Okay, I got it. I’ll write an article about “120 film tank” like a plainspoken old woman, keeping it SEO-friendly and easy to understand. Here we go:
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Alright, so you got yourself one of them fancy 120 film cameras, huh? Took some nice pictures, and now you wanna see ’em? Well, you gotta develop that film first, and that’s where this here 120 film tank comes in. It’s just a light-proof container, see? Keeps your film safe from the light while you’re messin’ with them chemicals.
Why You Need a 120 Film Tank?
Look, film’s sensitive stuff. Sunlight, even that little bit from a lightbulb, will ruin it quicker than a fly on a hot stove. The tank? It’s your darkroom, your safe space for the film. You pour in the developer, the stop bath, the fixer – all them smelly liquids – and the film stays nice and dark, just how it likes it.
- Keeps it Dark: Like I said, no light gets in, so your pictures don’t get all messed up.
- Easy Pouring: Tanks got these little spouts and lids, so you can pour stuff in and out without making a big mess. Well, mostly without a big mess. I still spill sometimes, darn it.
- Holds the Reels: Inside the tank, there are these reels, see? You wind your film onto them, and they keep the film separate so the chemicals can get to every little bit. Keeps it all even and such.
Getting Your Film Ready – Loadin’ up That Reel
Now, this here is the tricky part, the part that makes most folks sweat a little. You gotta load the film onto the reel in the dark. Yup, pitch black. That’s why they call it a darkroom, I reckon.
First off, find yourself a dark place. A closet, a bathroom with no windows, whatever works. Then, you gotta get everything set up before you turn off the lights. Get your tank open, get your reel ready, get your scissors or a can opener – yes, a can opener, I use one sometimes, works just fine – to open the film canister. And for goodness sake, make sure everything’s dry!
Alright, lights out! Now, feel around for your film. It’s got that paper backing on it, right? You gotta separate that paper from the film. Just feel for the end of the film, and start winding it onto the reel. Nice and slow, and make sure it goes in straight. If it gets crooked, it’ll bunch up and you’ll have a heck of a time. I’ve messed up a few rolls in my day, that’s for sure. Don’t feel bad if it happens to you. Just takes practice, like everything else.
Using the 120 Film Tank – The Chemical Part
Once the film is on the reel and the reel is in the tank, you can close it up tight. Now you can turn the lights back on. See? Not so scary.
Next up, the chemicals. First, you pour in the developer. Now, the developer, that’s the stuff that makes the picture appear on the film. Follow the instructions on the bottle, but it’s usually somethin’ like 6 to 10 minutes. You gotta keep the temperature right, too. Too hot or too cold, and the pictures won’t come out right. I use a thermometer, just to be sure. And you gotta agitate the tank, too. That means you turn it upside down and back again a few times, to keep the developer movin’ around and gettin’ to all the film.
After the developer, you pour in the stop bath. The stop bath, well, it stops the developing. Pretty simple, right? Just a minute or two for that. Then you pour in the fixer. The fixer makes the picture stay put, so it don’t disappear when you take the film out into the light. Fixer takes a little longer, maybe 5 minutes or so.
Washing and Drying – Almost There!
Once you’re done with the chemicals, you gotta wash the film. Just run some water through the tank for a good long while, maybe 10 minutes, to get all them chemicals off. Then you can open up the tank and take out the reel with your film on it. Be careful now, it’s still wet and you don’t wanna scratch it.
Now, you gotta hang it up to dry. I use a clothesline in my bathroom; works just fine. Find a place where it won’t get dusty or bumped. Let it dry completely before you do anything else with it. And that’s it! You’ve developed your own film. Ain’t nothin’ to it, really. Just takes a little patience and practice.
Choosing a 120 Film Tank
There are all sorts of tanks out there. Plastic ones, metal ones, ones for one roll, ones for two rolls. I like the plastic ones myself; they’re lighter and they don’t get cold as quick in the winter. And get one that’s easy to load. Some of them reels are a pain in the neck, let me tell you.
So, there you have it. A little bit about 120 film tanks. Don’t be scared of ’em. Just give it a try and see what happens. You might be surprised at what you can do. And if you mess up, well, that’s just part of the learning process. Heck, I still mess up sometimes, and I’ve been doin’ this for… well, let’s just say a long time.
Tags: 120 film, film developing, film tank, developing tank, darkroom, analog photography, medium format, film photography, how to develop film, film processing
