"In-cassette" Processing !

[srtiwari]

Came across this wonderful idea in Anchell's "The darkroom Cookbook", where one can develop B&W film without struggling with reels, tanks, tents,darkrooms etc, using the film canister itself as the tank.

1. On removing the film from the camera, do NOT remove from canister.
2. Secure the film leader around the canister with a rubber band, so that the film is now fixed at both ends.
3. Then, PRE-WET by it dipping in water for 30 secs.
4. Dip the whole thing into a Monobath Developer . (Use gloves as the stuff is harmful to skin).
5. Then, using a small rod/stick wedged into the spool from one end, agitate the film by turning it back and forth inside the canister- THIS IS HOW : you turn the stick counter-clockwise (with the leader pointing to your left) until a resistance is felt, and then you wind it clockwise the same distance until it goes no further- thus giving you a certain range of back and forth agitation.
6. After whatever time specified for the developer, you just wash it in water, since the Monobath has, both, the developer and fixer.

Furthermore, I imagine this can be done with any developer, tho' washing the film between developer and fixer may be a bit more inconvenient. And it should not matter whether the film is loaded into the canister by Fuji or Me.

Intriguing for sure ! Anyone try this crazy idea ? I am about to- just looking to see if anyone has any experience of it.

Oh, and yes. This is not for 120/220 film.

Subhash 😎

 

[FPjohn]

A tiny daylight tank was actually sold for this purpose.

yours
FPJ

 

[like2fiddle]

I would think it would be difficult to get developer to the entire film evenly

 

[sweathog]

That sounds like a really interesting idea, but surely there would be issues of film touching resulting in an uneven development?

 

[rbiemer]

Megapearls sells something like this:
http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=187&osCsid=12699fda50d65e19c2ef4f615bdea0d0
Rob

 

[Al Kaplan]

I guess it'll also work with 70mm film if you still have your Linhof cassettes. Hassy owners rejoice!

The idea seems good, worth trying for sure if you need to develop B&W film in a hotel room perhaps, but the days of a PJ in a far off place wanting to look at his/her negatives before air expressing them back to the editor in New York are long gone.

 

[titrisol]

Yeah, that was a neat trick for developing in hotel bathrooms when you needed images fast!

A pencil with the rubber eraser was the best stick to agitate the cassttes and 24 exps did much better than 36s since there was more space for the developer

You can do it as a test but is no substitute for a good tank.

 

[maddoc]

I tried Fuji's "Darkless Film Development kit" and found the results very inconsistent (grainy, uneven development). Furthermore, the film tends to stick together when the emulsion is wet (even when using 135-24 canisters), resulting in lots of ruined frames. I wouldn't use this kit again ...

 

[ZorkiKat]

Works with short lengths. This method, using a monobath solution, was described in the 1970s book "Focal Guide to Home Processing" by Jacobson. There it was said that only 20 exposure (or shorter) rolls must be used. Longer rolls have little space within the cassette to allow the film to unravel enough to allow solutions in.

I tried this once or twice. Not happy with the results. Should be used only as an emergency measure when there are no tanks around and the film must be developed immediately. I believe too, that this method was devised by photographers in the field who had to develop their films using the quickest means with the least of tools (hence the one-step monobath as well).

 

[FPjohn]

I regret the demise of the Ilford 12 exposure length cassette loads. They allowed a convenient switch between exposure/development choices.

yours
FPJ

 

[ElrodCod]

This sounds like a very bad idea.

 

[titrisol]

That is why I like to have a bulk loader 😉
always kept 2 or 3 rolls marked for testing which were ~10 exposures

I regret the demise of the Ilford 12 exposure length cassette loads. They allowed a convenient switch between exposure/development choices.

yours
FPJ