How to Develop Kodak 126 Film

Kodak 126 film is the same size as 35 mm film, so you can develop it in standard tanks.

Eastman Kodak introduced its 126 film in a cartridge in 1963. The format is almost synonymous with 1960s amateur snapshots. The film was designed to be easy to use in Kodak’s own InstaMatic cameras. You pop in the film cartridge and close the camera door. Pop on a flashcube and you are ready to shoot. The camera produced a square negative or slide in color or black and white, although color became dominant in the 1960s.

Things You'll Need

• Dark room
• Changing bag
• Film tank
• Film reel
• Chemicals
• Graduated cylinders
• Thermometer
• Photographic timer

Instructions

1. Check which type of film is contained in the 126 cartridge if the label is still intact. Most old 126 film will need either C-22 or C-41 chemicals. They are not interchangeable. Developing C-22 film in C-41 chemicals will give you a strip of dark orange film with no images. C-22 chemicals may be hard to come by and you probably will need to find a professional film lab that can handle it rather than do it yourself. If your 126 cartridge lists the film as Kodacolor or Kodacolor-X, it needs C-22 chemicals. If the cartridge lists Kodacolor II, made after 1973, C-41 chemicals are available for home developing.

2. Measure and mix the chemicals according to the manufacturer’s specifications. You will need to maintain specified temperatures both during mixing and development. This becomes more crucial with color film than for black and white.

3. Take the film cartridge, film reel and tank into a thoroughly dark room--no light at all--to load the tank. If no such rooms can be had, use a changing bag, remembering to put all of these items into the bag before cracking the cartridge. When things are securely dark, break the cartridge in the middle. You can struggle with a knife in the seam of the cartridge, but breaking it in the middle will do the trick quickly.

4. Load the 126 film onto the reel in total darkness. Fortunately, 126 film is the same size as 35 mm film, so a standard stainless steel or plastic film reel will do. The only two differences between 35 mm film and 126 film are the placement of sprocket holes and the exposed image area. Once loaded onto the reel, put the reel in the tank and seal the tank. After you do that, you can take the tank into the light, although subdued lighting is recommended.

5. Place the film tank in a bath of water, such as a tub or sink, filled up to the sides of the tank, but not over the top. This water will help keep the temperature at the right level. The chemical maker’s instructions will tell you the precise temperatures to use for the chemicals, and this bath needs to be the same. For a basic guideline, use 68 degrees Fahrenheit for black and white film and 100 degrees F for color. That’s 20 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees C respectively.

6. Pour the developer into the film tank and agitate it for one minute. After that, use agitation for approximately 10 seconds every minute. Pour the developer out when your timer indicates the correct time has passed, then pour in the next chemical. This will vary according to film type. For black and white, you use developer, stop bath and fixer before washing the film. For color print and slide film, it takes a few more chemical steps that the manufacturer will explain in the instructions. Wash the film for an hour, then let it dry.

References

• Chromogenic.net: How to Develop Your Own Film

Resources

• Freestylephoto.biz: Developing Time Based On Temperature Changes