Film Processing

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Hello, Would anybody know of some great mail order film processing houses for 35mm B and W. I do not have a dark room and my local shop sends it out anyway. Any experiences with these businesses would be helpful. Thank you!

-- Ted (kadalat@volvo.com), September 30, 1999

Answers

Ted,

Why not get a changing bag and a tank and go for it. You don't need a darkroom to process B&W film.

There is even a Jobo tank (2400) that lets you get by without even a changing bag. You drop the cassette in, put on the top and spool the film out onto the reel. The downside is that the tank only does one roll at a time.

A changing bag, two reel tank, some measuring containers and some chemicals should cost under $100 to get started.

I have even been known to load reels in the bathroom, at night, with a towel along the bottom of the door and all the lights out in the apartment.

After you get the loaded reels in the tank, the rest can be done in the light, infact is best done in the light.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), September 30, 1999.


Ted- I agree with Terry. You'l maintain control and will actually have some fun when you develop your own film. I keep all my stuff (change bag, spools, flasks, chemicals etc) in a back-pack in the closet. I can develop 2 rolls at a time, each run taking 30-40 minutes from start to finish, in the bathroom. Plus you don't need to worry about someone else scratching your negs.

If you get a contact sheet platform (basically a flat surface with a hinged glass cover), some paper, chemicals, a safe light bulb and a fairly even light source you can make your own contacts without an enlarger. If you shoot medium format, the contacts are even easier to see.

-- Asher (schachter@a1.tch.harvard.edu), October 01, 1999.


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