Roger, you may want to consider using marbles or other glass beads to weigh down the plastic containers that tend to float in the water bath. They should not interact with the chemicals in any way being relatively inert. Best wishes from the USA!
A useful tip. I use powder developers for both film and paper. I weigh the contents of the pouches containing the powder (A and B) on digital kitchen scales, then divide by 5 and mix only 1 litre at a time. I seal the pouches with tape and it keeps fine.
Man... i do love your simple no nonsense approach to expressing your experiences... I'm looking into a rotary... i may decide to get this one because the TUB is included and it sounds METAL not plasticy... more power to you, Man
I see you put your filmomat light in good use! I used mine for black and white. and the results are consistent with d76. I yet have to develop film with it. But I am saving up film first to develop all at once! I recommend this to people that have some good experience with developing film. And want to automate the process with a new product that doesn't break the bank
Cheers Roger. For those who use the water bath method, I always used a big esky for my water bath and even in cold weather the temp was stable within a degree for the whole development.
I think it’s great. When I saw your colour 120 format photos of the tractor I was very impressed with the development. Thanks for the review Roger. It would be nice to see some more colour results as well as the B&W.
I am enjoying D23 + replenisher (home made) for both manual and on my Jobo developing. Been using it at our new film sectionof the camera club I am in with great results. As you menetion, rotary processors are great for C-41 and E6. They make for consistantly great results.
Amazing product. Thank you for the effort in making this video. Note, the link you provided links us to the product you showed but with out the heater. Thank you again
I use the kitchen washing up bowl & a sois-so (or what ever french spelling it is) 😃 I only do b&w, but using the sois-so, means I can let the chemicals warm up on their own, without having to constantly check on them, allowing time to play with big-track, merlin or Evil Knievel. You have now got me thinking. I muck about a bit with electronics (some may have seen my most excellent cheap, simple shutter tester, that works, or simple exposure meter for film cameras) I need to make either an auto-inversion gadget, or as I am a twiddler (I find twiddling gives better contrast), an auto-twiddler.
And if you get a Jobo tank, you can process paper, and get into the torture known as RA4 color printing! The process itself isn't too bad, but getting good at adjusting color balance and judging amount needed, is a bit of challenge. But nothing as satisfying as seeing a good color print come out of the drum
Yeah, they’re very easy to make. I made one myself basically works the same way as that when you’re using. Instead of paying 500+ dollars, the one I made cost around 50 bucks.
nice review, thank you Roger! I saw this product on IG today and wanted to learn more. I'm using an old rotary processor which does have some issues, so I was thinking about getting a new one. This device is currently set at €549.00. Literally, 549€ for a plastic storage box (that's what they also write on the website). It has NO temperature control (which is THE dang essential feature, next to rotating the drum). And it has NO timer. Really?! I don't know, did they speak with people who use drum processors, before they developed this machine? Obviously not. It's aiming to be "light", so I guess it also aims at people with a smaller budget. But still, that's a heavy price, on which you have to add the heater, that you have to buy yourself and fiddle around when operating this machine. Kinda sad actually :(
Today, very early this morning, I used a rotary "processor" (not as sophisticated as yours--no water bath). I got it pretty cheaply from ebay (Chinese company). One can adjust the rate of the spin as well as having a timer on it. It spins in one direction, pauses, and then spins in the other. This really super for such an inexpensive rotator. I presoak the film so that it is totally wetted as the top half isn't in the developer originally. I think wet the film takes on the developer more evenly (no evidence). Films are drying now but they look to have come out very well as far as the processing goes. I will need to study them further to ensure that I reduced the development time by the correct amount.
Enjoy the process Erich. I think many times if a process makes you feel better then keep doing it. Such as the pre wash. I have it in my mind with some films that have a lot of die that spills of during development it's best to wash it off as it may interfere with the development. Probably doesn't though lol
Roger, I was wondering what your thoughts on the Filmomat Light are after a few months. I'm really interested in this to bring more consistency to my home develop/scan setup. Thanks for your vids, they are interesting/helpful.
