Developing 4x5 sheet film

venchka

venchka

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I just typed a page of really good stuff. Something happened and it's all gone. Here's the condensed version:

Location: Railroad bridge over the Brazos River west of Houston, TX. Arrived in the dark. A first for me.
Camera: Pacemaker Speed Graphic
Lenses: Tominon 105mm/4.5 from a Polaroid MP-4 copy camera, Original Kodak Extar 127mm/4.7 that came with the camera new, Voigtlander Collnear II 7-7/8", 5.4 brass barrell lens circa 1908.
Meters: Weston Master V and Minolta Auto-Meter IV
Tripod & head: Gitzo GT3530 and RRS BH-55
Film: Ilford HP5+ in a Grafmatic holder
Developer: D-76, 1:1, 500ml D-76 & 500ml water
Time/Temp: 11 minutes/68F-20C
Hardware: Jobo Expert 3010 on a Unicolor motor roller base.
Results: The negatives look really good to my eye. Confirmation when I can get close to a scanner.

The best part: It's really easy.
 
venchka said:
Hardware: Jobo Expert 3010 on a Unicolor motor roller base.
Results: The negatives look really good to my eye. Confirmation when I can get close to a scanner.

The best part: It's really easy.
Click to expand...

Yes it is. Especially with the expert drums.

Can't wait to see the results. :)
 
No guarantee that the photographs will be any good. But, the negatives look like I remember what a decent negative should look like. Maybe not good in the perfect desitometer reading sense, but good enough.
 
You can also develop 4x5 negatives in a tray--in absolute darkness, of course. But it's surprisingly easy, provided you have a timer you can use in the dark
--Lindsay
 
About 18 years ago I used to work in a lab using manual dip-and-dunk in deep tanks (in the dark, obviously) for 4x5 and 8x10, but I absolutely cannot remember how I timed the dev/stop/fix steps . . .

Enjoy the simplicity and the quality :)
 
Working in the dark is not an option for me. There's no way I can get the wet area of my apartment dark. Besides, I couldn't watch football and develop film if I were working in the dark.
 
Wayne: What a coincidence ... I souped 8 sheets of Tri-X from the summer sojourn just yesterday. I used a Kodak rubber tank & hangers with no problem. I never got along well with trays and multiple sheets ... I always managed to scratch one of the negs, and of course that was the absolute best one of the batch.

Anyway, four shots (panorama of a small bay on Lake Superior @ sunset) look good. The other four, taken at moonrise and only in moonlight, were all but blank ... on sheet #1 of the series, I did manage to get the moon but, ah, my estimated exposure for the other shots was no where close. Oh well, it's only an 18 hour drive back to the site. :D
 
venchka said:
Working in the dark is not an option for me. There's no way I can get the wet area of my apartment dark. Besides, I couldn't watch football and develop film if I were working in the dark.
Click to expand...

You won't even be able to use BTZS tubes cause you need to be in the dark to pour developer.

One of these days, I'll win one of those Nikkor 4x5 stainless steel tanks.

Scan some results!
 
I'm just about to start using my Combi Plan tank I got from Freestyle for $70.00! I've heard good and bad about these but tray developing in the dark doesn't appeal to me much so I'll put up with it's reported quirks. :p
 
Keith said:
I'm just about to start using my Combi Plan tank I got from Freestyle for $70.00! I've heard good and bad about these but tray developing in the dark doesn't appeal to me much so I'll put up with it's reported quirks. :p
Click to expand...

Its actually quite serene and meditative to do. Its only about 20 minutes being in there. 20 minutes at least without being disturbed. :)
 
Big Brother & the Holding Company blasting through tubes with a pair of 250 watt sub-woofers holding up the bottom end is cool too. I gotta get even with my noisy neighbors somehow.

Not exactly serene. A nice counterpoint to the serenity of making the exposures out in the woods.
 
Now I feel bad...I won a Nikor 4x5 Tank over two or more years ago on ebay and have yet to use it...I've loaded the film holders with B&W...I just gotta get the camera out of the closet...
I gotta shoot me some LF...
 
