Where to develop film?

Alex Manuel · Feb 19, 2017

Hey guys, I'm new here! I just bought a Mamiya 645 1000s. 120mm. I love film and have been trying to get back into it. I would love to develop my own film.. I know how.. But living in a 1 bedroom apt doesn't really make that feasible..I use to live in STL and had a good place to go for developing there.. But now I live in OKC and unfortunately have no where close to go develop my film. The closest place to me charges close to 18 dollars for development per roll for 120mm film and a CD...and I just feel like that's pretty steep. I was wondering if any of you would have any recommendations for legitimate trustworthy darkroom type companies I can mail my film to be developed..? I have found a few on my own researching but I wanted to see if any of you have tried and have experience with sending your film out to be developed. Thanks in advance!!

btaylor · Feb 19, 2017

$18 a roll sounds pretty reasonable to me. The place I used charges $25 for 12 proof prints, a scan and development.

You can easily develop your film at home if you use a changing bag and a daylight tank. Plus I think it's a lot more fun! Pick up a used scanner and you're good to go.

jvo · Feb 19, 2017

welcome to apug...

re price... that's about the right area... you may find cheaper but not by much.

were i in your shoes, i agree, get the daylight tank and do it yourself, especially 'cause you've done it before and yes, it's fun. after the initial expense, you'll save big very quickly... you should be able to pick up everything you need from c-list or the auction site. soda pop bottles and one shot chems and you're good to go!

vdonovan · Feb 19, 2017

I developed 35mm and 120 black and white film in my kitchen for many years. (I just recently moved to a new house where I could build a permanent darkroom). I got excellent results.

All of my chemistry and equipment fit in one plastic storage box. I used a Nikor double stainless tank and steel reels. I had three bottles for chemistry, and one measuring cup which I pre-marked to the right dilution levels. I used a changing bag to load the film. I got things so organized I could develop two rolls of 120 film, including cleanup, in half an hour.

I started with X-Tol but then switched to HC-110, a liquid developer, which made things even easier, since I didn't have to mix and store developer.

I would hang my film in the bathroom after running the hot shower for a few minutes to damp down the dust. This was the only part of the process that was kind of a pain, since I didn't want anyone going in or out of the bathroom bringing in dust while the film dried, so I tended to develop film at night so it would be dry in the morning.

Anyway, with a little organization and minimal equipment you can do quality work in a small space, without too much disruption to the rest of your daily life.

MattKing · Feb 19, 2017

Welcome to APUG.
I too recommend that you develop your own - assuming that you are using black and white film. It is quite easy to do, and it is relatively cheap to set up.
One minor point. Your camera uses 120 film, not 120mm film. The 120 designation is just an arbitrary one, which has no reference to the actual size of the film.
Hope you enjoy your film photography, and your time on APUG.

Pete Myers · Feb 19, 2017

Hi Alex:

Glad to hear you have the film bug! I actually recommend the use of a lab and getting consistent development as you learn, adjust EI, try different film stocks. D&D tank development is the gold standard of consistency.

You are just a state away from one of the best B&W labs in the country---Vision Photo Lab in Santa Fe. Just mail them your film. I have my film processed there. Their XTOL D&D system is always tuned dead nuts on, and the crew is exceptionally caring about the handling of your film. Prices are great, but they do not scan---so you would need to do so yourself or have a service do it for you. If so, best to have them develop the film and sleeve, do not CUT.

Visions default development time is 9 1/2 minutes, which is fine for Tri-X, but too long for most modern emulsions. You will need to ask for a 6 to 7 minute development time depending on film stock (Delta 100, Acros), and they will adjust accordingly.

http://www.visionsphotolab.com

Ilford also has a processing and scanning service. You will have to contact them to find out which film stock best fits their standard processing and development times.

http://www.ilfordlab-us.com

Film is expensive to shoot, develop and scan. But you learn to make your shots count, and the upfront costs are far less then digital---you pay as you go.

Pete

Gerald C Koch · Feb 19, 2017

All you really need to develop film is an interior room that can be made totally dark. If it has water all the better but this is not absolutely necessary. I have done this on numerous occasions. Besides a tank, thermometer, clock and chemicals you will need a dish pan to used be as a water bath.

keenmaster486 · Feb 19, 2017

I haven't found better prices than those at Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, Kansas.

They charge eight bucks for one B&W 120 roll with prints, or eleven dollars for a B&W 35mm 36exp roll. Nine bucks for a standard 35mm 36exp color print roll.

Of course, this means that you do have to ship your film to them, and pay the $5 return shipping, but you can always combine orders.

