Poor Man's Thread (Post your money-saving tips here)

I have been wanting an Olympus XA so that I could have a point and shoot where I could use my bulk-loaded film. But I'm too poor to afford one. I once had a Stylus Epic, but sold it, even though I genuinely liked it, because someone was happy to pay too much for it. Then I came across the original Epic for $2.99.

I like it and want to keep it, so I decided to do homemade DX coding. Others have scratched off existing DX codes, and one guy posted a tutorial for printing out paper and creating your own DX code, but it was VERY complicated. I decided to simply use foil and paint in the boxes with craft paint instead, which was fast and easy:



I'm sure it's been done before. You can use Thom's guide here for the proper DX coding: http://www.filmbodies.com/articles/dx-coding-on-film-canisters.html


I also did not want to pay $15 for plastic clips to hold my drying film. So I made this, with office clips and electrical tape:





If you have some tips for your fellow poor man, please share!

Give up photography; you'll save heaps! (just kidding...)

Use ID-11 at 1:3. You get more time to recover from timing and temperature errors. After processing, re-use the developer, each time replacing 1/6th of its volume with freshly diluted stock. Before replen, gently pour the saved dev off any settled crud at the bottom of the bottle and chuck it. Be sure to use airtight bottles; I recommend 500ml plastic pop bottles, they are cheap and you can drink the pop...

Save FB paper by using a fresh, strong stop bath for at least one minute when making prints. Carried-over dev stains papers when it reacts with fixer. Rinse tongs / gloves / fingers in stop before picking up the paper.

When making prints (esp. FB papers!) don't be tempted to skimp any part of the process (see above); take your time and process prints fully and properly for a full tonal range and absence of stains. Better prints = less waste.

That's all I can think of atm.

I cut the top off plastic 5 l. distilled water jugs. They make perfect containers for my D-76 1+1 or my stop bath during a session of film processing. When they get too dirty/old I throw them away and cut new ones.
I didn't want to "pay $15 for plastic clips to hold my drying films" either so I took a few Tri-x 135 "metal" cases and I flattened them with my hand. With a few clothespins they make perfect weights to hold the film straight while it dries.

But my biggest money-saving tip is making my own D-76 from scratch.

Smaller, "exact size" tupperware containers work better than trays for 4x5 tray development. 250ml to effectively cover them while a 5x7 tray usually takes 400ml. I've never seen actual 4x5 trays

TF-4 has significantly better shelf-life and tray life than ilford rapid fixer, and in my experience at least will process more paper/film before exhaustion. Also don't need to worry about stop bath, water rinse works just as well. For FB papers make sure to rinse well though

Forget Starbucks.

sometimes scratch made developers and fixers will save you money. you can buy the chemicals in bulk to make inexpensive well working developers like d23 or d76 and print developers like d72(dektol) or ansco 130 from the formulary or artcraft chemical. ansco 130 lasts forever as a stock solution (i have used some that is over a year old and it works perfect, you can use it for sheet film, roll film as well as prints (depending on your dilution and agitation style) bulk thiosulfate crystals from the same suppliers are inexpensive and you can make your own fixer, pool supply places sell it in 50lb bags or something but that's a lot ... adorama often sells 1lb containers for less than their suppliers as well. use wooden clothes pins instead of paper clips they are wicked cheep use your fixer until it is useless ( do a clip test, time to see how long it takes a clip of film leader to clear when i takes 2x that length of time make new fixer ). i use sumatranol130 film developer, its made from sumatra coffee ( i sell it here in the classifides ) and its just caffenol c made with tablespoons in bulk. i also add 20cc of ansco130 stock ( or dektol ) into the 1L of developer and make a little over a gallon at a time. i usually use it, and put it back into the batch, 1 gallon or so lasts about 6 months, probably 1000 rolls, sheets of film. then when i make new, i remove 1/2 of it and add in more to the "seasoned batch" i've replenished it, but it makes no difference. it's not for everyone, is extremely inexpensive, its pennies /roll. people say any replenished system will cost about that. have fun !

