There is a moment that most film photographers remember clearly. You pull your developed negatives from the tank for the first time, hold them up to the light, and see actual frames. Images you made, chemistry you mixed, a process you completed entirely by hand. It feels different from dropping a roll at a lab. It feels like something you built.

Home film development is not a difficult skill to learn. It takes one afternoon to do your first roll, and by your third or fourth the whole thing starts to feel like a natural rhythm. The cost per roll in chemistry drops to under a euro. You gain complete control over how your negatives look. And for most people, it quietly becomes one of the most satisfying parts of shooting on film.

Black and white film is the right place to start. There is no heated water bath required, the chemistry is forgiving enough that your early rolls will come out well, and within a couple of sessions the whole process starts to feel natural and genuinely satisfying.

This guide covers everything you need to develop your first roll: why B&W is the right entry point, what equipment and chemistry to get, how to find the correct development time for your specific film and developer, the full step-by-step process broken down clearly, agitation technique, and how to troubleshoot common problems. Prefer to watch before you read? Skip to the video walkthrough.

Why Start with Black and White Film?

Black and white development has a wider tolerance for small timing and temperature variations than colour processes. The standard development temperature is 20°C (68°F), which is essentially room temperature, so no heated water bath is required and no constant monitoring is needed. That alone removes a significant source of stress for anyone doing this for the first time.

The chemistry is straightforward too. Developer, stop bath, fixer, and an optional wetting agent. Because B&W tolerates small deviations generously, your first few rolls are far more likely to come out well compared to attempting colour development straight away.

The costs are modest. A bottle of Rodinal developer costs around €10–15 and can develop 50 or more rolls at high dilution. Fixer is reusable for many rolls. Once you have a tank and reels, the ongoing cost per roll is typically under €1. Learning B&W first also gives you a solid feel for the full process before you take on the tighter temperature demands of colour chemistry.

What You Need to Get Started

A home film processing kit like the Black & White Starter Kit includes all the essentials for your first roll. Here is what you will need.

Included in a standard starter kit

• Film developing tank and reels. The tank holds your loaded film and allows chemistry to be poured in and out in normal daylight once sealed. Make sure the reels match your format, whether 35mm, 120, or both.
• Changing bag. A light-tight bag for loading your film in complete darkness. Works anywhere, no dedicated darkroom needed.
• Thermometer. For checking that your chemistry is at 20°C before you begin.
• Measuring cylinders. For accurately measuring and mixing chemistry.
• Storage bottle. For storing fixer between sessions. Developer is typically one-shot and discarded after use.
• Film clips. For hanging film to dry after processing.
• B&W chemistry. Developer, fixer, and wetting agent. Mix according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Additional items worth having

• Scissors. For trimming the 35mm film leader to a straight edge before loading. You will need them inside the changing bag.
• Timer. A phone works fine. Not needed if you are using the AGO Film Processor, which handles timing automatically.
• Distilled water (optional). Helpful if your tap water is mineral-rich, to prevent drying spots on negatives.

If you would prefer a more hands-off approach from the start, the AGO Film Processor works with standard Paterson tanks and automates agitation, timing, and temperature compensation throughout the development process, for B&W, C-41, E-6, and other processes. Beginners using the AGO consistently report that the whole workflow feels natural from their very first session.

Choosing Your B&W Developer

Unlike C-41 colour chemistry, B&W developers are not standardised. There are many excellent options, each with slightly different characteristics. The most popular choices for beginners are these three.

• Rodinal (also sold as Adonal). One of the most widely used developers in the world. It has an extremely long shelf life as a concentrate, works with almost any B&W film, and is very easy to mix. Produces excellent grain character and sharpness.
• Ilford ID-11 / Kodak D-76. Fine-grain developers that work well as all-rounders if you prefer smoother, lower-grain results.
• Ilford DDX. Particularly good for push processing, which means shooting film at a higher ISO than its rated speed.

One important distinction to get right from the start. B&W developer is typically one-shot. You mix a working solution, develop one roll, and discard it. This gives the most consistent results. Fixer works differently and can be reused for many rolls. Track how many rolls your fixer has processed and occasionally test it. A small strip of unexposed film should clear within two minutes in fresh fixer. If it takes longer, it is time to replace it.

How to Find Your Development Time

This is where B&W differs fundamentally from C-41. Development times are not fixed. They depend on your film stock, your developer, the dilution ratio, and your agitation method. Never guess, and do not just use a time you found in a comment somewhere online.

The resource every B&W developer uses is the Massive Dev Chart at digitaltruth.com. It has been online since 1995 and contains both manufacturer-published times and verified user submissions for thousands of film and developer combinations. It is free.

