Film Forum and Reviews

i want to start learning how to develop film/pics and i need to know where you buy the stuff u use to develop pictures......like im getting a film camera for christmas and i don't know what solutions and the stuff that i need to develop the film...if you can help thanks and any advice on what to do would be appreciated!

hat's great if you want to learn to develop your own film and pictures. I develop my own black and white film and prints, and it is a lot of fun. But it's also a lot of work. It's not that hard to do but you just have to be patient and follow the steps. You'll have to mix chemicals (mostly just measuring and mixing with water) and you'll have to be careful about watching the development time.

I just want to be sure you know what you're getting into. You can't develop color film yourself, only black and white. Well, actually you CAN develop color film, but it's a lot harder to do. B&W film is easy. You can develop B&W film yourself, but you should take color film to a photo lab and let them develop it for you.

You should try to do as much research as you can. Go to your local library and get a few books on traditional photography. (Look up "35mm cameras"). I would recommend that you post a topic on Photo.net (http://www.photo.net) about how to develop film. Post it on the "Film and Processing" forum. You have to register to post questions in the forums, but it's free.

I can't get into all the steps here about how to develop film and pictures, because it would be too long. But to develop film, you basically need 2 chemicals - developer and fixer. You will also need the developing tank and reel. You should get the plastic kind because they're a lot easier to use. Also, make sure the reels are adjustable so that you can develop 35mm and 120 film. You can get all the supplies you need from a camera shop (a REAL camera shop, not one that just sells digital cameras) or you can also order them online.