Developing one 35mm film in a two-reel tank

[Arjay]

I'm about to run my first tests for my film/developer combination. I have a Paterson series 4 Universal tank which can take two 35mm reels.

If I only want to develop one film,

• should I put both reels into the tank to fix the reel's position in the tank (even if only one reel is actually filled),
• should I use the same quantity of developer/fixer as I would need if were to develop two films/reels,

so that when inverting the tank, the film will always be fully covered in the chemicals? Or is it sufficient to have the chemicals cover the entire film only when the tank is standing upright?

 

[ruby.monkey]

I seem to recall that the reels fit tightly enough on the spindle that they won't slip, so only one reel is necessary; that only enough liquid to cover one reel was necessary when developing a single roll; and that my twin-reel Paterson tank always leaked when inverted, so I only agitated using the twiddler anyway.

Edit: just dusted off my old System 4 tank - the base says 290ml per roll of 35mm film.

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

The Paterson reels hold firm unless a very aggressive agitation technique is used. The liquid content to develop one reel of film is enough as long as it covers the entire reel. There will be more "sloshing" as there is more room for the liquids to move around.

When I developed I fill the entire tank even if there is a reel or two missing. Just for keeping with consistent agitation.

 

[ruby.monkey]

I should add that my tank came with a plastic circlip-type thingy that snaps onto the spindle to stop a single reel from slipping if you invert the tank. If it's missing then you may well have to put a second reel on top to hold the film-bearing reel in place.

 

[wpb]

I would use both reels just to keep the one with the film in place, it might be a tight fit but liquid (that often acts like a lubricant) + agitation could = film out of the developer. Also it will give more consistent results compared to when you are using both reels with film. I also would not go with just enough developer for a single roll as it can lead to over agitation as well. Too much sloshing around in there. Maybe I'm old school, but we always did things as close to the same way whenever we could... even if you are screwing things up a little you are screwing them up consistently.

Yikes...slow typing = I agree with most of the above two posts.

 

[Bingley]

I also use a Patterson two-reel tank, and would answer "yes" to both of the OP's questions. At any rate, when developing only one film, I still put in both reels and use enough developer and fixer as though developing two reels.

 

[Chris101]

Oh you plastic reelers!

No, do not half fill a tank. The additional agitation of surfacing and submerging will complicate the agitation sufficiently that a simple formula will not give you the proper correction. If you are usig a compensating developer, dilute by half your normal developer and double the time if you are a tightwad. Otherwise, just waste half a tank of sauce, or wait to shoot another roll. (Unless it's bona-fide space aliens, that is what I'd do.)

 

[PMCC]

Does anyone do the converse, namely, develop two rolls of film on one reel? Stainless or plastic, either way. I've heard of spooling two films back-to-back (emulsion side out) but have never attempted it or had it confirmed.

 

[nikon_sam]

It's perfectly fine to use only one reel in a two reel tank with only enough developer for one roll...I do it all the time and have seen no difference when developing two rolls in the same tank (provided I use the proper amount of developer)
The clip helps but if you don't have one don't fret over it...unless the reels and tube are really worn where there is slipping then you can worry over it...
I've never done the back to back trick with 35mm but I usually do two rolls of 120 on a single reel using the backing tape to hold them together so they don't overlap...

 

[ItsReallyDarren]

It's perfectly fine to use only one reel in a two reel tank with only enough developer for one roll...I do it all the time and have seen no difference when developing two rolls in the same tank (provided I use the proper amount of developer)
The clip helps but if you don't have one don't fret over it...unless the reels and tube are really worn where there is slipping then you can worry over it...
I've never done the back to back trick with 35mm but I usually do two rolls of 120 on a single reel using the backing tape to hold them together so they don't overlap...

I need to practice rolling two 120 rolls on a single reel. The first and last time I tried the films overlapped halfway though. I got the first half and the last half of the roll as properly developed. The middle sections were lost.

 

[Arjay]

I also have gone to just using the twiddler and it works just fine.

Most developer instructions give processing time for tank agitation by way of inversion.

How would development times need to change if I use the twiddler instead of inverting the tank?

 

[gilpen123]

I put in 2 reels even when developing one but rarely, I will always wait for the 2nd roll. If you do this often then it's best to get 1 reel tank.

 

[Frontman]

I use a Jobo 2500 tank (similar to a Patterson), which can take two 35mm reels. I usually use only one. Being that the chemicals I use come in packets which make 1 liter of fixer and 1 liter of developer, I simply add the entire liter of chemical to the tank. Pretty simple, isn't it?

Plastic reels fit quite snugly on the spindle, the lid of the tank is more likely to pop off than the reel is to slide on the spindle, so don't sweat it. Another reason that I use a single reel is that I find it annoying to wash two reels when I'm loading film onto one.

 

[venchka]

2 reels. Film on the bottom. Clip on the spindle. 800ml developer. Works for me. Why mess with success??????????????????

That's my story & I'm sticking to it. YMMV

Have fun!