To stop the bottles bobbing about, the manufactures should consider adding a grid, like a milk crate, so the bottles can float all they like, but will not topple over. I have the same problem with the washing up bowl & the developing tank wanting to topple over. Also, when removing a bottle, the water level can drop, so I have a few milk bottles filled with warm water, which I put in. This is an issue with the sous vide, as it has a narrow maximum & minimum water level. Eventually, I will have a dedicated container, with a grid inside, so each bottle/tank has it's own compartment, so can bob about, but not topple over.
Thanks! A great all in one machine. Unfortunately, I am the very happy owner of a rectangular Lab Box. A development tank for 120 and 135. No darkroom required. No fiddling and loosing track with curly film. So I will have go on with using a crank to roll the film and use the sink to keep the water at the desired temperature. Developing film in a bright kitchen on a sunny day has its drawbacks. 😢😂
Roger, a question about drying. I hang my film in the laundry overnight. There's little air movement, but I still end up with dust on the negatives. Last time I wiped the film with a clean microfibre cloth. No scratches but still some dust, which is very difficult to remove, especially from the emulsion side. Do you do anything special before or after hanging the film to prevent dust from settling? I'm considering building a drying cabinet, using a couple of face masks as filters and blowing air through the cabinet... I first developed and printed black and white when I had access to a darkroom in the Student Union in the late 1960s and went back to developing my own a few years ago, using the kitchen sink, then scanning. I own a couple of enlargers and the plan is to build a darkroom in the basement of my son's house and teach the grandkids how to make prints. One day!
I would do this, and have done. Take all the laundry out. Throughly clean the laundry room. Then when you want to hang the negs in future take the linen out. I usually take all the towels out the bathroom before I hang negs. And keep the door closed.
@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss I like that idea. I have a length of downpipe that I cut a couple of pieces off to store umbrellas for my flashes so the ribs don't get crushed. I'll have a look in the morning (it's 2300 on this side of the world) to see if the remaining piece is long enough for a film. If it works I'll need to find another piece as I have a Paterson 2-reel tank and often develop two films at the same time... Thanks for the suggestion, I'll let you know how I get on.
During the summer time I hang my films on the the clothes line outside and in the winter they hang off the shower door. I've never had any issues with drying them outside.
How does this save on developer? With the powder mix you have to mix the entire batch, once its mixed it has a shelf life. Unless youre developing more than 16 rolls a week it doesn't seem like youre saving anything right? I can see it saving on some black and white developers like hc110 but that stuff lasts forever.
I use powder developers for both film and paper. I weigh the contents of A and B on sensitive kitchen digital scales, divide by 5, and only mix 1 litre at a time. I re seal the tops of the pouches with tape and it keeps fine.
If I mixed the entire 5 litres it would deteriorate before I used it all, so mixing only 1 litre at a time is economical. I am using ID11 and Bromophen btw.
Hi Boss, does the same smaller amount apply to colour developer (C41) as you mention for B&W. If so this would extend the total number of films you could get from the 1 litre of C41 kit?
Do you keep in mind that the still parts during agitation do play very important role in development, which is to control diffusion and it can affect your sharpness there's a word for it and I can't remember what it is it's something like microcontrast or something like that.
Acutence. Without letting the tank stand during inversions can lead to soft edged grain, which is why stand development appears sharper. I mentioned that in the video. I've not seen my prints unusually sharp with D23 so far. It's something I need to keep my eye on with other developers particularly Rodinal.
@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss This maybe why my twiddling negatives look sharper. Not sloshing the developer around so much. After initial agitation & tap, I twiddle. Not repeatedly taking the tank out of the water bath saves a lot of water dripping everywhere. The water bath gets used for rinsing the negatives, so it is not wasted.
