5x7 daylight processing

[dazedgonebye]

I’m thinking about doing a little 5x7…problem is, I have no darkroom. So I need a daylight developing solution for 5x7 negs.
So far, all I see is a Jobo pro tank for $300. I can’t swing that.
Any other options?

 

[jmooney]

Take a look at this article, there are some good ideas in it:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/unicolor/

 

[dazedgonebye]

Take a look at this article, there are some good ideas in it:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/unicolor/

I'm too dense. I can't figure out what he's doing with those clips.

 

[oftheherd]

It doesn't show well at all on my monitor here at work, but I think what you will find he is doing is keeping to sets of negatives from overlapping each other. That is, he puts two in. During processing, they can move along the "goove" they are in. May not be a problem if you only have two. But it could be. Especially if you have four, they might all migrate towards one end of the drum, thereby touching and ruining one or both sets of negatives. The spacer prevents any movement of negatives toward each other.

 

[shadowfox]

Steve, I've just tried this with 4x5, not sure if the drums that the article uses will work with 5x7. It took me looking inside the drum to realize what he did also.

Basically when you look inside the drum, you'll see 3 plastic dividers along the wall. If you're facing the drum opening with its "feet" pointing down at the floor, you see the v-shaped divider at 12 o'clock position. Then the other two at about 4 and 8 o'clock positions.

The film sheet's long side will fit between one side of the v-shaped divider and one of the other dividers.

So you can fit two sheets on the two sides of the v-shaped divider with the emulsion side facing the center of the drum. In other words, one sheet will spread between 12 to 4 o'clock position, and the other sheet will spread between 8 to 12 o'clock position.

Now, in a darkbag/darkroom, you can slide the two film sheets all the way towards the bottom of the drum.

The spacer goes in next, clamp it on the v-shaped divider, slide it as far as it will go. Once in place, the spacer will hold the two sheets in place, then you can slide in two more sheets (each side of the v-shaped divider) until they hit the spacer and can't go in anymore.

Then put on the lid and you're ready to develop the films.

Am I further confusing you? 😀

Btw, I really like the results, even development with 300ml chems for up to four 4x5 sheets. What else can you ask for?

 

[dazedgonebye]

Steve, I've just tried this with 4x5, not sure if the drums that the article uses will work with 5x7. It took me looking inside the drum to realize what he did also.

Basically when you look inside the drum, you'll see 3 plastic dividers along the wall. If you're facing the drum opening with its "feet" pointing down at the floor, you see the v-shaped divider at 12 o'clock position. Then the other two at about 4 and 8 o'clock positions.

The film sheet's long side will fit between one side of the v-shaped divider and one of the other dividers.

So you can fit two sheets on the two sides of the v-shaped divider with the emulsion side facing the center of the drum. In other words, one sheet will spread between 12 to 4 o'clock position, and the other sheet will spread between 8 to 12 o'clock position.

Now, in a darkbag/darkroom, you can slide the two film sheets all the way towards the bottom of the drum.

The spacer goes in next, clamp it on the v-shaped divider, slide it as far as it will go. Once in place, the spacer will hold the two sheets in place, then you can slide in two more sheets (each side of the v-shaped divider) until they hit the spacer and can't go in anymore.

Then put on the lid and you're ready to develop the films.

Am I further confusing you? 😀

Btw, I really like the results, even development with 300ml chems for up to four 4x5 sheets. What else can you ask for?

Thanks for the clarification. That really did help.

Now I just need to decide if I want to do it. I'm thinking of a 5x7 pinhole because I like the idea of contact prints.
On the other hand, I currently have no means of scanning larger than 120 film and no way of making contact prints (other than cyanotypes).

What I really need is more time and opportunity to shoot, so I can quit thinking of gear to shoot with! 😀

 

[kaiyen]

I use the same c-41 print drums (you need to get the print drums, not the film ones), too. 8x10 tank holds 2 sheets, 11x14 tank holds 4. Very even development every time. I use a beseler rotary stand, too. Not much effort required, really, though I do use an actual stop bath since it takes so long to get the chems in there I want to stop dev faster than with a water wash.