Demand for Ultra Large format daylight tray

tim48v · Mar 8, 2025

(Maybe this belongs in Darkroom but we figured we'd get more attention here.)

We get inquiries regarding an ultra large tray system every month or so. We finally put our reply in a blog post (Super-sized SP-8x10?) and included it in our newsletter.
It seems to have attracted more attention then we had expected!
Our expectation was that most ULF photographers already have a complete darkroom and wouldn't need a tray system. Maybe we're wrong?

So here's an informal poll to see what people really think.

UlbabraB · Mar 9, 2025

I have a complete darkoom but I never liked to process film in complete darkness. I’d be interested into a 14x17 tray to process also two 7x17 films.

Brickbird · Mar 27, 2025

I'll take one for 12x20, please!

tim48v · Mar 28, 2025

Interesting that this thread has had almost 300 views but only 3 votes in the survey?

AERO · Mar 28, 2025

I was in a garden centre the other day and spotted a large plastic tray similar to the above for use on a greenhouse bench....
Amazon show some as well.

Don_ih · Mar 28, 2025

tim48v said:
Interesting that this thread has had almost 300 views but only 3 votes in the survey?

Possibly because very few people who view it would be willing to pay anything for an ultra-large format daylight tray - but they're still curious to look at it. For instance, I wouldn't buy one but did want to see the thread.

There are not a lot of people shooting larger than 8x10.

koraks · Mar 28, 2025

Don_ih said:
Possibly because very few people who view it would be willing to pay anything for an ultra-large format daylight tray

Yup, for me this is the reason why I clicked it before, but didn't vote. Had it included an option "less than $400" or "no willingness to pay at all", I would have voted for sure.

Also, I didn't count the number of ULF photographers on this site, but a ballpark figure for the relatively active ones would remain stuck at well below a dozen. If this survey so far has gotten 3 votes, this means that out of those less-than-a-dozen, a substantial percentage would actually be willing to pay >$400 for this. I'd call that a remarkably optimistic outcome and much more than I would have imagined.

AERO said:
I was in a garden centre the other day and spotted a large plastic tray similar to the above for use on a greenhouse bench....

Suitable for daylight film development? That's a novelty.

Don_ih · Mar 28, 2025

Tray development in the dark, however, is something that would potentially keep people from trying a format. The bigger the sheet, the more irritating that would be. So, providing something that overcomes that hurdle might encourage more people to pick up a really big camera. Fact is, if you're jumping into bigger than 8x10, you're going to spend a lot of money on camera, holders, lenses, and film. A good way to develop that film is a minor expense compared to all those.

Lachlan Young · Mar 28, 2025

What can it do that a Jobo 3063 and a roller base cannot (leaving aside any effects of inappropriate developer choices)? That is the key defining factor price-wise.

tim48v · Mar 28, 2025

AERO said:
I was in a garden centre the other day and spotted a large plastic tray similar to the above for use on a greenhouse bench....
Amazon show some as well.

of course. in fact, I have several sets of 16x20 darkroom trays that someone gave me. But manufacturing a daylight processing tray of that size is a much more complicate project.

tim48v · Mar 28, 2025

Lachlan Young said:
What can it do that a Jobo 3063 and a roller base cannot (leaving aside any effects of inappropriate developer choices)? That is the key defining factor price-wise.

Frankly, I don't know since I've never used a Jobo. However, pretty much everyone buying our 8x20 trays already own a jobo...

tim48v · Mar 28, 2025

Don_ih said:
Tray development in the dark, however, is something that would potentially keep people from trying a format. The bigger the sheet, the more irritating that would be. So, providing something that overcomes that hurdle might encourage more people to pick up a really big camera. Fact is, if you're jumping into bigger than 8x10, you're going to spend a lot of money on camera, holders, lenses, and film. A good way to develop that film is a minor expense compared to all those.

Absolutely! When we quoted over $400 for our 8x20 tray, I didn't expect anyone to buy it. But when you're spending over $35/sheet for film and making platinum prints, it's a minor expense!

tim48v · Mar 28, 2025

Don_ih said:
Possibly because very few people who view it would be willing to pay anything for an ultra-large format daylight tray - but they're still curious to look at it. For instance, I wouldn't buy one but did want to see the thread.