@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss It's not about use, it's about storage space when not in use. And rotation is not the cure-all I hoped it would be (I do it manually with a Jobo 2520 on the rollers Jobo offers), since results with 4x5 are even worse than with the SP 445 and SP 8x10 (I give the latter another try the moment I do have 4 new sheets to develop - I've modified it to get rid of a peculiar problem I encountered).
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Roger, you may want to consider using marbles or other glass beads to weigh down the plastic containers that tend to float in the water bath. They should not interact with the chemicals in any way being relatively inert. Best wishes from the USA!
Thats a great idea putting a weight of some sorts inside the bottle.
I have long used a Jobo rotary processor for BW. Getting your agitation consistent is the key to managing grain.
A useful tip.
I use powder developers for both film and paper. I weigh the contents of the pouches containing the powder (A and B) on digital kitchen scales, then divide by 5 and mix only 1 litre at a time. I seal the pouches with tape and it keeps fine.
Man... i do love your simple no nonsense approach to expressing your experiences... I'm looking into a rotary... i may decide to get this one because the TUB is included and it sounds METAL not plasticy... more power to you, Man
I see you put your filmomat light in good use! I used mine for black and white. and the results are consistent with d76. I yet have to develop film with it. But I am saving up film first to develop all at once!
I recommend this to people that have some good experience with developing film. And want to automate the process with a new product that doesn't break the bank
What a cool piece of kit! I'd love to experiment with one someday.
Cheers Roger. For those who use the water bath method, I always used a big esky for my water bath and even in cold weather the temp was stable within a degree for the whole development.
lol, for those in the UK it's an Ice Box. Nice suggestion Davy. Cheers.
I use a different rotator, but have similar results!!! Using half the chemistry at a time is a bonus!!! Glass bottles are definitely needed!!!
I think it’s great. When I saw your colour 120 format photos of the tractor I was very impressed with the development. Thanks for the review Roger. It would be nice to see some more colour results as well as the B&W.
Cheers John.
I am enjoying D23 + replenisher (home made) for both manual and on my Jobo developing. Been using it at our new film sectionof the camera club I am in with great results. As you menetion, rotary processors are great for C-41 and E6. They make for consistantly great results.
You can use magnets to hold down the empty bottles in the tank. It is inexpensive and easy to improvise.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Amazing product. Thank you for the effort in making this video. Note, the link you provided links us to the product you showed but with out the heater.
Thank you again
Yes the heater is a separate product that can be purchased in other stores/online
I'd suggest putting a weight on top of the floating bottles to hold them down. Weights from one of those old type scales or heavy glass paperweights
Great video, was hoping you made such a video sometime. I got the Jobo from Germany, great machine :)
Thanks 👌
def want to buy this. just waiting for the euro to drop a little more. right now the price is steep to get it over to the states.
Great video, I use a old jobo unit absolutely brilliant 250ml to develop a 120 film.
My first attempt I filled the tank up! What a waste. ha ha
I use the kitchen washing up bowl & a sois-so (or what ever french spelling it is) 😃
I only do b&w, but using the sois-so, means I can let the chemicals warm up on their own, without having to constantly check on them, allowing time to play with big-track, merlin or Evil Knievel.
You have now got me thinking. I muck about a bit with electronics (some may have seen my most excellent cheap, simple shutter tester, that works, or simple exposure meter for film cameras) I need to make either an auto-inversion gadget, or as I am a twiddler (I find twiddling gives better contrast), an auto-twiddler.
A sous vide?
It can't be difficult to make a simple rotary machine for BW. "Soon Vide" I think thats how it is pronounced.
@@theoriginalbabycub yep, the funny french thing.
I would like to see a video of you develop a photo from a colour negative.
Thanks. I have the enlarger for that. Maybe sometime
I've got a JOBO processor in the loft. Criminal! I should use it or sell it.
I’ll buy it!