Pat Erson said:

I cut the top off plastic 5 l. distilled water jugs. They make perfect containers for my D-76 1+1 or my stop bath during a session of film processing. When they get too dirty/old I throw them away and cut new ones.
I didn't want to "pay $15 for plastic clips to hold my drying films" either so I took a few Tri-x 135 "metal" cases and I flattened them with my hand. With a few clothespins they make perfect weights to hold the film straight while it dries.

But my biggest money-saving tip is making my own D-76 from scratch.

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Oh yeah - I use old bleach bottles for my solution. They are easy to label with a sharpie, too.

Film developer money saving tip:

Use Dektol as your FILM developer. Mix 1 + 24 and do a monumental number of rolls per liter of stock. How many? That one liter makes 25 liters of one shot developer, so figuring that each full roll takes one third liter, that makes that one liter develop 75 rolls, about FOUR 100 ft rolls of B&W film. And, without quality compromise. Development times are convenient, from about five minutes to ten minutes, but I use 80 F so adjust accordingly.

Store the Dektol stock in either glass or PET plastic, filled to the brim, using glass marbles if you have to. - David Lyga

David Lyga said:

Film developer money saving tip:

Use Dektol as your FILM developer. Mix 1 + 24 and do a monumental number of rolls per liter of stock. How many? That one liter makes 25 liters of one shot developer, so figuring that each full roll takes one third liter, that makes that one liter develop 75 rolls, about FOUR 100 ft rolls of B&W film. And, without quality compromise. Development times are convenient, from about five minutes to ten minutes, but I use 80 F so adjust accordingly.

Store the Dektol stock in either glass or PET plastic, filled to the brim, using glass marbles if you have to. - David Lyga

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That's a good tip, David. Ilford MG developer is also great for developing film. I've used it at 1+50. The stock also has great shelf life.

David and Andrew
How long do you develop your film for in those developers ? When I use dektol ( d72 ) or ansco 130 1:6 i usually develop for about 6 mins,
do you use 1:24 for 24 mins ? and 1:50 for 50 mins ? that was the old world way to do time and dilution for ppm ( plate paper film ) universal developers...
john

Again, I use MY ambient room temp which is about 80F. This gives me reasonable times for most films. Try, at that temp, about ten minutes for Tri-X. If you use a colder temp, like 72 F, try 15 minutes for Tri-X. Do clip tests to zero onto what you find most comfortable. If these times turn out to be too long, simply dilute maybe 1 + 19 to get the shorter time. Dektol is very, very flexible. - David Lyga

Dollar store film clips:

Also from the Dollar store - graduated measuring containers and a few other useful bits from the kitchen department.
If you use anything that involves measuring, it helps if you can check them against something known to be accurate.

kevs said:

Give up photography; you'll save heaps!

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Photography is not for the feint of wallet.

Tip #1 ...take up knitting...saves$$

Like Matt said, do check your cheap measuring cups. I'm not sure many people realize how off these things can be. I have checked them, and they can be REALLY off.


Another tip is to use white vinegar (1+3) for a stop bath. I know some people use water, and some skip it altogether. I'm not that adventurous...

Don't buy a new camera you don't need.

I don't go to great lengths but I do shop around and often buy my developer from one source, fixer from another etc. Here in the UK I buy my Ilford ID-11 from Process Supplies as it's in a part of London I visit quite frequently. Ssssh...if you pay in cash they don't charge VAT. They're also unbeatable for things like Ilford Delta 3200 film and bulk rolls of Fomapan and Ilford bulk rolls. If you don't think this is ethical, their online prices with VAT included are still quite keen. I get Adox Adofix P powder fixer from Nik & Trick photographic as they usually offer the best UK price and postage is cheap due to it being a powder.

Another tip for UK members, if you use air dusters for any reason...Poundland do a decent can for....you guessed it...£1.

