that first roll!