How to use it

Go to digitaltruth.com/devchart.php. On the left side you will see two dropdowns. The first says "Select a Film" and the second says "All Developers". Choose your film from the first list (for example, Ilford HP5+), choose your developer from the second (for example, Rodinal), and click Search.

The results appear as a table with these columns: Film, Developer, Dilution, ASA/ISO, time for 35mm, time for 120, time for sheet film, Temperature, and Notes. Find the row that matches your film's ISO and your chosen dilution. The time shown in the 35mm or 120 column, at 20°C, is your development time.

Using Ilford HP5 Plus rated at ISO 400 with Rodinal as an example, the chart gives you these starting points.

• Dilution 1+25 at 20°C: 6 minutes for 35mm
• Dilution 1+50 at 20°C: 11 minutes for 35mm

Write this number down before you do anything else. It is the most important variable in the whole process.

How to calculate how much developer to mix

For one roll of 35mm in a standard Paterson tank, you need 290 ml of working solution. For 120 format, around 500 ml.

At a 1+25 dilution with 290 ml total, divide 290 by 25 to get 11.6 ml of concentrate. Top up with water at 20°C to make 290 ml total. Simple arithmetic, done once before you start.

If you are using the AGO Film Processor

Reduce your development time from the chart by approximately 15%. The AGO uses continuous rotation, which is more active than intermittent inversions, so it develops faster. A 10-minute hand development time becomes approximately 8.5 minutes with the AGO.

Watch: Developing Film with the Starter Kit

Before reading through each step, watch the full process using the Black & White Starter Kit. Seeing it once makes the written steps much easier to follow.

Step-by-Step: Developing Your First Roll

Once you have looked up your development time and mixed your chemistry, you are ready to begin. Read through the whole sequence once before you start. Each step flows into the next and a couple of them have no margin for hesitation.

Step 1. Load the film (in darkness)

In your changing bag or darkroom, open the film canister and trim the leader to a straight edge with scissors. Load the film onto the reel using the ratchet action. It should feel smooth. If it fights you, back up slightly and try again. Place the loaded reel in the developing tank and seal it completely. Once the lid is on, every remaining step happens in normal room light.

A word on this step. Reel loading is the most common stumbling block for beginners. Practice with an old, already-developed roll in full daylight first. Getting the motion right before doing it blind inside a changing bag makes a significant difference.

Step 2. Look up your time and prepare your chemistry

Before you mix anything, open the Massive Dev Chart, select your film and developer, and confirm your development time. Write it down. Then mix your developer at the correct dilution and mix your fixer according to its instructions. Both should be at 20°C when you check with your thermometer. Room-temperature chemistry usually needs only a short wait, so mix it slightly ahead of time and let it settle.

Step 3. Develop

This step has a specific rhythm. Follow it exactly.

1. Pour and start. Pour the developer into the tank and start your timer immediately.
2. First 30 seconds. Agitate continuously. Turn the tank fully upside down and back, over and over without stopping, for the full 30 seconds.
3. Remaining time, every 30 seconds. Do 4 inversions and stop. One inversion is the tank fully upside down and back. Repeat this every 30 seconds until the timer ends.
4. When the timer ends. Pour the developer out immediately. Do not wait.

Using the AGO Film Processor. Attach the AGO to your tank, pour in the developer, and press start. The AGO agitates continuously and monitors temperature in real time. If your developer runs slightly above or below 20°C, it adjusts the remaining development time automatically so your negatives still come out right.

Step 4. Stop bath

Pour in your stop bath and agitate for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then pour it out. A plain water rinse works for B&W, though a dedicated stop bath solution halts development more cleanly and reliably.

Step 5. Fix

Pour in the fixer and agitate for the first 30 seconds, then 5 seconds every minute. Fixing time is typically 4–10 minutes depending on the brand. Pour the fixer back into its storage bottle for reuse when done.

Step 6. Wash

Rinse with running water for 5–10 minutes to remove remaining chemistry. A hypo-clearing agent (such as Ilford Hypo Clear) can significantly reduce wash time if you want to save water.

Step 7. Wetting agent (optional)

Add a few drops of wetting agent (such as Kodak Photo-Flo) to a final rinse bath and soak for 1 minute. This reduces surface tension and helps the film dry without water spots. Discard the solution after use.

Step 8. Dry

Hang the film with clips in a clean, dust-free area. Attach a weighted clip at the bottom to keep it straight. Let it dry for 1–2 hours before touching, cutting, or scanning. Wet film scratches permanently, so patience here matters more than it might seem.

