Can you develop 5x7 sheets like you do with MF tanks?

Hi,

I have a question regarding 5x7 development.

I have been previously using Medium format and would like to venture into large format. Been searching and reading around about camera bodies, lenses , etc, However I could not find much reading material on 5x7 sheet film development specifically under day light (light sealed tank).

I have this concern, as space is very much limited and the bathroom is a shared place, so no chemicals and funky curtains.

On the MF, I use to develop my films by loading the film into a spool which is then loaded into a light seal tank. Chemicals can be poured in and inversion can be made. Is there a similar concept for 5x7 to be precise?
I have found some Jobo solution for 4x5 however none for 5x7.

Good Morning,Neoro,

There's been lots of discussion of sheet film processing here; the Search function will provide lots of information. Lots of us use drums originally designed for color print processing; some use BTZS tubes; the Paterson Orbital processor (if you can find one) is favored by others. Naturally, simple tray processing also has its advocates. A Search will turn up many dozens, if not hundreds, of posts.

Konical

Well, I *think* you can do it this way: I took two 120 spools, cut em in half and then welded them together such that there is the right distance to feed 5" roll film on there. I think 5" sheet would work. I haven't tried it as yet but I suspect that it'd work.

So far I am just tray dev'ing 5x7. I also have some dip tanks but haven't tried them.

I can see what I did with my contraption and maybe I can give it a go and report. My recollection was that I found 5" aerial rollfilm to be too flimsy to work with my contraption, but ordinary 5x7 might be just fine. It needs some rigidity or it buckles out.

Apart from that, sure, there are inserts for tubes and you can do all the sheet sizes that way, in daylight.

Neoro, welcome to APUG.

I use a JOBO 3005 Expert film processing tank on a CPP-2 processor for five 8x10 negatives at a time. There is no reason you can't use it for five 5x7 negatives at a time.

John Powers

There was once a 5x7" HP Combiplan tank, but it is no longer made, and used ones are near impossible to find.

I know some people use Paterson tanks to develop 4x5 film "taco" style. Has anyone tried this with the larger tank, and 5x7 film?

Matt

I know Gandolfi develops 13X18cm sheets in Paterson three reel tanks. I have developed 13X18cm sheets in my jobo 2830 on the CPE2 without problems.
Best regards

thanks all for the inputs.
I guess being new really makes things a bit difficult in doing the search, as I made various searches under different key words.

Anyway, keithwms, I took your idea and using my existing Paterson 3 Reel Tank I think I manage to come up with a holder.



As I don't really own any LF equipment yet (pardon me, I'm still doing a whole load of R&D before deciding) may I know if

the film thickness for a LF negative say is roughly the same as those of medium format?

If it is, then I guess the above may work, and development shd be pretty ok on both sides on the film using the Reel

Yep, taco style in a Paterson tank works fine, as does a Cibachrome tank rolled on the bench. The Jobo 28xx models work fine, with the bonus that you can put in 4 sheets of 5x7/13x18 in a 2840 and process at the same time. I don't use a processor, just slow rolling on a level bench.

Good start neoro! That's kinda similar to what I have. The issue with the sheets is that they have no natural curl. So they will not want to follow those tracks. Maybe if you precurl them....

But the thickness isn't too different from MF film. It is a bit thicker. But there are also different thicknesses in LF, some bases are thin, some are thicker. If you want to experiment with an inexpensive film, try the ortho films at freestyle. They are quite thin.

I am still working on making my funny holder work, but frankly I am not really sure it's worth the effort!

Ok Neoro, Nice setup.
I didn't realize you wanted to use the reels.
Best regards

Jobo Expert Drum on a manual roller base is a nice and luxurious way to go, if you can afford the expensive tank. I love my 3010 version, which holds up to ten sheets of 4x5. The tank you would want holds five sheets of 8x10 or 5x7.

For 13 x 18 cm sheet film, I use the Jobo 2500 system tank that can take 4 120 size reels. I leave the reels out and just put the centre rod in (has to) with some rubber-bands around it, cut off of a bicycle’s inner tire. These rubber bands serve to protect the back of the sheets if they hit the rod. This tank is large enough to hold 2 sheets standing up, straight, on their shortest side and unbent, and the emulsion side facing out.
I put an empty reel on top to hold back the sheets from floating and traveling around. Just be careful not to agitate vigorously, do not roll the tank, the emulsion might scour against the tank.
The inconvenience is that one needs 3,5 L of liquid to fill the tank just for processing two sheets. This is why I develop in concentrated Refinal (= Agfa’s D76), so it can be reused by replenishing.
All tough, a way to reuse one shot developer, like Pyrocat H-D, is to keep the entire amount of the liquid after processing, then to replenish it by discarding about 25% and filling it up with freshly mixed chemicals, and to use it right away. I only do this once because a diluted developer, like Pyrocat H-D or Rodinal, is oxidising rather fast, then I discard the developer. Two sheets are not to exhaust that 3,5 L of developer.
I never tried it with 20 x 25 cm sheets, but is might work too, I guess.
And the (large) Patersons might do the job too, so, no need to buy a new tank system, but do not forget the centre rod…

Philippe