Most common method of processing 4 x 5 film?

<p>I was wondering which is the "best" way to develop B&W 4 x 5 film ("best" meaning the method that is less likely to scratch, crease, etc.. film). I have a Doran tank that holds about 12 sheets in individual slots. I also have metal film holders that get dunked in a small tank but I never use them. I've heard some people just drop them in a developing tray and just rock tray back and forth like when printing paper is in developer. Which method do you guys think is best? I ask because I'm getting back into shooting LF film after a long time away from it and I'm afraid I might scratch the film during processing. Digital has spoiled me a bit. Thanks.</p>

<p>Best method for small quantities:<br /> http://www.mod54.com/about.php<br /> The Doran tank is IMHO the worst piece of photographic equipment ever made - agitation is all but impossible and it takes an age to fill. Keep the metal holders to hang up the processed film - processing by dunking them in a tank is very hard to do to get correct agitation and even results unless you have a pro line with 15 liter tanks and nitrogen burst agitation. Tray processing ONE sheet at a time is fine but slow - I've met a number of people who claimed they could tray process several sheets at a time but they all scratched their film to hell.</p>

<p>Well, best is to send it out to a dip and dunk lab with nitrogen burst agitation.<br>

Best at home is probably a Jobo CPA or CPP with the 3005 Expert drum. Big investment.<br>

Next step down probably a Jobo CPE with the 2509 tank. Still a big investment.<br>

If you don't want to spend a lot of dollars (and space) on a Jobo machine, and want to work in room light, you're down to the tank solutions. With any of them, fill and drain times can be an issue, you want to avoid short developing times.</p>

<ul>

<li>MOD54 is very cool, and the Paterson tank you put it in has the plus of filling and draining very quickly. There is the risk of a sheet of film popping loose, which is a bad failure mode.</li>

<li>You can use the Jobo 2509 tank for inversion processing. It too has quick fill and drain.</li>

<li>The old stainless steel Nikor sheet film tank works, the film can't get loose in there. There can be issues with less than 100% uniform development over the sheet. Agitation technique matters. Tank fill and drain times are slow if you get the older version of the tank (horizontally divided fill hole), slightly better if you get the newer "quick fill" version with the concentric rings in the fill hole. (Get an old 2-reel Q25 tank for 220.) About $150 used on eBay, although the quick-fill version costs more!</li>

<li>HP Combiplan tank is OK, but the fill and drain times are very slow.</li>

</ul>

<p>If you're willing to develop in the dark, there's trays, and there's hangers in a deep tank. Both involve developing physical skills. Tray development, if you do more than one sheet at a time, involves learning how to shuffle through the sheets without scratching them. For deep tanks, getting an agitation pattern that results in uniform development takes a lot of practice.<br>

Oh, yes, there's also the BTZS tubes, and equivalents. I think you have to fill and drain in the dark. They do work well.<br>

There's other roller tube solutions as well, some are repurposing print developing tubes.</p>

<p>My favorite against developing laziness is the 2509 tank on a Jobo processor.<br>

I`m planning to buy the mod54 soon. Looks to be even easier, great to take advantage of low agitation processing.<br>

HP Combiplan and the tray developing are not for me.</p>

<p>When I first shot 4x5 I bought an HP Combi but it was slow to load and drain times were slow as John notes. Since then I've picked up traditional strainless steel film hangers and tanks and prefer those.</p>

<p>Jose,<br>

Are you ignoring this thread? CombiPlan was far easier and much more reliable.</p>

<ul >

<li><a href="/large-format-photography-forum/00bfM8">Does loading a MOD54 ever get any easier? </a>(1 response, on 2014-09-04 16:37)</li>

</ul>

<p>I've never had a bit of problem with dip and dunk in small tanks. The only issues are to not agitate too much (as time goes on I do less and less, and I was taught not to do too much in the first place. I'm down to a couple of jiggles every two minutes after 30 seconds of initial agitation, on 10 minutes developing), and that developing times above seven minutes or so (ten is better) are necessary to allow things to even out.</p>

<p>With sheet film as expensive as it is and gas even more so, for pete's sake, don't cheap out on the processing. A Jobo 3010 Expert Drum on a Beseler motor base will give you the best looking, streak and scratch free bitingly sharp film you have ever seen. If I am running a lot of film, like 40+ sheets, I will use both 3010 drums on my CPP2, if 30 or less, I will use the motor base. <br>

<br /> As much as I tried to like trays and the Mod54, anything other than the 3010 drum is just a waste of time and energy in my opinion.</p>

<p>I've developed thousands of sheets of 4x5 B&W in a Jobo 2500 series tank with 2 reels--up to 12 sheets at a time, on a Unicolor roller for agitation. After some initial problems, it has worked really well with almost no issues. I had a student this summer who bought a Mod 54 and it seemed to work fairly well once she got used to loading it. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I think it is capable of decent results at a relatively low cost. I started out with a CombiPlan, and it worked reasonably well but mine leaked and was, as noted, quite slow to fill and dump chemistry.</p>