And if you get a Jobo tank, you can process paper, and get into the torture known as RA4 color printing! The process itself isn't too bad, but getting good at adjusting color balance and judging amount needed, is a bit of challenge. But nothing as satisfying as seeing a good color print come out of the drum
these are quite easy to make. A couple of DIY on UA-cam.
Have you tried paper printing?
Thanks Roger! Great review and I just used your coupon code for 10% off! 🎉
Enjoy! It's a good machine
Yeah, they’re very easy to make. I made one myself basically works the same way as that when you’re using. Instead of paying 500+ dollars, the one I made cost around 50 bucks.
How did you make this? Would you be willing to share?
Do you info on how to make such unit by yourself. Hope you are willing to share.
nice review, thank you Roger! I saw this product on IG today and wanted to learn more. I'm using an old rotary processor which does have some issues, so I was thinking about getting a new one. This device is currently set at €549.00. Literally, 549€ for a plastic storage box (that's what they also write on the website). It has NO temperature control (which is THE dang essential feature, next to rotating the drum). And it has NO timer. Really?! I don't know, did they speak with people who use drum processors, before they developed this machine? Obviously not. It's aiming to be "light", so I guess it also aims at people with a smaller budget. But still, that's a heavy price, on which you have to add the heater, that you have to buy yourself and fiddle around when operating this machine. Kinda sad actually :(
Hi. Great information! What would happen if you glued a weight to the tops of the chemical bottles?
Great suggestion!
Today, very early this morning, I used a rotary "processor" (not as sophisticated as yours--no water bath). I got it pretty cheaply from ebay (Chinese company). One can adjust the rate of the spin as well as having a timer on it. It spins in one direction, pauses, and then spins in the other. This really super for such an inexpensive rotator. I presoak the film so that it is totally wetted as the top half isn't in the developer originally. I think wet the film takes on the developer more evenly (no evidence). Films are drying now but they look to have come out very well as far as the processing goes. I will need to study them further to ensure that I reduced the development time by the correct amount.
Enjoy the process Erich. I think many times if a process makes you feel better then keep doing it. Such as the pre wash. I have it in my mind with some films that have a lot of die that spills of during development it's best to wash it off as it may interfere with the development. Probably doesn't though lol
Hi, could you share where you purchased your Chinese processor? Many thanks in advance
I still have my JOBO processor from 1983. I am pretty sure that Kodak developed XTol with rotary processors in mind.
James Lane says it's perfect for Pyro
@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss have to give it a go. Any indication on how much to reduce the dev times, Rog? I used to reduce by about 15% in the old times.
Thanks for the video---Which 4x5 developing reel are you using?
I've used a Jobo for years. I bought mine just as the Art Colleges were getting rid of all their film stuff. A real bargain, it was.
I always suggest calling schools ad colleges for darkroom stuff. Nice find James.
Roger, I was wondering what your thoughts on the Filmomat Light are after a few months. I'm really interested in this to bring more consistency to my home develop/scan setup.
Thanks for your vids, they are interesting/helpful.
To stop the bottles bobbing about, the manufactures should consider adding a grid, like a milk crate, so the bottles can float all they like, but will not topple over.
I have the same problem with the washing up bowl & the developing tank wanting to topple over.
Also, when removing a bottle, the water level can drop, so I have a few milk bottles filled with warm water, which I put in. This is an issue with the sous vide, as it has a narrow maximum & minimum water level.
Eventually, I will have a dedicated container, with a grid inside, so each bottle/tank has it's own compartment, so can bob about, but not topple over.
Thanks! A great all in one machine. Unfortunately, I am the very happy owner of a rectangular Lab Box. A development tank for 120 and 135. No darkroom required. No fiddling and loosing track with curly film. So I will have go on with using a crank to roll the film and use the sink to keep the water at the desired temperature. Developing film in a bright kitchen on a sunny day has its drawbacks. 😢😂
Roger, a question about drying. I hang my film in the laundry overnight. There's little air movement, but I still end up with dust on the negatives. Last time I wiped the film with a clean microfibre cloth. No scratches but still some dust, which is very difficult to remove, especially from the emulsion side.
