developing 4x5 film in the darkroom

<p>Well my college have a great darkroom. They also have printing area for films. So, I'm thinking to develop 4x5 film with try at the darkroom. It is total dark area. But I'm not sure that the safe light is safe for developing 4x5 film...</p>

Only certain types of film are safe under special lights (not a typical darkroom light)

 

I don't know if they even make it any more.

<p> Most films Need total dark. Printing is done with red or amber light,</p>

<p>Panchromatic B&W films and all color films require essentially total darkness during development. Some film instruction sheets say a few seconds of exposure to a dark green safelight is acceptable once development is more than half complete. I was never able to manage this "develop by inspection" method. </p>

<p>Ortho film, which is not sensitive to red light can be used under a dark red safelight. </p>

<p>As Ron mentioned: you can, I expect, process ortho film under dark red light. You can get 4x5 ortho film which is branded as Rollei (I presume this is not the original Rollei): I have used some of this and it's interesting to use.</p>

<p>However I'd recommend finding a way of processing film either in total darkness or in a tank: I use a Mod 54 and the current version is fine (the older ones were harder to use I find).</p>

<p>When we developed 4x5 film on a course I did a few years ago, there were special wire frames with a clip at each corner to hold the sheet, so that it could be immersed in the normal deep developer / stop / fixer tanks. In total darkness - a good idea to practice with a scrap sheet first, as with roll films.</p>

<p>It's quite possible that the main darkroom for printing may not be dark enough for film processing. Turn off the safelights, and sit in there for 15 minutes. If you can see anything after 15 minutes of adjusting to the dark, it's not dark enough.<br>

Perhaps there's a separate room for developing large format film that's truly dark.</p>

<p>Clarification - only ortho film is really capable of processing in red or amber safe light. There are dark green safe lights for panchromatic films but there are all kinds of special precautions necessary to do that. A Google for "safelights for 4x5 film" yields lots of discussion of topic - first hits to this site, BTW.</p>

<p>To my astonishment, light proof development tanks for 4x5 film like the reels for 35mm, etc. are still available ( <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=daylight+tanks+for+4x5+film&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">https://www.google.com/search?q=daylight+tanks+for+4x5+film&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8</a> ). I presume they work by loading in total darkness and then pouring in and out various witches brews.</p>

<p>I think we're offering complicated answers for a beginner trying to ask a simple question.<br /><br />The simple answer is that you don't use a safelight when developing film. Yes there are exceptions, but with modern film and modern practices a safelight is not used.<br /><br />There are two ways basic ways to develop 4x5 film. You can load it into a light-tight daylight tank like the HP Combi, similar to what you would do with 35mm or 120. The tank has to be loaded in total darkness. Once it's loaded, the actual developing is carried out in daylight. The more traditional procedure is to load the film on stainless steel hangers, which then get put into a tank of developer, a tank of shortstop, then a tank of fix. The hangars get loaded in the dark and moved from tank to tank in the dark. Whether you have to be in the dark while they are sitting in the tanks depends on whether you have light-tight tanks.<br /><br />If a darkroom is properly set up, it is light tight and completely dark regardless of whether you are developing film or making prints. You can turn on the safelight when making prints, but the room should be completely dark when the safelight is turned off. There is no such thing as "dark enough" even for making prints. It's either completely dark or it's not. If you have even the slightest light leak, it can and will fog paper.</p>

<p>I don't think the Combiplan tank is made any more; a shame, because it's good (if expensive, and a bit fragile). It can take 4x5 inch, 9x12 cm, quarter plate (3¼x4¼ inch) and one smaller size which I forget (maybe 6.5x9 cm). It can take sheet film or glass plates (if you can find any!). I load mine in an ordinary large-size black bag.<br>

You can get a special insert to hold a few sheets of 4x5 in a Paterson tank; that's quite expensive too, and I think only works for 4x5 inch.<br>

If you really want to have a go at sheet film without buying any equipment, you should investigate the <strong>taco method</strong>; the sheet film is held gently in a folded/rolled shape with an elastic band, and developed in a normal tank for roll film. I haven't done it myself, but there's loads of information around the web about it.<br>

Alternatively you could get some ortho film and develop it in print-developing trays, under safelight (and not too close to the safelight, I think, to be safe). Bear in mind that being insensitive to red will quite markedly change how your pictures are rendered. Rollei, Adox and Ilford all have ortho films. They're all ISO 25; you probably need a tripod!</p>

<p>I use Jobo stuff I bought on eBay. CPE whatever with lift, tank, 4x5 reels, etc. It was pretty cheap, especially compared to the cost of that stuff when new.<br>

Tray development is the cheap and effective option. It's a technique that requires some care and some learning. Inspection development is possible with a deep green safelight, even for panchromatic film but the use of it without fogging your film is not for beginners. The amber safelight used for B&W printing is a NO. Dip and dunk in deep tanks with your film on hangers is also an option. That stuff is probably cheap on the used market also. You can run about six sheets at a time. Ten or twelve if you are good at it. Also pretty easy. You are going to have to read about all this stuff, maybe watch some videos, look on eBay, and decide what you want to do. It's fun!</p>