Sequence viewing > black & white film - processing Index - Resource - © Lloyd Godman

Processing 35mm &120 B&W Film

Processing of 35mm & 120 roll film is usually done in a daylight tank. Once the film has to be loaded in darkness into a spiral it is then placed into a tank, a lid is locked in place that allows the processing to take place in daylight.

 

While there are variations to these tanks, generally the tank consists of four parts that fit together to produce a light trap. It is essential to understand what these parts are and how they fit together to create the light trap. Failure to assemble them correctly in the dark can result in fogging the film and ruining the images.

 

No 1 Tank: It is important to make sure the tank is in good condition and has no cracks in it or it or light can enter, fog the film or the chemicals can leak out during processing.
No 2 Spiral: This is the spiral the film has to be loaded into in darkness. It is essential to make sure this is in good condition, clean and assembled correctly. Over time silver deposits can build up on the plastic, also if it has been stored out side the tank for sumetome, make sure there is no dust on the reel. No 3 tube: This tube fits up inside the spiral and is essential to create the light trap.

4 Funnel lid: This lid fits onto the top of the tank once the spiral with the tube in place is in the tank. The bottom of the funnel fits inside the top of the tube and completes the light trap, that allows the film to be processed in daylight.

 

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