Processing 4x5 sheet film.

I'm just getting back into 4x5 photography after doing a lot of it in

school. There we used large tanks and film hangers to do the

processing. I bought a Doran tank for use at home, but am finding

that it is not giving me even development. I'm considering both tray

processing and the BTZS tube system. I'm curious as to how much

chemistry one would use to process 6 sheets in a tray? The BTZS

tubes would only use 12oz which is amazing, but they are also $155.

I would rather spend $12 on 3 5x7 trays and stand in the dark for a

while then spend the $155 on the tubes (I'm a poor college

student.....isn't that always the excuse!)

 

I'm basically wondering what the chemistry requirements for tray

processing 6 sheets in 5x7 trays are, and also any thoughts or

oppinions from those who have been down this road before. Should I

just go for it and buy the tubes, or is tray processing a more

economical solution? Thanks.

I haven't tried this yet, but I do belive that a 4 up hanger with the extensions cut off will fit an 8x10 tray. Figure 125ml per 80 sq of film before dilution for safety. BTW, if you attach a rod into the center of the hanger you can lift it and agitate it easily with chemical free hands and no gloves. Your chemical quanities will be larger but with XTOL you could use a replenishment system. For 1 at a time use Yankee utility tanks.

I did trays, used about a pint of of solution per tray (IIRC), and did 4 sheets at a time. After a couple of months of this and a few scratched negatives, I bought a Jobo 2521 w/ 2509 reel tank and reel. It takes six sheets and 300ml of solution, can be hand-agitated if you're patient, and has caused exactly zero problems. It can also be used in roomlight, which I find much more convenient.

 

The 2521 tank has apparently become a 2400 (~$50) and the reel is ~$30, so for $80, you could go the daylight tank route. (or you can buy them as a kit for $130; such a deal.)

I've also been unhappy with the uneven development from my Doran tank and have been considering switching over to a homemade daylight tube system as outlined at:

 

http://people.smu.edu/rmonagha/brontube.html

 

A few minutes with a hacksaw and an X-acto knife and I should have a nice set of tubes for a lot less than $155.

Chris;

 

I'm asuming that you're using the Doran tank as a closed tank in

room light. That being the case, uneven development is to be

expected, since agitation is pretty sketchy. Do yourself a favor

before chasing other equipment...

 

Leave the lid off of that tank and "do it in the dark", lifting the film

rack out of the tank 3 or 4 times at 60 second intervals. (That

translates to 10 seconds per minute, the traditional agitation

sequence for film developing). You'll get much better results,

although there may still be some density differences near the

racks' flanges. You may need to experiment a bit to find the best

lifting technique. (Hint: don't drain too long... just a gentle, easy

lift, pause, and a gentle, easy set down...)

 

 

If you do open tray developing with multiple sheets, be prepared

for a lot of film scratching untill you get the technique worked out.

It can be done, lots of people do it, but it's tricky... Doing 4x5 film

in 5x7 trays is almost guaranteed to be troublesome; use 8x10

trays instead.

 

Regarding tubes: they are not a miracle cure either. If you don't

have a veritable swimming pool of water under them so they can

rock sideways A LOT, you'll get radial streaking where the

chemistry just swirls around in the same banded zone inside the

tube.

 

Stainless film hangers have been around for almost a century,

and while they are accused of causing edge density problems, if

your lifting and draining technique is ok for the particular

chemistry you're using, they can be remarkably reliable and give

uniform development. (It's hard to argue against 75 years of

established practice.. if it won't work for you, guess who's at

fault...) Finding tanks for them is still possible, but if you shop

around the plastics department at K-Mart, you'll find something

that will do the job pretty cheaply. Or-- make your own out of

plexiglass.

 

Regarding chemistry volumn, don't skimp. Depending on the

juice you're using, you absolutly need enough developing agent

to get the job done, not just enuff to cover the film. If you're

pinching the penny, mix your own, using Pat Gainers vitamin C

developer, the cheapest, film developer on the planet,.. and it

works beautifully to boot. (Read about it on Ed Buffaloes website

"The Unblinking Eye"). Have fun...

another alternative is a cheap Unicolor Roller base and a couple of drums of ebay - I got one for $30.00 total. Works like a treat (for 8x10 too)..

see

 

http://www.ai.sri.com/~luong/photography/lf/unicolor/

 

for all the tricks of the trade

Or make your own BTZS-style tubes. There's a guide to making them in the BTZS book, so obviously that is encouraged. That said, they won't be as good as the manufactured ones (which come with a great tray). I've made my own with some modification to that design (you can contact off-list for details), though I confess that the materials cost for 6 tubes and 12 caps came to about $65-$70 (US Dollars), so with labor, you might be as well off buying the official set (new or used). Developing chemistry is pretty cheap compared to, e.g., paper to print on, so I'm not sure that's the best place to worry about expense. Oh yes, development has been pretty darn even for me.

I use 1000 cc of developer in 8x10 trays, and typically process 6-8 sheets at a time without problems. Using 5x7 trays would result in an insufficient amount of developer, I believe. My left hand keeps the sheets oriented into the bottom left corner of the tray (notches top-left), and the right hand does the bottom-to-top shuffle, emulsion down. Avoiding scratches is simply a matter of not dropping the sheets into the developer corner-first. Putting a slight bow to the sheet and then placing it into the solution flat works for me.

I use 11*14 trays (all I got). With 750ml of ID-11 mixed 1+1 with water (1.5L total) I

process up to 8 sheets at a time (only got 4 film holders and no change bag). Works for

me.<P>

The link provided by John sounds like fun.

chris

i have been processing 6-8 sheets of 4x5 film in 5x7 trays for

close to 10 years with no scratching, no uneven development -

no problems whatsoever. i use about 1 litre of chemistry in

each tray.

i use a water bath first, then developer, water fix. when you put

the film in the first tray, put them in one at a time, make sure they

don't stick together in that first bath, and again in the developer.

it isn't very hard, and you don't *need* to use 8x10 trays for 4x5

processing. you might want to practice on a few sheets of film

before you process anything too important, just in case my "good

luck" isn't catchy :)

good luck

I use a jobo tank and reel too. I picked up mine used for $25 and love it. Development is even and predictable. I use 1000ml chemistry in mine for 6 sheets. That's more than necessary, but I never worry about exhausted developer. The kit may come with the gadget that helps you load the reels. It's nice but not necessary. I don't have one. If you buy the kit without the gadget, it should be $100 or so instead of $130.