Help for my first time developing !

Hello hello!

I am starting to develop my 35mm films in b&h and I am still figuring out some stuff before actually starting the process... If you have answers it would be a very great help for me !!

- I have the Adox Silvermax developer and it seems that the only combination written is: Dilution for SILVERMAX film: 1+29 (10 ml plus 290 ml of water to mix 300 ml). However my film is not Silver it is a FOMAPAN action 400 and a WASHI FILM Z 400 as well. These two films are not written with the Datasheet ( https://www.fotoimpex.com/shop/images/products/media/58645_5_PDF-Datasheet.pdf ) and the Massive Dev Chart either ( https://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=&Developer=%25Silvermax%25&mdc=Search&TempUnits=F&TimeUnits=D ). 
How can I calculate the combination? I have read several articles about it but I still don't get it. 

- How can I calculate the 1 as in 1+29? 

- I don't have any auxiliar, just water to rinse my film, is it still ok? and I don't have anything to take out the dust as the squingee was not that recommanded, do you have any comments about this? 

- The Kodafix vary with the film I use. How can I understand the relationship between the fixer and my films if not any information can be found online? (kind of the same question that the first one...)

- My last question is about the Kodak Professional Rapid Selenium Toner that I have purchased. I got it to fix my density and it seems that its usage vary if it is for contrast or density (but I feel that the two are well interconnected) and that it is kind of outdated. How should I use it for density? 

I know it is a lot but if you can help me I would be more than grateful. Let me know if you have any more questions, I will answer asap. 

Thank you so much!!!

Luna

Its been a long time since I processed film, I don't recall this level of complication......See this pdf, maybe it'll shed some light?
www.digitaltruth.com/products/foma_tech/Fomapan_400.pdf

Thank you so much and unfortunately my developer is not written within the data sheet of FOMAPAN 400 either..

One more try..... www.fotoimpex.de/shop/images/products/me..._5_PDF-Datasheet.pdf

G'day Luna

Lots of this brings back memories of fun in the past - so hopefully I and others here can help you
Firstly- your ISO-400 film will use the same dev & fix times as any other 400-ISO film on the list - so don't worry if your exact film-name is not listed

Okay to your Qs:
- How can I calculate the 1 as in 1+29?
From the chemist or local supermarket, buy a medicine cup - small, tapered sides, used to dispense a 'spoon of cough syrup' for the patient ... and use this to measure out your 10mils of liquid

- I don't have any auxiliar, just water to rinse my film, is it still ok?
Plain tap water is quite okay. although if you want to add some water-dispersant, one-single-drop-the-size-of-a-matchhead of dishwashing detergent can be added to your developing tank of water while flushing the fixer away from the film

- The Kodafix vary with the film I use. How can I understand the relationship between the fixer and my films if not any information can be found online? (kind of the same question that the first one...)
The job of the fixer is to dissolve unexposed and undeveloped grains of silver from the film base. While you can under-fix a film you cannot over-fix a film. Most films I used were fixed in 5-6 minutes, so try something like this time

- My last question is about the Kodak Professional Rapid Selenium Toner that I have purchased. I got it to fix my density and it seems that its usage vary if it is for contrast or density (but I feel that the two are well interconnected) and that it is kind of outdated. How should I use it for density?
My memory of this selenium toner was a) to assist 99-year archival retention of the printed image and b) to tone the print with a bronze-brown sort of colour. It was not used in film developing

I don't have anything to take out the dust as the squingee was not that recommanded, do you have any comments about this?
From a local auto shop, chase up a VW Beetle flat, metal backed windscreen wiper blade, or locate something similar and use this.  It is more important to wipe the shiny back of the film, not so much the emulsion side of the film

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Thank you so much Efron, I found one of two films here. 

Thank you so much !!!! Your replies really helped me to get starting. Thank you for all this explanation.

If it is not much trouble I would like to understand the first thing you said about the ISO 400, Because the Datasheet of my developer ( www.fotoimpex.de/shop/images/products/me..._5_PDF-Datasheet.pdf ) seems to show different rations and time for the same ISO but different films.. and one of my two films is not written down there.

Thank you so much again for your time and kind help

G'day mate

My film developing was extensive, but many years ago!
I used all of Kodak and Ilford - Kodak Tri-x and Ilford HP4, each ISO-400 along with developer ID-11.  From memory they each had developing times of 5-1/2 m vs 6m ... the same within 1/2- minute ... so they often went into the 3-roll deveoping tank together.  Most of the time I used Ilford FP4 with ISO from 100 to 1600 by modifying the development times

I also remember others talking about using Rodinal fine-grain developer at the 1:29 mixture - with it being such a low concentration mixture, the developing times were much longer ~ towards 12 to 14 minutes in the developer solution [but it was a long time ago and memory fades]

Second solution:-
Create your own developing chart using 1 x 36 exposure roll of film

Step-1)- Expose film as "+1 EV, Expose to ISO, -1 EV, -2EV, then blank frame ... then repeat 5 more times until 36 exp film is done.  ie: using 400-ISO film you expose as "blank - 200-ISO - 400-ISO - 800-ISO - 1600-ISO - blank"
This means that a piece of film of 5 frames is about 20cm long - about the same as your thumb to small finger stretched outwards!

2) in the darkroom  / change bag, pull film from cassette, stretch fingers !! - cut film carefully and develop for your chosen time in minutes [for this discussion let's start with 8 minutes]

3) repeat step 2) and increase development time by 25%
4) repeat step 3) .... and so on until all film is developed

You will then have strips of film developed for 8 min - 10 min - 12,5min - 16 min - 20 minutes etc.

Examine each film strip and determine which of the images gives the best exposure & tonal range - and from this you will create your own developing time chart for your chosen film AND at your chosen ISO speed whenever you want to boost the ISO speed

All in all this process will take several days of your time, but in years to come it will be most valuable.  You can repeat it with any film and any developer than comes along in the future

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Hi Ozzie !

That was a very great help for me. I went to buy another developer with every information online so that I could start with already made calculations but once I'll kind of get it, I will definitely try the steps you mentioned above with my first developer.

It really helped me a lot !!!! Thank you so much

G'day mate

By doing something like the above, you will end up with a collection of short strips of film with a blank frame [or 1/2-a blank frame at the end] along the way as your reference point, each strip showing "dark to light" exposures. Label each with its time - do not get them mixed up before doing this !!!

By carefully examining &/or printing 'the best' frame of each strip, you will soon work out the best developing time for each ISO setting - and for each type of film if you repeat it with other stuff. You will then easily draw a couple of lines on a chart to create your own ISO to Developing time chart, including for push-processing on those occasions when you want to go down that path

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/