Generally I shoot Foma film as it's much cheaper than the opposition. I do keep some HP5+ 135 and Delta 3200 120 for shooting in a dark jazz/blues club which is also local to me. Try to buy darkroom equipment from people who are selling old gear they're not using any more. In the last two years I got a great enlarger timer (the type that plugs into the enlarger and mains to turn the enlarger on and off automatically) for a fraction of the usual price....and an extension to allow me to process 4 rolls in my Jobo 1500 system for 15 quid including postage from Israel via that famous auction site. If you are patient and only bid what you're willing to pay you can still get photo bargains.

I do buy most of my 135 film in bulk. I was lucky enough to buy four bulk loaders 10 years or more ago when people were getting rid of them cheap on eBay....prices are up now but you still may find friends or relatives who have them and are happy to give them to you. Save 30-50% compared to buying pre-packaged 35mm films. Though I admit rather than actually saving money, I am merely using more film!

Let it be known among friends and family that you're into photography and if you're lucky they'll shower you with bromide paper, developing tanks and expired B&W film as one friend has done this year. My mum's new "boyfriend" gave me four nice vintage cameras for Christmas which had been lying around his brother's attic. None were startlingly good but all functional and interesting. Check out things that can be repurposed like hanging shirt dryers which can be used to hang multiple films for drying or clips to use as film clips. If you have a local cameras shop, pop in every now and then and chat with the staff....if there;s a bargain bucket rummage through it every time you visit....if you create a rapport with the proprietor you might be lucky enough to be told things like "Oh, we have just been given this whole bag of expired slide film....each film is yours for £2 before we put it on sale at £4 each".

I use wooden snap clothespins for hanging film for drying. If it was good enough for St Ansel, its good enough for me!

GRHazelton said:

I use wooden snap clothespins for hanging film for drying. If it was good enough for St Ansel, its good enough for me!

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I'm with you, and I tried that. But some of the emulsions were just too stubbornly curly and needed more weight at bottom. I am currently using Ultrafine, and I don't even put a clip on the bottom, it is so straight.

Ariston said:

I'm with you, and I tried that. But some of the emulsions were just too stubbornly curly and needed more weight at bottom. I am currently using Ultrafine, and I don't even put a clip on the bottom, it is so straight.

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I just try to avoid curly film honestly. Tri-X is the most popular one that I always have curl problems with. Most other common ones will curl only slightly, like at the very end. I never weight my film unless it curls so much it would wrap in on itself while drying. Weighting seems to add horizontal curl to the strip and rarely actually helps with vertical curl

Also, if you're not scared of experiments and weird films, I've had a ton of fun using Arista Ortho Litho (see my thread about it). The film is the cheapest film you can buy, at $0.30/sheet for 4x5. I custom cut it to 120 and the cost there ends up being around $1 per roll. It also works well in very dilute developer, such as Dektol 1+20 or D-76 1+3. I do mix a prebath solution that directly boosts the speed when done before development, but the cost there ends up also being cheap and using long-life common components.. All said and done I'd say it's cheaper than $1 per 4x5 and $2 per 120 roll

Ariston said:

Another tip is to use white vinegar (1+3) for a stop bath.

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If you are going to use vinegar that dilute, try using stop bath that dilute.
For me it ends up being cheaper than the vinegar!

buy 2nd hand only what you need and love and leave the rest for people with GAS. that will save you a lot of money.

Citric acid for stop bath, a level tsp per litre, use one shot/one printing session.

I do use clothes pegs on the top, and a proper weighted clamp on the bottom - purely because I bought two cheap years ago.

Agulliver said:

Process Supplies as it's in a part of London I visit quite frequently. Ssssh...if you pay in cash they don't charge VAT.

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I think they are very silly if they are practising tax evasion (non-collection of Vat). It is illegal and they leave themselves open to a full tax audit and penalties.

I have been in business long enough to know that any tax evasion will come back to haunt you and not worth it in the end. (In my country the Revenu have very extensive powers)

Tax avoidance is a different matter and is to be encouraged.