are all 4x5 tanks' capacity the same?

[djkloss]

I tried using tank developing with my Efke25 4x5 in rodinal 1:100. To my delight, no scratches! However, the tank requires 2 quarts of liquid. That's a lot of chemicals. I don't like tray developing because of the scratches. It's a Kodak 'hard rubber' tank.

Are there 4x5 tanks that hold less liquid or are they all 2qt? what is tube developing? and howmany negatives can you put in a tube?

Thanks!

Dorothy

 

[ggriffi]

Dorothy,

I have an HP Combiplan tank that I use with 4x5 and only fill with 34oz. The manual says to use 36 oz. but I cut it down to thirty four to cut down on leakage when I develop. It has been my limited experience that no matter what I do there is always some leakage from the lid, but I can now keep that to a minimum by only tilting to about 60 degrees for each agitation cycle.

g

I tried using tank developing with my Efke25 4x5 in rodinal 1:100. To my delight, no scratches! However, the tank requires 2 quarts of liquid. That's a lot of chemicals. I don't like tray developing because of the scratches. It's a Kodak 'hard rubber' tank.

Are there 4x5 tanks that hold less liquid or are they all 2qt? what is tube developing? and howmany negatives can you put in a tube?

Thanks!

Dorothy

 

[resummerfield]

The BTZS tubes sold by the View Camera Store hold one sheet of 4x5 and take 60ml chem. They come in a set of 6 with a waterbath tray.

The JOBO Expert Drums use about the same amount of chems per sheet. With the JOBO system you get temp and agitation control, but it costs much more.

 

[waynecrider]

Yankee tanks hold more liguid then the standard hard rubber ones and I have stainless tanks that are in-between. More mass tho equals better temp control. Often I'll just fill the bottom of a Yankee tank with enough liquid to develop one sheet at a time, and I'll put the Yankee tank in a 8x10 hard rubber tank used as a temp bath with a cover.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

HC110 will last a long time and it can be replenished. Floating lids slow oxidation or you can do what I do which is to put it into a glass bottle. Saran food wrap will also slow oxidation even better than a floating lid.

Even if you toss the HC110 after one use, the cost is only $1.50. Home mixed D76 is very cheap, but expensive to initially buy all the chemicals.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Unfortunately, all the 4x5 tanks seem to take different amounts of chemistry.

You might be interested in the 4x5 processing trays made by the Photographers Formulary. They are really nice little inventions made expressly for scratch free tray processing.

PE

 

[Charles Webb]

With just a little work you can build any size tank you want out of Acrylic sheet (plexiglass.... not sure of the spelling) The sheets are available at
a lot of hard ware and Home Depot type stores. They are very easy to build, and you can customize them to fit your desires. Mine will hold 4 8x10,
with one gallon of chemistry. I was worried about stray light with the clear side tanks, so used Krylons special plastic paint, mine are decorator dark blue which contrasts nicely with my stainless steel tanks. The solvent for sticking the acrylic is not locally available for me so I order in when I need it.

Two sides a bottom and two end pieces. I usually make a floating lid out of the same material, but lay a sheet of Saran Wrap over the tank then put the floating lid down onto the wrap that creates a pretty fair seal. I have the names and suppliers of this stuf, but it is not handy for me right now.

Any way when I was faced with the same problem that is how I solved it!

Charlie.....................

BTW The decorator Blue Krylon and stainless look pretty ugly in my wifes pink bathroom, "bathroom" is what she calls it, I call it a Dark Room and
don't give rats patoot that my equipment clashes with everything.

 

[grahamp]

I use inversion agitation with single sheet 'tube tanks'. These need around 175ml when used this way. Although I now have a Jobo with a couple of tanks and 2509n reels, the single sheet tanks are more economical and less trouble for 2-3 sheets. It is quicker to temper solutions in this small volume than it is to stabilise the Jobo. On the other hand, the Jobo makes short work of bigger batches.

I wouldn't want to do inversion agitation with a 2500 series Jobo tank.

 

[nworth]

They vary all over the place. The old Nikkor tanks would process 12 sheets in only a liter of solution. The Yankee tank (unchanged for over 50 years) also holds 12 sheets but requires 56 oz. of solution for 4X5. The Jobo 2509 reel in its tank holds only six sheets but requires only 300 cc of solution in a rotary processor. The Beseler drum (with appropriate dividers) can process four sheets of 4X5 in less than 100 cc (but better use more).

 

[djkloss]

Thanks for all the great information! Seems the more I dig, the deeper I get......and I think at the bottom is a big pile of gold! (That is if it's not discontinued!)

Thank you!

Dorothy

 

[Sinarfar]

I made PVC tanks with 750ml capacity that does 5 sheets, maybe 6. The sheet PVC cost about $16. I cut two parts. The side folded into a box and a bottom. I welded the two parts but PVC cement can also be used. I made four tanks, they work great.

 

[Monophoto]

Let me add two thoughts.

First, sloshers are another option for those who are willing to work in total darkness for a few minutes. A slosher is a tray insert that enables one to process (typically) six sheets of 4x5 film in an 11x14 tray. The insert is designed to provide a separate compartment for each sheet of film. Agitation is by lifting the corners of the slosher. As a result, individual sheets never come in contact with each other, and if processed emulsion side up, the emulsion never touches anything other than processing solutions.

I my experience, a six sheet slosher in an 11x14 tray requires only 800 ml of solution.

Secondly, when processing sheet film it is sometimes helpful to increase the dilution of the developer. I normally use HC-110, and for sheet film I use dilution H - dilution B with twice the normal amount of water. I have to double the development time to compensate for the more dilute developer, but with my agitation cycle (in the slosher), but that's also an advantage. In my darkroom, I need 5.5 minutes in HC-110 dilution B, and that's a fairly short time for sheet film. Going to 11 minutes is a nice compromise between lengthening processing to assure even development, and the boredom of working in total darknes.

The slosher and tray combination, and the use of dilution H, results is very reasonable economy.