4x5 Development in Jobo 1500 tanks

[TimKr]

Hey everyone,

I am looking to get into large format photography. I have a few Jobo 1500 series tanks and a rotational developer at home and have been developing all my own 135 and 120 film for a while.

Are there any reliable reels out there to develop 4x5 sheet film in a sufficiently sized 1500 series tank or is the upgrade to a 2500 series tank a must? I've looked around but haven't found this question answered anywhere. Probably that's mostly sign that the idea is already ridiculous... but maybe someone has a genius idea.

Thanks
Tim

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to Photrio!

I use the Jobo 3010 Expert Drum which can develop up to 10 sheets of film. Sheets of film cannot break free and cause problems in that drum. While it is pricey but if one amortizes the cost per sheet of the time that you own the drum will be so low that it is worth buying because the consistent high quality, failure free use alone makes it worth purchasing.

 

[Kilgallb]

I use the 2509 tank and the 4x5 real that hold 6 sheets. A lot cheaper than the expert drum. There are lots of cheap knock offs on eBay that work well. I have a few.

 

[grahamp]

I know of at least one 3D printable reel for tanks of that size. You would need a tank capable of holding 3 x 35mm reels.

The big problem with tanks this small is that sheet film does not like curving that much - the smaller radius means the film has to curve round a larger angle. I have a reel that does 2.25x3.25 sheets in a 1500 tank, but I think I will move up to a 2500 series tank and create a modified reel.

If you must use a smaller tank, I'd look at doing inversion with the 'taco method'

I do 4x5 in a 2509n reel all the time on a Jobo CPE2+.

 

[Alan9940]

I use the 2509 tank and the 4x5 real that hold 6 sheets. A lot cheaper than the expert drum. There are lots of cheap knock offs on eBay that work well. I have a few.

But doesn't the 2509n reel require a 2500 series tank? The OP indicated he currently has 1500 tanks.

 

[koraks]

Are there any reliable reels out there to develop 4x5 sheet film in a sufficiently sized 1500 series tank or is the upgrade to a 2500 series tank a must?

You're limited to aftermarket products; Jobo doesn't have a solution for this AFAIK.
Welcome to Photrio BTW!

The big problem with tanks this small is that sheet film does not like curving that much

In principle this is not really an issue; anyone who develops in BTZS tubes knows this. The main issue is whether the reel and the flow patterns it creates will allow for even development across the film surface. This tends to be the main issue. I've not used any of the aftermarket reels so I can't comment, but this is main thing to pay attention to when testing.

But doesn't the 2509n reel require a 2500 series tank?

Yes, it does. And the 3010 mentioned earlier is of course also not a direct answer to OP's question, but we tend to suggest alternative approaches especially if the options are limited or somehow unattractive.

 

[TimKr]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!
I'll see if I can find some of the aftermarket reels for the 1500 series. But looks like a 2520 with a 2509n reel would be the best overall solution for me. That should fit my rotary processor as well and doesn't break the bank too much.

 

[koraks]

When shopping for the 2509N reel, make sure you get the N version, not the 'bare' 2509. The N version has two plastic 'flaps' that are mounted onto the reel after loading the film. This helps reduce problems with surge marks along the edges of the sheets. You may still need to experiment with a pre-rinse to get even development across the entire sheet.

 

[TimKr]

That's great advice. Much appreciated!
If I can find someone with a 3D printer, I may try this reel first. Still happy to hear from anyone who has experience with something like this.

 

[koraks]

It might work, but I have some doubts about the center spiral. The tongs on that one would be very flexible (and quite fragile), so I can see how sheets will easily be dislodged during processing.

 

[moofy]

When shopping for the 2509N reel, make sure you get the N version, not the 'bare' 2509. The N version has two plastic 'flaps' that are mounted onto the reel after loading the film. This helps reduce problems with surge marks along the edges of the sheets. You may still need to experiment with a pre-rinse to get even development across the entire sheet.

I would second the rinse advice, I got very uneven development without doing one in a 2509n.

 

[ltbphoto]

Interested in this as well. I know of the Mod54 reel for Patterson tanks but I don't think they will work in a Jobo 1500 series. Strange to me that something similar isn't commercially available for the Jobo system.

 

[koraks]

I know of the Mod54 reel for Patterson tanks but I don't think they will work in a Jobo 1500 series.

Indeed, it doesn't. It's made for the bigger Paterson tank as you said.
I suppose Jobo decided that the 1500 tank is too small a platform to allow acceptable development of sheet film - or they snapped out of character and decided it was a good idea to put a limit to product variant proliferation...

 

[ic-racer]

Tray develop the 4x5 film.

 

[Kilgallb]

Tray develop the 4x5 film.

I did that with TMX-100 for years. It really works, and is cheap.