<p>As Daniel's comment implies, the 4x5 expert drum is the 3010.</p>

<p>Hi Eric. I have favoured processing my 4x5 inch negatives in metal Kodak hangers and stainless steel tanks that I had fabricated by a stainless steel fabricating firm. The stainless tanks sit in a water bath heated by a fish tank heater. Now I have heard people complain about uneven processing when using such a setup, but apart from one bad batch when I can't have been concentrating as well as I should, my results have been good. Again, I haven't compared the evenness of my negatives with those produced, say, on Jobos, but I have been pleased with my results. My setup has distinct advantages, at least to my eyes. I use the Zone system, and my tank/hanger setup allows me to process different negs for different development times. In a rotary system you have to process the batch for the same time. The other advantage is I can do extreme contraction development in very dilute developer and still have a workable development time. </p>

<p>I guess I should've specified the best method in the "Poor Man's" category of processing. I don't have the money for one of those Jobos. They sound nice but I meant <em>by hand</em> - using tanks, trays, metal hangers, etc... All the comments are interesting.</p>

<p>Paterson Orbital for small quantities.</p>

<p>Hi Eric,<br>

I never used one of the automated processors, just the Jobo reels and tank and the Unicolor roller. I agree with you that the mechanized ones are pricey, and not really necessary for B&W work where temperature control isn't as critical as it is for E6 and C41. Keep in mind that sheet film isn't cheap either, so a reliable method of processing is important if cost is an issue. Good luck on finding something used-- you will probably find something at a reasonable price if you are patient.</p>

<p>Brush development in trays works very well. Inexpensive as you can use glass pyrex or baking dishes from yard sales for the trays if you don't want to buy 'photo trays'.<br>

A Hake(brush) with constant brushing - back and forth to up and down and repeating til your time is up - works well. Very consistent, no mottling in continuous tone areas.<br>

You need to process in darkness but a pre-recorded timed CD/music tape will make it go quickly.<br>

Very simple and very clean.<br>

One shot developers make for repeatable quality.</p>

<p>Ever hear of a slosher -- four sheets of 5x7 in an acrylic insert placed in a developing tray, Once pre-soak is completed, you lift up the slosher insert draining trhu its holes and move to the developer tray agitating 10 sec. every minute then to the stop bath and then to your fixer bath. - wait a minute and turn on the lights -- no scratches / no streaking - continue to fix then it's washing like any other film - photo-flo and hang to dry.<br>

The shortcoming of this system is that you spend 10 to 15 minutes in total darkness -- but you can listen to books on tape or music.<br>

These sloshers are available in 4x5 and 8x10 sizes from the Formulary but I needed 5x7 so I went to my local plastic/acrylic fabricator and for <$200 I had 2 of them made.<br>

steve</p>

<p>Tray processing up to 6 sheets at a time is fairly easy to learn and, once mastered, the most even, lowest tech and least expensive of any of the options. Practicing with scrap sheets and with the lights on at first is a real help.</p>

<p>Yes, there is a learning curve and you need a modicum of manual dexterity. There are lots of tutorials on the web about how to do it best and different people prefer slightly different work flows (tray sizes, emulsion-side up or down, etc.).</p>

<p>The gist, however, is to shuffle the films from the bottom to the top of a stack during the development to effect agitation.</p>

<p>FWIW, my workflow. Note that everything must be done in complete darkness:<br>

1. presoak. I unload the holders, fan the films in my hand like a hand of cards and, starting with the bottom sheet, immerse them one-at-a time at 10-15 second intervals into the water presoak tray. The 10-15 seconds between sheets is to keep them from sticking together. If sheets do stick together, they will soak apart, just give them time (five minutes or so). I agitate several times through the stack to total about three minutes, then gather the stack, fan them out again and...<br>

2. develop. I immerse the sheets one-at-a-time at equal intervals over 30 seconds. The timer is started when sheet one hits the developer (footswitch). I shuffle through the stack once every 30 seconds. For three sheets, the agitation interval is 10 seconds, for four sheets, 7.5 seconds ... six sheets is once every five seconds. That is about my limit of comfort, but I can agitate faster if I need to. I turn the sheets 180° with each shuffle.<br>

<br />3. stop. Same procedure as above, immersing the sheets one-at-a-time into the stop. I keep track of sheet #1 in the developer so I it can be the first into the stop.<br>

4. fix. Same... After half the fixing time, you can turn the lights on.<br>

Rinse and wash as you like. Since the sheets are loose for tray processing, a slotted film washer (Gravity Works, etc.) is helpful. Some put the film into hangers to wash. You can wash by shuffling as well. I always use a distilled water/PhotoFlo final rinse and then hang the film up by a corner (clothespins) to dry.</p>

<p>Hope this helps,</p>

<p>Doremus</p>

<p>This question is as answerable as:<br>

What is the best desert?<br>

What is the best pet?<br>

What is the best car?<br>

What is the best shoe?<br>

The answers you will get are all weighted to personal taste and experience. <br>

In short, there is no "best".<br>

But there are a lot of good ways.<br>

As you have already noted, your budget will have a big impact on the decision, so will your space. Do you need a daylight system or do you prefer working totally in the dark?<br>

How many sheets at a time?<br>

How will you wash the film?</p>