Six months ago I bought a Paterson developing tank, a thermometer, and a bottle of Rodinal. I’ve now developed about thirty rolls at home, and it’s one of the most satisfying things I’ve added to the film photography process.
Why Develop at Home
Cost is the obvious answer. Lab development runs £5–8 per roll. Chemicals for home development cost maybe 30p per roll once you have the kit. The payback period for the initial investment is short.
But cost isn’t the main reason I do it. The main reason is control and immediacy. I can develop a roll the same evening I shoot it. I can choose developer and dilution to affect the look of the negative. I can push or pull film precisely because I’m the one controlling the process.
The Process (C-41 vs Black and White)
Black and white is accessible at home. The chemicals are forgiving, the temperature tolerance is wider, and you can use simple developers like Rodinal, HC-110, or D-76.
Colour negative (C-41) film requires tighter temperature control — 38°C ± 0.3°C — and a three-chemical process. It’s doable at home with a sous vide cooker or temperature-controlled water bath, but it’s more demanding. I do my colour rolls at the lab and develop black and white at home.
What You Need
A Paterson tank runs about £20. A thermometer another £10. Chemicals depend on your developer choice — Rodinal is cheap, lasts forever (it’s a concentrate), and produces characterful results with a slight grain. You’ll also need a drying space and some way to scan or print the negatives.
The first time you open the tank after development and see your negatives on the reel — properly exposed, properly developed, yours from start to finish — it’s a particular kind of satisfaction.