Which of these Ilford B&W films can I get developed at a facility that does C41?

[LowriderS10]

So, as many of you know, I just got back into film stuff and I don't have my own developing equipment, and likely won't for quite some time.

I just picked up a mixed bag of films, and it has a few films which I'm not sure I can get developed locally...I know that some B&W is C41 while others are not but can still be developed at facilities that do C41...so I need your help...which of these films can I get developed without having to send it away to a specialty place?

I have all Ilford:

2 rolls Delta 100 24 exp
2 rolls Delta 400 24 exp
1 roll Delta 3600 36 exp

Thanks very much!

If it turns out that I can't get them developed, I know most of you have darkroom equipment, I'd be open to selling them or trading them for Canon FD gear or other film that I can get developed

Cheers!
Tamas

 

[Existing Light]

None of those are c-41; they're all regular black and white. Unfortunately, Delta really isnt my thing (I prefer HP5+ and FP4+), so I have no interest in them (Not saying they're bad; they're pretty damned good. I just have my process down for HP5 and FP4 and have no reason or desire to switch).

What's keeping you from getting a tank and the chemistry to develop black and white film? Right now, I'm developing b&w negs normally and also reversal processing them as slides in my bathroom with no trouble (Though I am converting an old storage shed in the backyard in to a darkroom). ATM, I do send my film off to get scanned and printed, but I do the processing myself

 

[brucemuir]

Labs here in the states can barely do C41 satisfactorily anymore so real B/W is hopeless.
When half decent labs used to run B/W they often used replenished Tmax developer (or something similar) and I never had any luck with commercially processed b/w.

I only used them when I didn't have a proper film loading area.

It's really simple to process your own and you are on the right site to learn everything you wanted and more.

I highly recommend doing it yourself, if not with these first rolls, at least soon.

 

[36cm2]

<Posted via APUG mobile wap service..>

If you're looking for an Ilford C-41 film, it's called XP2 Super. I agree with the others, though. You may be frustrated with the results you get until you process yourself. That being said, if you're just getting into film, try the XP2 out and see if you like the results. Working with film is not as hard as it first seems and everyone here will help you along the way.

 

[winger]

If you mention in your profile where you are it'd be helpful. If you're anywhere near me, I might have a few rolls I could trade, but I'd rather not ship it at this point.

 

[srs5694]

If you're in the US, there are a number of commercial mail-order outfits that do B&W work. One I've used once or twice, before getting the stuff needed for doing my own B&W, is Dead Link Removed in Connecticut. I was satisfied with the results I got at the time, but as others have said, doing it yourself will give you better control and is ultimately the way to go.

One possible issue with commercial photofinishers is that they sometimes use color paper even for B&W prints. It can be tricky to get a good neutral gray from these papers, so you may end up with B&W prints with a slight (or not-so-slight) color cast. This will also happen if you develop a roll yourself and then take the negative strip to a 1-hour lab to get prints. Note that this comment applies to both conventional B&W films and C-41 B&W films.

As to C-41 B&W films, Ilford XP2 Super has already been mentioned. Kodak has another one, which usually goes by the name BW400CN, although that name is not prominent on the box. BW400CN is available in some local drug stores in my area (Rhode Island), but the Ilford is harder to find locally. Both are good films (although neither pleases everybody), but they differ in one very important respect: XP2 Super has a nearly clear base color, which means it prints well on conventional B&W paper. BW400CN, by contrast, has an orange base color, similar to that on most color print films. This makes the BW400CN easier to print on color paper but harder to print on B&W paper. A digital minilab can likely handle both films tolerably well, but some labs will bungle the XP2 Super and produce prints with ugly color casts. OTOH, some labs (but not most minilabs) will print XP2 Super on B&W paper. Thus, which of these films is better if you don't have your own darkroom depends on the lab you're using. If in doubt, ask the manager of the lab you plan to use. FWIW, my local Walgreens, which uses a Fuji Frontier, produces decent results from both film types; even side-by-side with a print on true B&W paper, the color cast is not objectionable, at least not IMHO. (Others might look at the same prints and disagree, of course.)

 

[2F/2F]

Read the fine print. If the box and/or cassette sez C-41, then it is designed for the C-41 process. If it don't, then it ain't. Do any of the cassettes you have say C-41 on them?

Did you try looking on Ilford's Website for your answer before posting here? I can guarantee you that your answers are there. Ilford's C-41 monochrome film is called XP-2 Super.