Keith said:
I'm just about to start using my Combi Plan tank I got from Freestyle for $70.00! I've heard good and bad about these but tray developing in the dark doesn't appeal to me much so I'll put up with it's reported quirks. :p
Click to expand...

I previously always tray developed my B&W 5 x 4 in the dark, but this is now no longer an option so I have also aquired a Combi Plan T tank. I'm worried that the time to fill and empty and difficulty of agitation may lead to uneven development. I assume that it is better to use a developer/ dilution that gives a fairly long development time to help to avoid this.

Any tips on how to get the best out of the the Combi Plan tank would be appreciated.
 
Jim Watts said:
I previously always tray developed my B&W 5 x 4 in the dark, but this is now no longer an option so I have also aquired a Combi Plan T tank. I'm worried that the time to fill and empty and difficulty of agitation may lead to uneven development. I assume that it is better to use a developer/ dilution that gives a fairly long development time to help to avoid this.

Any tips on how to get the best out of the the Combi Plan tank would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I went looking for info on the Combi Plan before I bought one and discovered the LF Forum is very good for anyone developing this format with this tank.

Have a look at this link ... http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23381&highlight=Combi+Plan

:) :)
 
Jim Watts said:
I previously always tray developed my B&W 5 x 4 in the dark, but this is now no longer an option so I have also aquired a Combi Plan T tank. I'm worried that the time to fill and empty and difficulty of agitation may lead to uneven development. I assume that it is better to use a developer/ dilution that gives a fairly long development time to help to avoid this.

Any tips on how to get the best out of the the Combi Plan tank would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I've got one and have successfully developed - four negatives! I'd heard about the uneven development issue - I think the solution (pun) is to use dilute developer for a long development time. I used DD-X at 1+9, for a development time of 15 to 18 minutes (with my ERA 100 film).
 
I have the HP Combi-plan tank as well. I've had uneven results when I've used shorter development times, eg. <10min, and filled all 6 slots. I often use a dilute solution of HC-110 1:60 with Tri-X 320 and let it go for about 18-19 min.

Though I did some with Diafine for some Tri-X 320 that I exposed at ISO 1000 and that came out even.

If I had a darkroom, I'd probably use tanks and hangers or maybe two more HP Combi's like is described at www.largeformatphotography.info, but for a duffer like me, the HP Combi-Plan is a good solution.

I agitate by turning the unit end over end through the longer cross-section. Doing it across the shorter can cause film to pop out of the holder if you're vigorous about things. I've not had a pop-out rotating through the longer cross-section.
 
nikon_sam said:
Now I feel bad...I won a Nikor 4x5 Tank over two or more years ago on ebay and have yet to use it...I've loaded the film holders with B&W...I just gotta get the camera out of the closet...
I gotta shoot me some LF...
Click to expand...


I don't feel bad anymore...I just developed 6 sheets of Tri-X (4x5)...
They are hanging in the shower and almost dry...
I was going to shoot a local church building today but was having a bit of a problem focusing while trying to shoot so I decided to go back home and check-out the camera there...Long story short, I shot 6 sheets for testing purposes and then developed them...
Overall not too bad...just a bit messy when agitating (leaking)...

I can't believe I waited so long to do this...4x5 that is...:bang:
 
Better late than never!

UPDATE:

I had the same fears about filling-draining-filling the Jobo tanks. Here's what I'm doing: I set my timer 30-45 seconds longer than I need for the developer. I start the timer, get my funnel and 1 liter bottle of D-76 1:1 ready and when the timer has counted down to my developing time I pour. Quickly. I drain the developer 30-45 seconds before the end of the developing time. Get the funnel and 1 liter bottle of stop water ready. When the timer DINGS! I pour. Quickly. From then on I use my microwave timer for the stop and fix phase.

Latest negatives: Ilford HP5+ (I still have some left), D-76 1:1, 10 minutes @ 68 degrees F. I may try 9 minutes just for the sake of science, but the 10 minute negatives look better than the 11 minute negatives. The proof will be in the scanning.

The $20 Uniroller is the best money I think I have ever spent. It handles the Expert drum with 1 liter of fluid just fine.
 
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