Daylight 4x5 B&W processing tanks? What do you use?

[ron_miller5]

I develop 645 B&W using a stainless steel tank. I have been given a 4x5 and

would also like to develop the sheets myself. What do you use? i see a tank that

does 6 sheets at a time. Anyone have suggestions?

 

Thanks

[ron_miller5]

Oh, another reason why I am asking is that I initially bought the Adorama SS reels for 120. I almost gave up because of how difficult the reels were to load. Then someone here told me that it was the cheap reels and sure enough when I bought the Hewes reels, they were a piece of cake to load. So I'd rather learn from your experiences.

[david_dorcich1]

I use a jobo 2500 series tank on an ilfochrome motor base. I haven't heard anything good about daylight tanks for 4x5. The BTZS tubes are well liked but i have never used them. You can also do sheet film in a tray.

[ron_miller5]

David,

Thanks. I have absolutely no darkroom availability which is why I'm looking for a daylight system.

 

Thanks

[frank.schifano]

Well, I use the CombiPlan tank and I like it. Like anything else, it takes a bit of practice to use well.

[ronald_moravec1]

Used Nikor 4x5 holds 12 sheets- 36 oz

 

jobo expert drum 3010 10 oz

 

Arkay stainless tank line /3 4x5 tanks, hangar rack for 8 sheet film hangars. I can`t do more than 4 hangars without the rack. The Rack is a frame that hold 8 hangars and keeps them lined up, yet they can not scratch.

 

Open tray for single sheets emulsion up.

 

All work perfectly if you do it right.

[ron_miller5]

Frank,

The CombiPlan is the HP right? Someone had noted that they leak. Has this been your experience?

[ralf_j.]

I use this and it is great; check it out:

 

http://www.adorama.com/DKTY45.html

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

I use a CombiPlan tank. No leak problems with mine, and development is even.

[bruce_watson1]

I use a Jobo 3010 for my 5x4 work. Amazingly consistent development. Perfectly smooth skies, etc. Easy to use, easy to load (even in something like a Harrison pup tent). Makes daylight processing a joy. You can roll it on a Jobo hand rolling base too -- doesn't need a full Jobo processor (but works really well with one of course).

 

Another alternative is the old Nikor stainless tank for 5x4. If you go this route make sure you get the stainless band that goes around the reel to hold the sheets in.

[bruce_karnopp1]

There are several considerations: 1) Easer of loading 2) amount of chemicals

3) costs.

 

The Jobo 2521 uses a reel for 4X5 sheets.It has a loader to help loading on the reel. The CombiPlan is a bit tough to get chemical in (I am told).

 

A fellow suggested the Jobo 3010 tank thart he said was a snap to load. It is kinda pricey, but I bought one. It is exceedingly easy to load and uses very little chemicals. You will need a pump to open it. And you will need a way to wash negatives. I really like the Gravity Works system with a 4X5 holder.

 

All this adds up to some pretty heavy coin, but how may would use a hand drill instead of a power drill, just to save $s.

[wendell_kelly]

I've used a number of tanks for developing 4x5 film. I found that I inevitably scratched some of the fim when I tried tray development. I still use trays for 8x10 film but I say a little prayer as I shuffle the film.

 

The Yankee-type tanks are hopeless. Development is very uneven with the top and bottom edges of the film underdeveloped. The JOBO tanks work pretty well as do the Nikor 4x5 tanks - being able to invert the tank seems to be the key to even development.

 

If you aren't forced to use a daylight tank, I suggest that you consider using stainless steel hangers. This is what I've done, using hangers and WalMart plastic food containers as my tanks. The equipment costs are small and my results have been so even and predictable that I don't use the Nikor tanks at all any more. My preferred developer these days is HC110 with Ilford FP5.

[rodeo_joe1]

Jobo 2500 series tank(s) with one or more 2509 reels, and fitted to an old CPE-2 processor. As long as you give a quick plain water pre-bath, the processing is very even.

[frank.schifano]

Ron,

 

No, it hasn't been my experience at all. Oh, you may get a drip or two, but nothing serious. First, you need to be sure that the cover is properly seated. The fill spout on top of the tank needs to be open so that air can vent out of the tank while it fills, but you must screw it down after that so that it won't leak when you invert it. I have a sneaking suspicion that folks who complain that the tank leaks are not doing this. There are a lot of people out there who can't figure their way out of a paper bag, and never even think to try and figure something out. They need something idiot proof, or else it's no good.