There are not a lot of people shooting larger than 8x10.

Yeah, we should have included a "I'm not a good enough photographer to shoot ULF" response. (That would be my personal answer!)

MattKing · Mar 28, 2025

tim48v said:
Yeah, we should have included a "I'm not a good enough photographer to shoot ULF" response. (That would be my personal answer!)

I'd prefer "I'm not a crazy or rich enough photographer to shoot ULF"

koraks · Mar 28, 2025

MattKing said:
I'd prefer "I'm not a crazy or rich enough photographer to shoot ULF"

I'd make that "not crazy AND rich enough". Crazy enough? Hell yeah. Rich?....nah.

Marcelo Paniagua · Mar 28, 2025

The very few times I've used film bigger than 8x10 was on a DIY jobo like (a tube with caps and a base with rollers). It was on a borrowed camera on film times (probably around the 90's).

koraks said:
I'd make that "not crazy AND rich enough". Crazy enough? Hell yeah. Rich?....nah.

Yep +1

Lachlan Young said:
What can it do that a Jobo 3063 and a roller base cannot (leaving aside any effects of inappropriate developer choices)? That is the key defining factor price-wise.

Yep wondering the same.

I may sound rude, how much I would pay for it? A few dollars if I found it on a flea market or similar place.

Sorry not your target market I guess. Bigger I go nowadays is 4x5.

Regards.

Harry Callahan · Mar 29, 2025

Lachlan Young said:
What can it do that a Jobo 3063 and a roller base cannot (leaving aside any effects of inappropriate developer choices)? That is the key defining factor price-wise.

Not having any experience, but maybe you`re having more control on agitation. With a Jobo you have to turn all the time to get even development, so semi-stand or stand shouldn`t be possible. With a tray you can stop agitation (for a few seconds at least) without running into problems.

koraks said:
I'd make that "not crazy AND rich enough". Crazy enough? Hell yeah. Rich?....nah.

So we need a "crazy but not rich enough" option.

MattKing · Mar 29, 2025

@tim48v ,
This seems like a product that needs to be a "made to order" type of inventory item.

AERO · Mar 29, 2025

koraks said:
Yup, for me this is the reason why I clicked it before, but didn't vote. Had it included an option "less than $400" or "no willingness to pay at all", I would have voted for sure.

Also, I didn't count the number of ULF photographers on this site, but a ballpark figure for the relatively active ones would remain stuck at well below a dozen. If this survey so far has gotten 3 votes, this means that out of those less-than-a-dozen, a substantial percentage would actually be willing to pay >$400 for this. I'd call that a remarkably optimistic outcome and much more than I would have imagined.

Suitable for daylight film development? That's a novelty.

Yep I could have explained it better!! so..Greenhouse tray..use as developing tray.....

Michael Kadillak · 2025-10-29T21:51:05-0400

The entry point for ULF mandates time tested options because failure is not an option. Tray development with the compliment of a UV monocle or Reduced Agitation development with Pyrocat HD. 100% success rate qualified and quantified.

gbroadbridge · 2025-10-29T22:31:28-0400

Michael Kadillak said:
UV monocle

Really?

mshchem · 2025-10-29T22:48:34-0400

Biggest I go (very rarely) is 11x14 and I have a couple Jobo Expert drums 3062, that hold 2 sheets of 11x14. I suspect most people use a lot of Xray, a bit easier to handle.

Demand for Ultra Large format daylight tray

How much would you be willing to pay for an Ultra Large Format Daylight Tray system?

$400

$600

$800

$1000

over $1000

tim48v

UlbabraB

Brickbird

tim48v

AERO

Don_ih

koraks

Moderator

Don_ih

Lachlan Young

tim48v

tim48v

tim48v

tim48v

MattKing

Moderator

koraks

Moderator

Marcelo Paniagua

Harry Callahan

MattKing

Moderator

AERO

Michael Kadillak

gbroadbridge

mshchem

Demand for Ultra Large format daylight tray

How much would you be willing to pay for an Ultra Large Format Daylight Tray system?

$400

$600

$800

$1000

over $1000

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

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Privacy & Transparency