For B&W stuff, I've gone full self-development - I picked up a Paterson Super System 4 developing tank for 30 bucks from Freestyle Photo, and LegacyPro developer and fixer for ten dollars. This saves a ton of money in the long run, even considering Dwayne's prices.

removed account4 · Feb 19, 2017

alex

i haven't used them, but they get very good reviews. it is miller's photographic ( i think that is the name )
they are a PRO LAB so you will have to submit credit card info and maybe fill out a questionaire and get an account
but they do fantastic work and are worth the price of admission.
there is also another place called thedarkroom, i think, they are an advertiser here on apug, you don't need an account
and from all reports they do fanstastic work too. and there is also blue moon... they are also an apug sponsor/advertiser
and they do fantastic work as well. not to mention they will OPTICALLY PRINT your photographs ( like you would do in a darkroom )
even if you are shooting a MINOX subminiature camera

you see where i am going with this maybe ...
apug sponsors are great, and pro labs are great too...

best of luck !
john

kb244 · Feb 19, 2017

Another vote for self developing black and white.

From there you can decide which you want to print, or alternatively which you want to scan.

cliveh · Feb 19, 2017

You don't need a lab to develop black & white film. All you need is a spiral tank, a changing bag, or load the tank at night time and then use dev, stop, fix and wash.

Gerald C Koch · Feb 19, 2017

If you choose to use a changing bag I suggest using a pair of metal kiddy scissors. The blunt tips will not damage the bag.

kb244 · Feb 19, 2017

Gerald C Koch said:
If you choose to use a changing bag I suggest using a pair of metal kiddy scissors. The blunt tips will not damage the bag.

I like my dark box with arm holes and a locking lid. But I'm not sure where you would get them now days let alone how much they normally cost. Just one of the things I inherited from the camera store when it went out of business, as we had it up by the register in case a customer came in needing to get a roll out of a dead camera, or other light sensitive issues (such as re-spooling 120 onto a 620 spool for them.)

keenmaster486 · Feb 19, 2017

I like my closet.

Neal · Feb 20, 2017

Dear Alex,

While I also suggest doing it yourself you can try J&S in Chicago. I have used them for color for many years. I also use CSW Film Systems but they only do color.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

Agulliver · Feb 20, 2017

I have lived in a 1 bedroom flat with my wife for some 19 years. I develop film (B&W and E6 colour) using a changing bag and a Jobo 1520 tank. It can handle 2x 35mm films or 2x 120 at a time, takes up so little space even the wife isn't too unhappy with it all. My chemicals and tank generally live in a bucket which often is stored in the (enclosed) porch...the changing bag, bulk loaders (x3), films etc live in a drawer under my side of our bed.

I develop films in the bathroom, hanging them to dry from the shower rail over the tub. When I do E6, I use the kitchen sink as a water bath and control the temperature by adding hot or cold water....the tank (Jobo or my old Lomo for cine film) sits in the sink to stabilise the temperature.

Works well. I can scan negs at home or I have an enlarger at my mother's house which I occasionally can use. Sadly there are no darkrooms for rent in the area despite the local university still doing film photography....one can only use their dark rooms by enrolling on a course. Shame, as I'd happily rent one for an evening or day a month for good money to do some printing without bothering my mother by turning her spare bedroom into a darkroom

MattKing · Feb 20, 2017

Alex Manuel said:
But now I live in OKC and unfortunately have no where close to go develop my film.

I'm guessing from your syntax that English might not be your only language. That isn't normally a problem, and it seems that we have figured out your meaning, but I think you probably meant to ask a slightly different question.
You asked "where ... to go develop my film", which would normally mean to me that you were asking where there might be a place (darkroom) that you could go to develop your film yourself.
I think you meant to ask the much more awkward question: where could you go to have someone else develop your film for you.

pbromaghin · Feb 20, 2017

Load the reels inside a dark bag and here's all the space you need. Not having a darkroom yet, I go hybrid for printing. But that subject is out of bounds for apug.

kb244 · Feb 20, 2017

Personally I'd want more shelf space. But a double sink is nice.

So where you keep your spent fixer bucket?

haziz · Feb 21, 2017

If shooting B&W, develop your own. It is not difficult.

pbromaghin · Feb 21, 2017

kb244 said:
Personally I'd want more shelf space. But a double sink is nice.

So where you keep your spent fixer bucket?

Oh, I only need one of them every few months.

Sirius Glass · Feb 21, 2017

haziz said:
If shooting B&W, develop your own. It is not difficult.

Once one can develop back & white, color development is easy to do. It is as easy as falling off a moving motorcycle.

Where to develop film?

Alex Manuel

btaylor

jvo

vdonovan

MattKing

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Pete Myers

Gerald C Koch

keenmaster486

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kb244

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Gerald C Koch

kb244

keenmaster486

Neal

Agulliver

MattKing

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pbromaghin

kb244

haziz

pbromaghin

Sirius Glass

Where to develop film?

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