Developing 120 film

Can I use a 35mm cannister to develop 120 film or will it be too small?

<p>I think you are referring to the container. Some canisters are designed to accomodate 120 and 35. What kind of reels do you have? The reels will dictate the size of the container. Simply, if only designed for 35, no you can't use for 120.</p>

<p>My developing tank fits two 35mm reels or one 120 reel in it.<em> </em>I use it for both.<br>

However a single reel 35mm tank, probably not.</p>

<p>If you have a 35mm only daylight process tank, you might consider adding a simple two reel Paterson system 5 (or older system 4) tank, which allows either 35 (2 reels) or 120 (one reel) to be processed, as the plastic reel can be adjusted to 35 or to 120 size.</p>

The Paterson tank Arthur mentions is a

very good choice to start 120 dev.

Easy to use.

Thank you.

<p>I also have the Paterson supersystem. Actually, I find it works best for 120 because the rolls are short and easy to get onto the reel. For 35mm, though, I hate it because the longer rolls seem to build up friction--for that I use stainless reels.</p>

<p>I recommend stainless steel tanks and reels. They last forever (plastic crazes in a couple of years) and are by far the easiest to load once you learn how (hint: start from the inside, work outward, turn the reel and feed the film into the groove).</p>

<p>A tank for one 120 reel will hold two 35mm reels. If you develop only one roll of 35mm, always use a second empty reel and fill the tank. Too much motion or air space increases the agitation level, but is inconsistent.</p>

Edward,<br><br>I have a large assortment of plastic tanks, the earliest of which that predate me (and myself, i am a bit older than a couple of years) that are perfectly fine. I have never seen a crazed plastic tank.<br><br>In my experience, both 'types' of tank have their problems. Plastic could crack (haven't had a cracked tank myself), steel can deform so the lid will no longer fit.<br>Plastic feed-in reels load easier than the find-the-center steel reels, but steel reels can be loaded even when damp, and plastic reels cannot.<br>Both types are fine. Else they would have stopped making one of them, would they not?

<p>I've used the same Paterson tanks and reels for almost 30 years. Principally I used the Paterson Super Sytem 4 universal tank. The adjustable reel allows you to proces either 35mm or 120 film.</p>

<p>You are indeed fortunate, Mr. de Bakker. I've had a number of plastic tanks over the years in which the surface of the reels becomes rough in a process best described as crazing. Engineering plastics such as styrene, nylon and polycarbonate are attacked by alkaline solutions, which includes developers. Fixer tends to leave insoluble deposites, especially when nearing exhaustion. Surfaces roughened by chemical attack hold these deposits tenaciously. Since the method of loading is to push the film in from the outside diameter, loading becomes harder and harder with time. If the reel is the slightest bit damp, you can't load it at all.</p>

<p>Stainless steel, on the other hand, is not affected by developing chemicals, and are easily cleaned. The reels stay bright for years (mine go back over 50 years). The are loaded inside out by holding the leading end of the film in the core (some have a clip, but I prefer to hold the edges through the ends of the core), then turning the reel while feeding the film with a slight curvature.</p>

<p>The reels come with feed guides, but I find it easier by hand, and much less likely to scratch the film. You can load film even if the reels are damp - just shake them to dislodge the larger drops. That's a big time-saver if you have several batches to develop. Since the tanks are sealed, you agitate by inversion rather than by twisting the reel. That's a more effective and consistent method than twisting. Sometimes it's easier to dip and dunk. The tanks are left open in a darkroom, and the reels are suspended on a T-shaped carrier. That saves time (and messes) pouring and dumping, and is especially effective for color developing.</p>

I guess i have been, Edward. Perhaps i keep my equipment clean better than some? ;-)<br><br>You're right (of course) about the wet/damp loading. Can't do that with plastic reels (whether new and clean or not).<br>But apart from that (my work-around is to have more reels than i ever need - got to that point because using a hair drier to get reels dry gets tiresome very quickly), i have yet to encounter problems loading a walk-in type reel.<br>It's very much a matter of personal preferences, i think, so keeping that in mind: i find loading steel reels far less easy.<br><br>But (and this is why i wanted to post a reply) just so that people looking for info do not get the wrong impression:<br>what you say about inversion agitation, dipping and dunking, and all that, is the same whether plastic tanks and reels or steel tanks and reels. They all work the same.

<p>I must admit that I am a lover of the Paterson tanks and have not had issues using them or the plastic crazing, etc.<br>

Mine preceeds the "System" series in that it is a Paterson Universal and agitation is by rotation and not inversion.<br>

I purchased this tank from Wallace Heaton's (now a distant memory), over 55 years ago and I couldn't begin to guess how many hundreds of films I have processed in it. With the exception of a couple of years with a Leitz Rondinax Daylight Loading tank (which I still have), it has been my sole user and still looks like new.<br>

When not in use, it sits in its box, complete with instruction book and receipt (32/6d)!!</p>