Returned to Film

RolleiT · Oct 12, 2011

Having taken the plunge to return to film after some 10 years, can anyone recommend a reliable dev/process house for
120 roll b&w in the UK?

MattKing · Oct 12, 2011

I've seen good reviews for Ilford's services:

http://www.ilfordlab.com/page/57/Black-and-White-Prints-from-Film.htm

Roger Cole · Oct 12, 2011

If you don't do it yourself you're missing 2/3s of the fun and at least 1/2 the creativity of black and white.

guitstik · Oct 12, 2011

+1^^^

perkeleellinen · Oct 12, 2011

Welcome back to film & to APUG!

Send your films to Ilford, but before long you'll be developing yourself.

RolleiT · Oct 12, 2011

Steve, believe me I've been developing film and printing for years. I just don't think that developing and printing in my loft are a good idea until winter ends! Not when you consider the long term forecast!

TareqPhoto · Oct 12, 2011

RolleiT said:
Steve, believe me I've been developing film and printing for years. I just don't think that developing and printing in my loft are a good idea until winter ends! Not when you consider the long term forecast!

I am not sure if your forecast is better or our forecast here which give us 35-50C for about 6-8 months and then 15-30C the rest? Full of dusty and humidity forecast to be added as well, if i live in UK/Ireland i will do photography with film in one year that i can't do in my country in 5 years.

Jeff Kubach · Oct 12, 2011

Welcome to APUG! Develop your own film, that's half the fun.

Jeff

Roger Cole · Oct 12, 2011

My ambient water temperature coming out of the "cold" faucet was 80F a few weeks ago and ambient solutions were at 76F. I long ago settled on 75 instead of 68 because that usually was either ambient or required warming, not cooling, which for me is much harder to control. Now they're down a few degees, was 73 last rolls I did. I have a CPE2 so heating up a few degrees is simple, cooling not so much. These are moderate compared to, say, Arizona.

I'm guessing you're saying it's too cold there? Usually easy enough to warm up a bit, it's cooling that's harder if the "cold" water isn't cold enough.

perkeleellinen · Oct 12, 2011

RolleiT said:
Steve, believe me I've been developing film and printing for years. I just don't think that developing and printing in my loft are a good idea until winter ends! Not when you consider the long term forecast!

Are we in for a bad winter? Maybe just dev the films at the sink and then print in the Spring? Or send 'em off to Ilford and get 6x4 proofs until the warmer climes return. I'm lucky, my darkroom is under the stairs and it remains remarkably constant in temperature.

andysig · Oct 12, 2011

I find cooling helps keep things accurate. I've got into the habit (in summer when temps are above 20° C) of mixing the three solutions up in glass yoghurt jars and then putting them into the fridge and they obviously cool right down overnight. Then I bring them out the next day and stand them on the table at room temp. I bought a very accurate digital thermometer and just monitor the temp of the developer as it goes up. A steel dev tank can also be got to the right temp by filling it with water from the fridge.

Returned to Film

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