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3.25x4.25 sheet film development options

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frost242

frost242

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Joined
Jun 13, 2022
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40
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Hello,
I have a few 9x12 old plate cameras and a friend gave me a Mico Springback adapter for 9x12cm to 3.25"x4.25. I bought a few holder in these format too, as well as Adox CHS 100 sheet film in this format. But now comes the question : how can I develop sheets in this format ? I'm equipped for 6.5x9, 9x12 and 4x5 (Jobo tank and SP-445 for 9x12 and 4x5).
I know that 20stcenturycamera used to sell adapters for develop this format in a genuine Paterson tank, but he unfortunately ceased business.

Do you any other alternatives ? (No, taco method is not an appropriate alternative :smile: ).

Thanks a lot !
 
I use a Nikor Sheet Film Developing Tank. It can be adjusted for most film formats up to 4x5.
Development is by inversion or stand development.
 
http://www.davidkachel.com/assets/trayproc.htm is my usual method for processing sheet film. The smallest I've done is 4x5, but that tube size would work fine for 3.25x4.25.

The stack method for tray developing would work also. I've never done this.

When I'm just doing one or two 4x5 or 5x7 negs, I'll do open trays, one 5x7 tray per neg.

All of these techniques require a full on darkroom, as opposed to loading tanks in a changing bag or closet then processing in room light.
 
mrosenlof said:
When I'm just doing one or two 4x5 or 5x7 negs, I'll do open trays, one 5x7 tray per neg.
Click to expand...

Yeah, me too, for 4x5 and 8x10. Up to 4 sheets per session, usually. At that point I get too bored. But it's sheet film, so it's not like I shoot 36 images in a row of it anyway.

So I'd suggest the oldest trick in the book - a set of trays in a dark room.
 
Thanks a lot for your entries ! I never thought about tubes, despite I've read about it a few years back !
I'll give the tray method a try also, that's something I have in the darkroom, but I have to sort out a few things to get complete black to process film.

Thanks a lot !
 
I do the tray thing for small sheets, I find it a really convenient method for any size if you're only doing a few sheets.

It's also a good way to test the darkness of your dark room. :smile:
 
There are the adjustable Yankee tanks. Some people hate ‘em, but I never had a problem. Got mine for developing 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 sheets when I was a kid. I believe the Combi-Plan tank is also adjustable, though I’ve only used mine for 4x5.
 
The HP Combi Plan tank does 3.25x4.25 but they are few and far between. That being said, ebay has one listed with bidding starting at $29.95. I have one that I have used for 4x5 and like it.
B&H has the Yankee Cut Film tank which does 2.25x3.25 up to 4x5 for $39.95. Never used one so can't comment on it.
 
Last edited:
btaylor said:
6There are the adjustable Yankee tanks. Some people hate ‘em, but I never had a problem. Got mine for developing 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 sheets when I was a kid. I believe the Combi-Plan tank is also adjustable, though I’ve only used mine for 4x5.
Click to expand...

I like my Yankee Agitank -- and they have the very strong advantage of being inexpensive (about $50 new, still available). You'll need an extra-large changing bag to load the film if you don't have a darkroom, but once loaded it's daylight safe. Agitation is by tilting alternately toward one end then the other, and it fills and drains very rapidly (faster than any stainless tank I've seen).

I recommend practicing with scrap film before going "live", because it is fairly easy to misload getting one edge of two sheets into the same groove (even with the loading guide). The tank adjusts to all sizes between 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 up to 4x5, including 6.5x9, 3 1/4 x 4 3/4, and 9x12. The biggest downside it is needs a lot of liquid, and the same amount for one or two sheets as for the full capacity of twelve -- but if you reuse with time adjustment or replenish stock developer, it doesn't cost extra, you just have to do a little more arithmetic to figure out when to adjust time or how much to replenish.
 
I agree, I use a Yankee tank as well.

The problem here in the UK/Europe is the high cost of postage from the US has risen to ludicrously high levels, and it's the same the other way round and with all International postage.

Yankee tanks were never exported to Europe.

Ian
 
Thanks a lot ! Yes, Yankee tanks are quite hard to get here, in Europe. I like the Bounet Photography reels, also I'm looking for a convenient way to develop 13x18 sheets. Thanks @Kino !
 
frost242 said:
Jobo tank
Click to expand...

I have the 4x5/9x12 reel for a Jobo. I put a stainless steel screw in the centre of it to friction-hold it at smaller positions, so I can squish it down to 3x4 when I want.

But I also have a bunch of 3x4 hangers and stainless steel tanks (for up to 4x5).

Any time I've tried tray processing more than one sheet at a time, I've ended up with scratched film. Perhaps I'm just unlucky.
 
I use a patterson orbital on mine, 4 sheets at a time with longerplastic pegs in the holes to separate them as the supplied red pegs are too short.
 
A while since I did any, but I use a Combi-plan tank for quarter-plate film. As far as I know they don't sell it any more (the tank). It's not bad. The tank is slow to fill and empty: if I'd made it I'd have put a wider inlet and outlet on it. The body of it is a hard plastic - maybe polystyrene - and might crack if you dropped it.
 
Last edited:
The JOBO 2509N reel works fine but (don't read the next statement!) I also use a Kodak taco tank that was made for that size.
 
For all sheet film from 6x9 through 4x5, including 9x12, I use a Kodak 1/2 gal open rubber tank with Kodak #6 hangers and develop in the dark.

This is because I often use semistand or Extreme Minimal Agitation which require absolute minimal contact between the film and its support system. For normal development schemes, a Yankee adjustable sheet film tank should likely work, though I've not tried it with 9x12.
 
chuckroast said:
develop in the dark.

This is because I often use semistand or Extreme Minimal Agitation
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, how long are your development times, and do you remain locked up in the dark for that period? I associate EMA with fairly long development times, like 45 minutes and longer, and that would seem rather long to me to sit around in the dark. Or do you have one of those fancy revolving light trap doors so you can sneak outside?
 
koraks said:
Out of curiosity, how long are your development times, and do you remain locked up in the dark for that period? I associate EMA with fairly long development times, like 45 minutes and longer, and that would seem rather long to me to sit around in the dark. Or do you have one of those fancy revolving light trap doors so you can sneak outside?
Click to expand...

60 min

I darken the adjoining room before beginning. I cover the rubber tank with an inverted dark tray and slip out of the room quickly between agitation cycles
 
I found that the old Nikor stainless tank & adjustable reel work well for 3x4. (For 4x5, not so much.)
Nevertheless, when I process 3x4 sheets these days, I use the old shuffle-in-tray method.
For me, simple is better.
 
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned 20th century camera reels for Paterson tanks. They are expensive for something printed with a 3d printer but they claim no marks or other anomalies, and even development.

Freestyle has them but you can just buy direct.

EDIT: Their "factory" burned down earlier this year. Ouch.
 
Don_ih said:
I have the 4x5/9x12 reel for a Jobo. I put a stainless steel screw in the centre of it to friction-hold it at smaller positions, so I can squish it down to 3x4 when I want.

But I also have a bunch of 3x4 hangers and stainless steel tanks (for up to 4x5).

Any time I've tried tray processing more than one sheet at a time, I've ended up with scratched film. Perhaps I'm just unlucky.
Click to expand...

Thank you for this advice, I'll definitely try this method !
 
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