tray developing 9x12 ?

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Screwy

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Just picked up a Fotokor 9x12 plate camera and I'm wondering about developing film , Anyone here tray developing sheet film ? and any advice ? Ordered Ansel Adams "The Negative" and "the Print" figure there should be a few tips in there somewhere :D

Paul
 
Paul,

You could modify it to take 4x5 film - buy a cheap 4x5 back and make an adapter, you'll either get vignetting or cropping depending on how you do it. I'm waiting for a nice 9x12 to come my way to do that. There's a worse-for-wear 4x5 back sat next to me :)

Get yourself a Paterson Orbital processor - it's like a daylight tank, but for sheet film up to 10x8. Like a tray with a light trap. That's what I use for 4x5/5x7/10x8
 
I've done sheet films in trays before. It works fine, but I eventually developed a skin allergy to the developer. I later switched to gloves. Using tongs makes it easier to scratch the film or lose control over it.

-Paul
 
If you develop more than one sheet at a time, just be careful not to scratch the emulsion. But it is relatively an easy method of developing sheet film. Hangers are simpler and you can develop more sheets at a time.
 
I develeloped sheets in trays for a while, but also developed the allergy mentioned above. I never got the hang of it wearing gloves and frequently got scratches on the negatives.

For large sheets you might have to use a tray system, but there are alternatives such as dip and dunk tanks. I don't know how they cope with odd sizes.

If you put 4x5 sheets in the camera you can do what I do now which is use a Jobo tank with a special spiral that holds 6 sheets of 4x5 film. Then you can process the sheets pretty much like 35mm film.
 
i used to develope 8 x10 film in a deep dish pan. minimum of one gallon of developer. So film can float and not stick to each other. The temperature is more stable with the large quantity of developer. Using film hangers to develope film, down side is surge and bromide drag in sky area when raising hangers out of solution during agitation. My commercial photography, started with 8x10 B&W in 1963. Developed a lot film in the years past.
 
Anupam you gotta be joking.

Emulsion UP or else it will drag on the base of the tray.
 
OK, I learned tank processing in 1967. Only did it a couple of times after that segment of the investigative school I was in so take it with a grain of salt. Anyone who is doing it more often and recently, correct anything I say wrong.

I don't remember being told to put film in emulsion side up or down. I was told to be sure to get each film completely in the developer before inserting the next. Otherwise if you try to put more than one in at a time they will sitck. They make a heck of a loud noise when you pull them apart, and it doesn't do the emulsion any good either. Luckily the room was dark so only those close to me had any idea who it was. :D

They shouldn't touch the bottom of the tank, since by the time the emulsion is that soft, you should be moving them from bottom to top of each other, which should mean you have your hands under the stack. Tray developing requires some practice but is not difficult unless you run into the allergy problem some people have.

I have never seen dip and dunk film holders, but they must exist. You could try an ebay search if you choose to do it that way. I never learned that but hope to some day soon.

I have 9x12 backs for my 4x5 camera. I didn't know that you could put 4x5 in 9x12 holders (without cutting it down, which I have done both for 9x12 backs for the 4x5 and for straight 9x12 folding cameras.) since they are so much smaller.

Anyway, good luck and enjoyment.
 
oftheherd. All the 9x12 backs I've seen are removable, so an adapter back could be made to allow modern 4x5 holders to be used with the cropping to 9x12.

I have dip&dunk 4x5 frames, some are Kodak, some are Ilford. I got a bunch for £1, they aren't useful to many people any more.
 
I have cut a panaramic opening in a 4x5 film holder slide. Essentially creating a mask in front of the film.
Thus eliminating the need for special processing gear.
 
Ash said:
Anupam you gotta be joking.

Emulsion UP or else it will drag on the base of the tray.
Click to expand...

Nope - that's how I do it. Hardly any problems thus far. At a pinch I can do about 7-8 4x5 sheets at a go - it needs practice of course.

Most scratches occur while you are pulling out the bottom sheet for agitation and the corners of the sheet just above it rubs against the emulsion. With emulsion side down, this problem is entirely eliminated. As for rubbing against the bottom of the tray - I never let the film rest flat aginst the bottom - and use a tray with a flat surface. If you ensure that there is some distance with your left hand while pulling out sheets with your right, then it should be okay.

Anyway, it works well for me - YMMV.

-A
 
Screwy,

I used to do several sheets of 4x5 at time in trays. I found it was important to pre-soak in water before developing. Put 1 sheet at time a tray of water. Once it is thouroughly wet, you can add the next and so on. Then you can move them all at once into developer. This step eiliminates sticking and allows you to get them all into developer at the same time. I believe it also helps prevent scratching.
Agitation is simply pulling bottom sheet out and placing on top. You may have to work out frequency of agitation depending on developing time, how many sheets, etc.
I don't remember if I did this emulsion up or down, but never had a problem with scratches.
 
Thanks everyone , Think I will give tray development a go at first then try other options if I'm cack handed at it :D .

Ash ,why fit a 5x4 back on the 9x12 ?
I've just bought 4 double 9x12 backs from Alex-photo new in box for a pittance and retrophotographic list 9x12 film from Ilford and Foma .
3 1/2 x 4 3/4 inch verses 4x5 inch, is it really worth the hassle trying to adapt a 4x5 back ?



Paul
 
Paul

There seems to be a nomenclature problem
the 4x you have are double dark slides,
Ash he is talking about the dark slide holder.

Noel
 
Paul, 4x5 film is available in quite a few emulsions/speeds, and 4x5 DDS's are cheap now. Maybe not as cheap as those 9x12's, but still.

It was just a thought - my beseler enlarger can handle 35mm, 6x6, and 4x5, but not 9x12 :)
 
Thanks for pointing out my poor description Noel :)

No problem Ash , I just thought there might have been a benefit I was missing .

The Fotokor was purchased basically on the strength of being £21.00 ($41.00) including postage from the Ukraine :eek: it's also FSU which I have a penchant for :rolleyes:

A nice low cost introduction to large format photography (If it works :D ) though I will have to make a negative carrier for 9x12 if I want to print .



Paul
 
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good luck with that. I went 'whole hog' with a 4x5 field camera. Then again I only paid £4 more than you for my field camera :)
 
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