Film Developing Time Calculator
Adjust your development times for temperature, film, and developer chemistry. Get consistent results at home.
Enter your actual developer temperature
Common Combinations
These are typical starting points for popular film-developer pairs at 20°C (68°F).
| Film | Developer | Base Time | hth>
|---|---|---|
| Portra 400 | Rodinal 1+50 | 12:00 |
| Tri-X 400 | HC-110 Dil B | 10:30 |
| FP4 Plus 125 | D-76 1+1 | 12:00 |
| Delta 3200 | XTOL 1+1 | 25:00 |
| Pro 400H | T-Max RS 1+4 | 9:00 |
Temperature Adjustment Chart
Adjust times when your developer temperature differs from 20°C. For each degree below 20°C, add 8-10% to the development time. For each degree above, subtract 8-10%.
| 18°C | +16% time |
| 19°C | +8% time |
| 20°C | Base time |
| 21°C | -8% time |
| 22°C | -16% time |
Helpful Notes
Measure Accurately
Use a digital thermometer calibrated to water. Room temperature and developer temperature can differ by several degrees. Measure just before pouring developer on film.
Push Processing
Pushing increases contrast and grain. The calculator adds time based on standard formulas. For 1 stop push, typically add 50-100% to base time depending on developer.
Test Strip Method
When trying a new combination, develop a test strip of 4-6 frames with 15-second increments. This helps verify your calculated time before committing to a full roll.
Understanding the Calculations
This calculator uses Kodak's temperature compensation formulas based on the principle that development rate doubles approximately every 6°C (10°F) increase in temperature. The formulas assume: standard agitation (inversion every 30 seconds), fresh developer solution, and no pre-soak or shorter pre-soak times. Results may vary with different agitation methods, developer age, or film batch variations. Always verify with a test strip when using a new combination.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using room temperature instead of developer temperature
- Forgetting to account for pre-soak time in total development time
- Not adjusting for developer exhaustion in batch processing
- Assuming the same time works for different film batches or ages
- Relying on times calculated in Fahrenheit without proper conversion