AT HOME
DARKROOM

one new, one classic. pick your speed.

Kodak Ektar H35

half-frame, 72 shots per roll, built-in flash. the cheapest way to start shooting film today.

~$30 shop

Canon AE-1 (Renewed)

the classic manual SLR with a 50mm f/1.8. shutter priority, full manual, built to last 50 years.

~$150-250 shop

three stocks to cover daylight, low light, and the weird stuff.

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (2-pack)

the b&w workhorse. high contrast, forgiving, pushes to 1600. develops at home in monobath.

~$18 shop

CineStill 800T (2-pack)

the night roll. tungsten-balanced cinema stock. neon signs glow, street lights halo. develops in C-41.

~$30 shop

Harman Phoenix 200

the experimental one. heavy grain, unpredictable color shifts, C-41. you never know what you're going to get.

~$13 shop

two paths, same destination: a developed negative.

Path A: the easy setup

no darkroom, no bag, no fumbling in the dark.

LAB-BOX (35mm)

daylight developing tank. load film in the light, turn the crank, pour in chemistry, done.

~$110 shop

Path B: the traditional setup

cheaper, more hands-on, the way it's been done for decades.

Paterson Tank + 2 Reels

the classic. holds two 35mm rolls at once. load it in the dark.

~$30 shop

Changing Bag

your portable darkness. zip the tank and the roll inside, load by feel.

~$20 shop

what actually turns the exposure into a negative.

For black & white

CineStill Df96 Monobath

one bottle, one step, 16+ rolls. pour, wait 3 minutes, wash.

~$20 shop

Ilford Simplicity Starter Pack

the traditional three-bath: developer, stop, fixer, plus wetting agent. more control, more craft.

~$25 shop

For color (C-41)

CineStill Cs41 Color Kit

simplified two-bath C-41. develops any color negative. good for 24+ rolls.

~$30 shop

C-41 needs 102°F. this is how you hold it there.

Sous Vide Circulator

the temperature hack. holds your C-41 chemistry at exactly 102°F. turns color developing from stressful to foolproof.

~$55 shop

Development Tub

a basin deep enough to hold your tank in the water bath. nothing fancy, just needs to not leak.

~$10 shop

Thermometer

spot-check your chemistry temp before you pour. even with the sous vide, trust but verify.

~$7 shop

the finishing touches that get your negatives from wet to scanned.

Chemistry Storage Containers

pour your used chemistry back and store it. reuse the monobath for 16 rolls, the Cs41 for 24+.

~$12 shop

Film Squeegee

wipe water off the strip before you hang it. prevents water spots on your negatives.

~$8 shop

Film Clips

hang your negatives to dry. weighted clips on the bottom keep them from curling.

~$8 shop

Plustek OpticFilm 8200i SE

7200 dpi, infrared dust removal. the bridge from analog to digital. pays for itself by replacing lab scans.

~$400 shop