First Impressions of the Lomo Daylight Developing Tank by Martin Brown

UK-based Martin Brown is a highly curious film photographer who carefully considers every step that goes into producing images. From the choice of camera, lenses, film, right down developing each roll himself, there is no doubt that Martin is hands-on in his craft.

We couldn't miss an opportunity for Martin to test out the new Lomo Daylight Developing Tank 35 mm so we sent him one of our early prototypes which he tested out with some LomoChrome Purple, Lomography Color Negative 400 and a whole mix of other films. In this interview Martin talks to us about his experiences using this innovative developing kit.

Hello Martin, please tell us a bit about yourself and your experience processing film at home?

Hello! I began my photography journey as a magazine photographer for Martial Arts Illustrated and later merged my fine art background with a deep love of image-making. I take complete creative control of my photography end-to-end, from spooling my own rolls, to processing each batch of film at home. Doing things this way has attracted quite a few actors and film directors to shoot with me.

With no irony, it turns out that people who make and star in films also love film! I’ve been lucky enough to work with Craig Sheffer (A River Runs Through It, One Tree Hill), Dario Argento (Suspiria, Deep Red), and even some of the cast from Hellraiser, Wonder Woman, Inception, and James Bond (No Time to Die). When you handle every stage of the process yourself, it becomes a deeper artform that’s also attractive to others who want to work with someone creating unique, handmade images. Self-developing your film is one of the first steps into opening your own future, and I encourage everyone to give it a try.

What did you choose to process for this test?

For the Daylight Developing Tank, I pushed boundaries by shooting Babylon 13 at ISO 6 and running it in 510 Pyro, a developer I’ve come to trust for black-and-white work. I also used some LomoChrome Purple, Kodak XX, and Kodak Aerocolor, turning to an ECN-2 kit by Bellini for the color rolls. Below I've included some details about the cameras and chemicals I used for these tests and the reasons for choosing them..

• 510 Pyro for Black and White: Pyro developers stem from pyrogallol, a staining developer with a history dating back to some of the earliest darkroom practices of the 1830s. Pyrogallol reacts chemically to create a stain image alongside the silver, allowing for excellent highlight control and a distinctive tonal range. I find that Pyro-based developers retain more detail in the highlights while producing rich mid-tones, making them ideal for both portraits and high-contrast scenes.

• Cross-Process C-41 Film in ECN-2: ECN-2 is the motion picture chemistry used for films like Kodak Vision3 stocks. Cross-processing standard C-41 emulsions in ECN-2 can give unique color shifts and softer contrast, reminiscent of cinematic footage. It adds character that’s different from traditional C-41 lab results, and I prefer this look to the C41 process, even on C41 film.

Cameras
• Leica IIIa (1935): A near 90-year-old camera paired with a Canon 35mm f/2 LTM lens.
• Leica M3: Used for Babylon 13 and Aerocolor, paired with the exceptional Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 lens.
• Canon F-1: Fitted with an adapted Takumar 85mm f/1.8 lens, a Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f/1.8, and a Takumar 135mm f/2.5 for the Kodak XX and LomoChrome Purple films.
• Zorki 4 (1957): An early version of this camera, paired with an early Industar 50mm f/3.5 lens. This was paired with the beautiful Lomography Color Negative 400 film.

The Zeiss Pancolar has a radioactive thorium coating that has drastically yellowed over the decades. It loses about two stops of light that I need to compensate for, but it acts as a phenomenal yellow filter, adding dramatic contrast to the images.

How was your overall experience of using the Lomo Daylight Developing Tank?

It was straightforward for black-and-white development. After a quick dry run, I loaded my reels without fuss. The light-safe design makes it easy to load and agitate without needing a changing bag or a darkroom, which is a big plus if you value portability. That’s also thanks to its compact size and lighter weight, making it a good choice for travel photographers who want to develop on the go. When I switched to ECN-2 development, I found that maintaining temperature in a water bath was slightly more involved.

The tank floats nicely once filled, but you have to keep a hand on it while agitating to prevent water from seeping in. It requires a bit more diligence. Another consideration is that many color developer kits are made for a fixed amount of rolls, and they have a very limited lifespan. It takes a while to process each roll individually, so for bulk processing this is going to take a while. For a single roll, the Daylight Tank is great, and if you’re doing extensive color work in big batches, this is a great compliment to any existing system for the occasional one off roll we all end up with.

How does the Lomo Daylight Developing Tank compare to other systems you’ve used?

I typically use a Paterson tank and a dark bag for black-and-white, or an AGO film processing setup when I want to bulk-develop color. Compared to these methods, the Lomo Daylight Tank is more travel-friendly. You don’t need a dark bag, extra reels, or any large gear. It’s compact, robust, and you can easily slip it into your luggage with a couple of small bottles of B&W chemistry. Although some people might see this as a beginner’s tank, it has a permanent place in my kit because of its portability and the convenience it offers. Even seasoned photographers who travel frequently can benefit from it as an all-in-one solution for on-the-spot development.

Do you have any tips for others using this developing tank?

- Practice with a scrap roll: Load a dummy roll and practice loading until you get the process memorised.

- Monitor your temperature for color: Submerge the tank carefully in a water bath and keep an eye on the thermometer.

- Keep the agitation consistent: Whether rotating or inverting, maintain a rhythm to avoid inconsistent development, and follow the developer guidelines as normal.

With these points in mind, you’ll find the Lomo Daylight Development Tank a flexible and portable solution for a variety of films—be they black & white or color, cross-processed, or developed traditionally. It’s a great tool for photographers who want to push their creativity wherever they happen to be.

If you want to read more about Martin's approach to film, check out his articles on his website and Instagram. Thanks also to model Olga Pastushenko

2025-04-30 #gear #news #people #x-process #first-impressions #lomo-daylight-developing-tank #martinbrown Share Article