 

[daleeman]

I believe the best place to have B&W done here in the states is contact www.theimageinn.com
Next to that and few do the kind of quality that Christi does there, is reedyphoto.com in St Pete, Fla and believe it or not reedphoto.com. I have used all three of these sources. Image Inn is actually the best in all matters, She is in Boston, takes a check via mail, very careful and very trusting of your film. Increadible prints!!!
Reedy Photo has done great work for me. So has Reed Photo. I personally like Reedy a bit more but Reed also does E6 and Reedy does not, but all three work with Delta films from Ilford. I know that is what I shoot.

Lee

 

[LowriderS10]

Thanks for the info, everyone.

Developing isn't new to me, I used to do it all the time in high school, but always used the school's gear. There are a few reasons why I'm reluctant to develop it myself...I recently returned to school to finish my degree and moved back with my parents. The older he gets, the more weird stuff my dad gets worried about, so storing all the chemicals here might not be the best idea (he gets worried about flammables in the house)...plus, I foresee troubles on the whole front of converting the laundry room into a darkroom. I'd rather not piss them off any more than I have to. Also, the money I'd put towards buying all the developing equipment/chemicals, I'd rather put towards more bodies/lenses or a scanner (I know that eventually they'll pay for themselves, but since I haven't shot B&W in over 10 years, I don't know how much of it I'd actually end up shooting. So I don't want to buy all the gear and then realize that I'm not as interested in B&W as I thought I was). Since I'm getting everything scanned (and hoping to get my own scanner soon) it's VERY easy to convert any photo into B&W, I know, I know, it's not the same, but sometimes practicality has to win for reasons mentioned above.

I might try this at my girlfriend's place...but currently we're living 1.5hrs from each other, so that'll likely have to wait for a bit.

Oh yes, and I live in Nanaimo, BC and travel to Victoria BC all the time, I really should put that on my profile.

 

[LowriderS10]

Read the fine print. If the box and/or cassette sez C-41, then it is designed for the C-41 process. If it don't, then it ain't. Do any of the cassettes you have say C-41 on them?

Did you try looking on Ilford's Website for your answer before posting here? I can guarantee you that your answers are there. Ilford's C-41 monochrome film is called XP-2 Super.

Yes, I know to look for the C-41 on the film, but I heard rumours that certain B&W films while not C-41 can still be developed in a C-41 facility...obviously that was wrong. Also, when I searched for some of the other alphanumeric codes on the canisters I came up with nothing, so I really didn't have much to go on.

Yes, I tried Ilford's website, it seems that it's down.

 

[LowriderS10]

I believe the best place to have B&W done here in the states is contact www.theimageinn.com
Next to that and few do the kind of quality that Christi does there, is reedyphoto.com in St Pete, Fla and believe it or not reedphoto.com. I have used all three of these sources. Image Inn is actually the best in all matters, She is in Boston, takes a check via mail, very careful and very trusting of your film. Increadible prints!!!
Reedy Photo has done great work for me. So has Reed Photo. I personally like Reedy a bit more but Reed also does E6 and Reedy does not, but all three work with Delta films from Ilford. I know that is what I shoot.

Lee

Thanks Lee, unfortunately cost is a huge thing for me...so sending it away is out of the question I could send it away to Vancouver, but it gets pricey...

 

[BobD]

Thanks for the info, everyone.

Developing isn't new to me, I used to do it all the time in high school, but always used the school's gear. There are a few reasons why I'm reluctant to develop it myself...I recently returned to school to finish my degree and moved back with my parents. The older he gets, the more weird stuff my dad gets worried about, so storing all the chemicals here might not be the best idea (he gets worried about flammables in the house)...plus, I foresee troubles on the whole front of converting the laundry room into a darkroom.

There's nothing flammable about standard B&W chemistry. All you really need is a bottle of developer and another of fixer (you can use plain water for stop bath). And, you don't need a darkroom to develop film -- just a changing bag or something similar.

 

[LowriderS10]

Hmmmmmmmmm.....how expensive are the chemicals? If I remember correctly you need a canister or two as well, right?

Now you guys have me interested in this stuff! What do I need? How much should I expect to spend new? used? (I'll look into it myself as well, but while we're on the topic...haha)

Cheers!

 

[LowriderS10]

Also...is this a good summation of the procedures involved?

http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Black-and-White-Film

 

[srs5694]

Yes, I know to look for the C-41 on the film, but I heard rumours that certain B&W films while not C-41 can still be developed in a C-41 facility...obviously that was wrong.