Step 9. Scan or print

Once dry, scan your negatives to create digital files, or take them to a darkroom for silver gelatin printing. B&W negatives scan beautifully and respond very well to darkroom printing.

Step 10. Cut, sleeve, and store

Cut the dried film into strips of 4–6 frames and store in archival negative sleeves. Keep flat in a binder or box away from heat and humidity. Properly stored B&W negatives last decades.

Agitation Methods for Black and White Development

Agitation keeps fresh chemistry in contact with the film emulsion and prevents uneven development. There are two main approaches.

• Hand agitation (inversion). Agitate continuously for the first 30 seconds, then 4 inversions every 30 seconds for the rest of the development time. This is the standard method for manual development and requires no additional equipment.
• Rotary agitation (continuous). Motorised processors like the AGO Film Processor use continuous horizontal rotation. Because constant agitation is more active than intermittent inversions, reduce your development time by approximately 15% when switching to rotary. A 10-minute hand time becomes around 8.5 minutes with the AGO.

Troubleshooting Common B&W Development Problems

Tips for Better Results

• Always look up your time on the Massive Dev Chart. Never guess. The combination of film stock, developer brand, dilution, and temperature all affect the correct time. The chart at digitaltruth.com covers thousands of combinations and is free to use.
• Mix chemistry ahead of time and let it stabilise at room temperature before checking with your thermometer.
• B&W developer is one-shot; fixer is reusable. Mix a fresh working solution for each roll, and track your fixer carefully.
• Test fresh chemistry on a scrap piece of unexposed film before using it on anything precious. It should turn black in developer, and clear in fixer within two minutes.
• Minimise air in stored bottles to slow oxidation and extend shelf life.
• Practice reel loading in daylight first. A few minutes practising with a sacrificed roll makes doing it blind in a changing bag far less stressful.
• Work safely. Wear nitrile gloves when handling chemistry, ensure good ventilation near a window or open door, label all bottles clearly, and never pour fixer down the drain. Most local recycling centres accept used photographic fixer.

Getting Started with B&W Film Development at Home

The Black & White Starter Kit includes everything you need to develop your first roll: tank, reels, changing bag, chemistry, thermometer, measuring graduates, and film clips. Everything is compatible, and you can be developing within hours of unboxing. At €148, you will typically break even after around 10 rolls compared to typical lab prices.

Once you are comfortable with B&W and ready to tackle colour film, or simply want more consistent results across the board, the AGO Film Processor automates agitation, timing, and temperature compensation for B&W, C-41, E-6, ECN-2, and RA-4. It monitors temperature throughout development and adjusts in real time, so your negatives come out right even when conditions are not perfect. Process up to 8 rolls at once, with no manual inversions and no watching the clock.

Related guides

• Developing film at home: complete guide
• The best way to develop film at home
• How to develop colour film at home (C-41 guide)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a darkroom to develop black and white film at home?
No. You do not need a darkroom. The only darkness required is for the 1–2 minutes it takes to load your film and seal the tank. A changing bag handles this completely and works anywhere, so you can process 35mm film at home without a darkroom. Once the tank is sealed, all chemistry steps are done in normal light.

How long does it take to develop black and white film at home?
The chemistry steps take around 20–30 minutes depending on your film and developer combination. Add 10–15 minutes to mix and check temperatures, plus 1–2 hours for drying. Total time from start to finished dry negatives is typically around 2 hours.

What black and white films can I develop at home?
Any standard black and white film: Ilford HP5 Plus, Ilford Delta 400, Kodak Tri-X, Kodak T-Max, Fomapan, Kentmere, and many others. Chromogenic B&W films like Ilford XP2 Super use C-41 colour chemistry, not standard B&W developers.

What film formats can I develop at home?
All standard formats: 35mm, 120 medium format, 127, 110, 220, and large format sheet film. 35mm and 120 are the most common starting points, and most starter kits include reels for both.

How much does it cost to develop film at home?
Under €1 per roll in chemistry once you have a tank and reels. A bottle of Rodinal at 1+50 dilution can develop 50 or more rolls. Fixer is reusable and similarly inexpensive. The B&W Starter Kit covers all the initial equipment at €148.

Can I reuse B&W developer?
Most B&W developers are one-shot: mix a working solution, develop one roll, and discard. This gives the most consistent results. Fixer is different and can be reused for many rolls. Track how many you have processed and test it periodically.

What is the best B&W developer for beginners?
Rodinal (also sold as Adonal) is one of the most popular choices. It has an extremely long shelf life as a concentrate, works with almost any B&W film, and is very easy to mix. Ilford ID-11 and Kodak D-76 are good alternatives if you prefer finer grain.