How do I develop B&W negatives

Photo shot on Kodak T-MAX P3200, developed in caffenol.

[UPDATED: 9.12.2024]

First things first: For developing, stop bath and fixing, agitation should be continous for the first 10 seconds, then 10 seconds every minute. There is no need to strictly control the temperature, because this is cold process (20°C ± 2°C ). I strongly recommend to prepare fresh solutions each time you develop your film - it reduces the amount of silver ions poured down the drain after processing and, consequently, minimizes possible negative impact on the environment; it also gives you repeatable results.

DEVELOPING

To develop black & white negatives I use caffenol, based on The Caffenol Delta by Dirk Essl. The only difference is that I add a few more grams of instant coffee.

Ingredients:

• water - 1000 ml
• instant coffee - 50 g
• sodium carbonate (pure) - 24 g
• ascorbic acid/vitamin C (pure) - 20 g

If you mix sodium carbonate and vitamin C seperately from coffee, it will be easier to see when soda is completely dispersed.

Below there's a list with development times for a few films that I use on a regular basis:

• Fomapan 200 - 5 minutes
• Fomapan 400 - 6 minutes 30 seconds
• Ilford Delta 3200 (treated as ISO 6400 film) - 12 minutes 30 seconds

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STOP BATH (1+9 solution)

Ingredients:

• water - 900 ml
• 10% vinegar - 100 ml

Time: 2 minutes

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FIXING - Ilford Rapid Fixer (1+4 solution)

Ingredients:

• water - 800 ml
• Ilford Rapid Fixer - 200 ml

Time: 5 minutes

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WASHING

For me it's enough to change water in the developing tank four times.

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FINAL RINSE (water with one small drop of dishwashing liquid as wetting agent)

Time: approximately 2 minutes

Photo shot on Kodak T-MAX P3200, developed in caffenol.