Conventional B&W films processed in the complete C-41 process will be ruined; the bleach step will remove the silver image, resulting in a completely blank strip of film. I know because the employees running a local CVS minilab swore up and down that they could process my B&W film a few years back. I'd not been doing much photography for a while, so I figured minilabs had progressed since I last checked. The employees then had the nerve to claim my camera was at fault when they handed me back my completely blank film.

That said, there is a grain of truth in there: If you process a conventional B&W film in C-41 developer, omit the bleach, use a wash or stop bath, fix it in a fixer (C-41 or any conventional B&W fixer), and then wash it normally, it'll be fine, provided the time and temperature of the C-41 developer was suitable for the film in question. In other words, B&W films are compatible with the C-41 developer, but not with the C-41 process as a whole.

 

[LowriderS10]

Thank you for the clarification! Sadly, I don't think I'll trust the local people to follow those instructions, so I'll either sell/trade the film or buy my own equipment

 

[maderik]

Hmmmmmmmmm.....how expensive are the chemicals? If I remember correctly you need a canister or two as well, right?

The bare minimum you need is: a daylight tank, a dark place to load it (e.g. changing bag or completey dark room), thermometer, developer, fixer, water jug or running water, fixer, a place to pour out used chemicals/water, and a place to hang the film to dry (this is the hardest part.) You need only two storage bottles: one for developer and one for fixer. (Buy "odorless" fixer to minimize complaints about the smell.) And if you use a liquid developer like Kodak HC-110, Ilford DDX or Rodinal mixed one-shot each time you develop, you don't even need a separate developer storage bottle - the unmixed concentrates are already in rather small bottles that have long shelf lives. To mix small quantity one-shot working strengths, you just need an oral medicine syringe (designed for giving liquid medicines to babies, found in any drugstore) and a measuring cup/beaker. Some would say photoflo for after wash drying is also mandatory which would add one more bottle.

Chemicals are rather inexpensive: $20 will buy you more than enough to develop 20-30 rolls of film. Small developing tanks and reels are often just given away or very sold cheaply. A dial thermometer will be the biggest expense at $20-$25 if you can't find one used.

 

[LowriderS10]

Thanks! I'll keep my eyes out for some of that stuff I can get C-41 developed locally for $3/roll, so unless I can find this dirt cheap, it's simply not worth it...though I do miss monkeying with that stuff

 

[MattKing]

Where on Vancouver Island are you? There are a few APUGers there, who could probably scrounge up enough equipment to get you started.

If you were on this side of the water, I could give you enough that, with a few dollars spent at a dollar store, plus a little bit at a camera store, you would be ready to go.

 

[LowriderS10]

Thanks a lot I'm in Nanaimo, the only other APUG'er I know is Lillian (aka Sly)...but I haven't met her and I feel kind of bad asking for a favour before meeting someone haha...

 

[MattKing]

I bet if you posted a Craigslist "wanted" ad you would probably get a response.

And if Lillian is like me, she either has extra stuff she would be happy to contribute, or gets offered stuff that duplicates what she already has.

If I understand it correctly, you spend some time in Victoria - this might still be available:

http://victoria.en.craigslist.ca/pho/1862392332.html

 

[Andrea McLaughlin]

I concur with all above, the Ilford Delta films all are souped in standard B&W developers-not C41. This is 100% correct.

Most of the remaining labs, especially ones that do black & white, know each other. Here's an idea. Email Panda Photo Lab in Seattle. I bet they could suggest a lab in BC. Or you could mail order to them or any other professional lab. Remember that good pro labs employ photographers who are passionate about photography and really good at all the darkroom stuff. Keeping the labs busy and open will help perpetuate the use of film and is, therefore, good for everybody all around.

http://www.pandalab.com/

Whoa, you're right! The Ilford web site IS down. I was just there the other day so I'm sure it'll be back online soon.

 

[ulysses]

ilford.com does not respond. ilfordphoto.com is the site you want, and it's up.

Ulysses

 

[LowriderS10]

Thanks Though it looks like I may have found a buyer for all my non-C41 Ilfords...

 

[Chris101]

Hey Lo,

I'm sure you saw it here in another post, but film chemicals are not flammable, and are low toxicity (only spent fixer needs special disposal, as it contains silver ions.) I develop film in the bathroom, as no darkroom is needed. Delta 3200 is my favorite film, and I would shoot more of it if it weren't ten bucks a roll!

Here is a picture of everything you will need to turn your own bathroom into a processing room:

Dead Link Removed

(You might prefer the plastic reels, for slightly less money. Many find them easier to use. I don't.)