Do you do anything special before or after hanging the film to prevent dust from settling? I'm considering building a drying cabinet, using a couple of face masks as filters and blowing air through the cabinet...
I first developed and printed black and white when I had access to a darkroom in the Student Union in the late 1960s and went back to developing my own a few years ago, using the kitchen sink, then scanning. I own a couple of enlargers and the plan is to build a darkroom in the basement of my son's house and teach the grandkids how to make prints. One day!
I would do this, and have done. Take all the laundry out. Throughly clean the laundry room. Then when you want to hang the negs in future take the linen out. I usually take all the towels out the bathroom before I hang negs. And keep the door closed.
Or, you could buy a plumbers PVC pipe to hang your negs into.
@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss I like that idea. I have a length of downpipe that I cut a couple of pieces off to store umbrellas for my flashes so the ribs don't get crushed.
I'll have a look in the morning (it's 2300 on this side of the world) to see if the remaining piece is long enough for a film.
If it works I'll need to find another piece as I have a Paterson 2-reel tank and often develop two films at the same time...
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll let you know how I get on.
During the summer time I hang my films on the the clothes line outside and in the winter they hang off the shower door. I've never had any issues with drying them outside.
How does this save on developer? With the powder mix you have to mix the entire batch, once its mixed it has a shelf life. Unless youre developing more than 16 rolls a week it doesn't seem like youre saving anything right? I can see it saving on some black and white developers like hc110 but that stuff lasts forever.
It's been saving me on BW D23 using it diluted (1+1).
I use powder developers for both film and paper. I weigh the contents of A and B on sensitive kitchen digital scales, divide by 5, and only mix 1 litre at a time. I re seal the tops of the pouches with tape and it keeps fine.
If I mixed the entire 5 litres it would deteriorate before I used it all, so mixing only 1 litre at a time is economical. I am using ID11 and Bromophen btw.
Shoot more color film. Will it work with E6 film if you have the right chemicals ?
I imagine so Rick.
I see RA4 printing in your future!
I'm not so sure Dane. Maybe.
Hi Boss, does the same smaller amount apply to colour developer (C41) as you mention for B&W. If so this would extend the total number of films you could get from the 1 litre of C41 kit?
Yes Peter I have used the same amount (200ml) for my colour and it worked.
Are you cutting time 20% less for doing rotating BW ??
Yes pretty much and then note the times for that film and if I need to increase or decrease the time next time.
I usually do Sensitometry with the film to be more accurate@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss
Do you keep in mind that the still parts during agitation do play very important role in development, which is to control diffusion and it can affect your sharpness there's a word for it and I can't remember what it is it's something like microcontrast or something like that.
Yes I wondered about that too!
Acutence. Without letting the tank stand during inversions can lead to soft edged grain, which is why stand development appears sharper. I mentioned that in the video. I've not seen my prints unusually sharp with D23 so far. It's something I need to keep my eye on with other developers particularly Rodinal.
@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss This maybe why my twiddling negatives look sharper. Not sloshing the developer around so much. After initial agitation & tap, I twiddle. Not repeatedly taking the tank out of the water bath saves a lot of water dripping everywhere.
The water bath gets used for rinsing the negatives, so it is not wasted.
Looks like a nice machine but at $1000, I think I'll be doing a lot of hand flipping for a while.
It's 599$
Too large for me, I don't have enough room. But other then that, it would be good value for money!
I just remove the toaster and kettle
@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss It's not about use, it's about storage space when not in use. And rotation is not the cure-all I hoped it would be (I do it manually with a Jobo 2520 on the rollers Jobo offers), since results with 4x5 are even worse than with the SP 445 and SP 8x10 (I give the latter another try the moment I do have 4 new sheets to develop - I've modified it to get rid of a peculiar problem I encountered).