The internet is awash with information, misinformation, fads, myths and false beliefs about film - how it should be exposed and, especially, how it should be developed.
Those new to film - perhaps particularly people who have come to film from digital without ever having used film in its heyday - might find the conflicting opinions splattered across various forums confusing, and conclude that film is a dark art, practised only by elderly men with chemical-stained hands and a degree in chemistry, or equally wrongly, that you can throw any old thing into the pot and it will work fine.
The truth is that, while the technicalities of film and development are quite amazingly complex in themselves, anyone with a few simple pieces of equipment, and who is able to do things methodically for ten minutes at a time, can successfully develop film without having to understand what two-electron sensitisation is or own a densitometer.
The links below were assembled for a sticky at APUG, and represent a set of resources from the major film manufacturers themselves (Ilford (Harman), Kodak and Fuji) that detail many of the ins and outs of film. Accordingly, I'm inclined to treat the information presented therein as having greater authority than that of some stranger who posts his (or, more rarely, her) opinions for public consumption.
I haven't tested all the links, so do PM me if any of them seem broken. The author of the original APUG post has given me permission to reproduce it here.
Lastly, can I just offer a quote from the saintly Roger Hicks:
Processing film - basics
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/200629163442455.pdf
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/aj3/aj3.pdf
Processing - any level
Pathways to Black and White
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/f2/f2.pdf
Black-and-White Tips and Techniques for Darkroom Enthusiasts
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/o3/o3.pdf
Processing Kodak films
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/edbwf/edbwf.pdf
Darkroom design
Darkroom design for beginners
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/ak3/ak3.pdf
Safelights and testing
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2011427111757603.pdf
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/ti0845/ti0845.pdf
How safe is your safelight?
KODAK: How Safe Is Your Safelight? Important Facts
Printing - basics/beginner
Making Your First Black and White Print
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/20114271321242292.pdf
Printing - any level
Contrast Control
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2010628932591755.pdf
Black-and-White Tips and Techniques for Darkroom Enthusiasts
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/o3/o3.pdf
Storage and care of materials before/after processing
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/e30/e30.pdf
Characteristics of films
ILFORD PHOTO - Characteristics (Science)
X-ray fog
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/cis98/cis98.pdf
Other and/or more advanced topics
ISO and Exposure Index
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/cis185/cis185.pdf
Basic Sensitometry Workbook
http://motion.kodak.com/motion/uplo...en_motion_education_sensitometry_workbook.pdf
Specific Gravity and pH of Kodak Chemistry
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/cis61/cis-61.pdf
Other
Fuji tech data
For all films. Includes additional info. such as simplified definitions/explanations of MTF, RMS Granularity, Resolving Power.
http://www.fujifilmusa.com/shared/bin/ProfessionalFilmDataGuide.pdf
Those new to film - perhaps particularly people who have come to film from digital without ever having used film in its heyday - might find the conflicting opinions splattered across various forums confusing, and conclude that film is a dark art, practised only by elderly men with chemical-stained hands and a degree in chemistry, or equally wrongly, that you can throw any old thing into the pot and it will work fine.
The truth is that, while the technicalities of film and development are quite amazingly complex in themselves, anyone with a few simple pieces of equipment, and who is able to do things methodically for ten minutes at a time, can successfully develop film without having to understand what two-electron sensitisation is or own a densitometer.
The links below were assembled for a sticky at APUG, and represent a set of resources from the major film manufacturers themselves (Ilford (Harman), Kodak and Fuji) that detail many of the ins and outs of film. Accordingly, I'm inclined to treat the information presented therein as having greater authority than that of some stranger who posts his (or, more rarely, her) opinions for public consumption.
I haven't tested all the links, so do PM me if any of them seem broken. The author of the original APUG post has given me permission to reproduce it here.
Lastly, can I just offer a quote from the saintly Roger Hicks:
""Photography sometimes attracts people with a very high opinion of their own expertise, and a predilection for bossing others about. Listen to some of them, and you will be amazed that silver halide photography ever succeeded at all, given that it is so difficult, complicated, and expensive. Except it isn't.
Processing film - basics
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/200629163442455.pdf
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/aj3/aj3.pdf
Processing - any level
Pathways to Black and White
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/f2/f2.pdf
Black-and-White Tips and Techniques for Darkroom Enthusiasts
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/o3/o3.pdf
Processing Kodak films
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/edbwf/edbwf.pdf
Darkroom design
Darkroom design for beginners
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/ak3/ak3.pdf
Safelights and testing
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2011427111757603.pdf
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/ti0845/ti0845.pdf
How safe is your safelight?
KODAK: How Safe Is Your Safelight? Important Facts
Printing - basics/beginner
Making Your First Black and White Print
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/20114271321242292.pdf
Printing - any level
Contrast Control
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2010628932591755.pdf
Black-and-White Tips and Techniques for Darkroom Enthusiasts
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/o3/o3.pdf
Storage and care of materials before/after processing
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/e30/e30.pdf
Characteristics of films
ILFORD PHOTO - Characteristics (Science)
X-ray fog
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/cis98/cis98.pdf
Other and/or more advanced topics
ISO and Exposure Index
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/cis185/cis185.pdf
Basic Sensitometry Workbook
http://motion.kodak.com/motion/uplo...en_motion_education_sensitometry_workbook.pdf
Specific Gravity and pH of Kodak Chemistry
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/cis61/cis-61.pdf
Other
Fuji tech data
For all films. Includes additional info. such as simplified definitions/explanations of MTF, RMS Granularity, Resolving Power.
http://www.fujifilmusa.com/shared/bin/ProfessionalFilmDataGuide.pdf
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