[thirteenthumbs]

JOBO 2521's with extensions and 2509n reels for 4x5, 2502's for 35 and 120/220, and a roller base. I wasted a lot of time and money on Yankee and Combi Plan before trying the Jobo.

[nige_buddy]

I use the 'taco' method.

 

Put a rubber band around a sheet (emulsion inwards) and 'stand up' in a 2 reel plastic tank (with centre post in). Add chems, put lid on and std inversion agitation. Can get 3 sheets in comfortably but I've read of people doing 4 at a time. Does need 900ml of chems to cover. I tend to use Xtol @ 1:2 and will reuse it a 2nd time if I've got more sheets ready to develop straight away. I won't keep it for another day!

[david_arraez]

Hi Ron

 

I use a Paterson Orbital to develop my 5x4 sheet films. I have carved grooves into the bottom of the tank and smoothed them off with 800 grain wet sanding paper. This stops the sheet film from sticking to the bottom. I have also removed the two fins on the inside of the lid; they are meant to stop the paper from lifting (the Orbital was originally designed for processing paper) and are a recurrent cause of density marks.

 

It is also very economical to use. The orbital can hold 4 5x4, 2 5x7 or 1 10x8 sheet films and it takes only 200 ml of solution to develop them. No pre-soak, canstant agitation.

 

Best regards

 

David

[leicaglow]

Currently using (and have for a long time) the Yankee style 12 sheet tanks. The sheets are pretty tight, and I usually either increase development time by about 20% or shorten the dilution ratio.

 

Oops, after seeing the Adorama link to the Yankee, mine is a little different. It has two sliding panels on the side with slits, rather than a removable center piece as the one shown.

[keithostertag]

I have always felt the Jobo stuff overpriced, and found that using a Unicolor drum works very well and is much more affordable and easily available used on that big auction site. You can load 4 4x5 sheets in the 8x10 drum, and it is easy. You do have to be careful to not allow the two that have been placed in one "channel" overlap- most often I only load one or two at a time and never have that problem.Once the loading is done (which you could do in a soft loading bag if necessary), everything else is done in daylight.

[jimsimmons]

I use the Jobo 3006 tank, which holds 6 sheets of either 4x5 or 5x7. Easy to load, even development, never any scratches, miserly use of chemicals. I hand-roll the tank on the Jobo rollers ($20). I wish I had the 3010 model, but those were going for a lot more money on ebay at the time (couple of years ago), and the 3006 models were selling for less. I've used trays and dip tanks, but never got the quality results I'm getting from the Jobo. The pain of spending the money is long gone. The ease and quality of results is there every time I use the tank. No regrets going the deluxe route at all for me.

[paulh]

I use a Paterson Orbital for my 9x12cm and 4x5". As long as you don't want to regularly develop more than four sheets at a time, can highly recommend it. Rather than roughen up the base of mine, I stuck some raised strips along the bottom to stop the film sticking.

 

As mentioned above, it uses very little chemistry - I use 150ml of developer solution (usually PC-TEA 1+50). Absolutely dead easy to load and unload, and no scratches, even with the softest of emulsions.

[steven nelson]

I use the Jobo 3010 tank with TMAX-400 and XTOL on a motorized base. I tried the Jobo 2521 but had many problems with inconsistent development, especially with the sky along the edges of the negative. For washing I use a rectangular bucket and the old Kodak 4x5 hangers.

[paul_brenner1]

Another vote for Combi Plan tank. Have used it for twenty years, since I got into 4x5.

 

Leaking comments most likely due to not carefully putting top on (unless someone really is not closing down the spout after filling). You have to put the top on sort of like a Tupperware top. I do it "diagonally", "burping" the final corner.

 

Some say development is uneven. I never noticed it, but did a test: Shot a blank wall at Zone VI. Even that was incredibly even. And I fill using the spout, not in the dark with the top off. I do tip the tank as I fill so the developer is running down the side.

[nige_buddy]

I took this photo's for Ron but thought I'd post them here for future reference.<div></div>

[zeebo_daman1]

<p>I tried the "taco" method and ended up with stripes on the negative from the rubber bands. Any advice on how not to do this?<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3598/3419359814_12e6ed3167.jpg?v=0" alt="" width="393" height="500" /></p>