Developing 5X7 film

[campy51]

I have a 5X7 camera that I never use because I do not have a darkroom and making one is not an option. I have a changing bag to load the film but can't seem to find a cheap and easy way develop a few sheets at a time a few times a year. Has anyone ever built a small darkroom out of a cardboard box to hold trays and use the sleeves from a changing bag? Would something like that work say in the corner of a basement that's not light tight but very dark?

 

[Adrian Bacon]

I have a 5X7 camera that I never use because I do not have a darkroom and making one is not an option. I have a changing bag to load the film but can't seem to find a cheap and easy way develop a few sheets at a time a few times a year. Has anyone ever built a small darkroom out of a cardboard box to hold trays and use the sleeves from a changing bag? Would something like that work say in the corner of a basement that's not light tight but very dark?

Buy a Paterson daylight tank (the one that holds 1 liter), put the sheet film in it via the taco method and develop it via inversion. The tank is almost nothing and once you have the lid on, you can process in the daylight.

 

[campy51]

Is there a particular model I should look for and can you put more than one at a time in?

 

[Adrian Bacon]

Is there a particular model I should look for and can you put more than one at a time in?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40338-REG/Paterson_PTP116_Multi_Reel_3_Tank_ONLY.html

With the taco method you gently bend the film along the long edge until the two short ends are touching, emulsion side in, then place a rubber band around it to hold it that way. You can put as many in the tank as will fit (usually 3 or 4). From there put enough developer solution to cover it. Since you’re dealing with film that will end up being ~5 inches tall, and you should factor in that it may shift up and down when inverting, I’d just fill the tank with a whole liter of solution.

 

[koraks]

The older print drums from Jobo (4000 series) pop up quite cheap once in a while. They work fine to develop 57 film on a roller base or perhaps even hand rolled on the table (haven't tried the latter, but did the former in a pinch).

On largeformatphotography Pere Casals has regularly given the suggestion to do tray development, putting the tray into a paper safe so most of the processing can be done in normal light. But that still requires a rather large changing bag or a darkroom.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

The older print drums from Jobo (4000 series) pop up quite cheap once in a while. They work fine to develop 57 film on a roller base or perhaps even hand rolled on the table (haven't tried the latter, but did the former in a pinch).

On largeformatphotography Pere Casals has regularly given the suggestion to do tray development, putting the tray into a paper safe so most of the processing can be done in normal light. But that still requires a rather large changing bag or a darkroom.

That was going to be my second suggestion. If you can find an older print drum for 5x7 paper, it can also be used to develop film.

 

[campy51]

I tried the paper safe once and the one I had leaked so that put an end to that. Also don't you need to have 3 to complete the process and where do you place them that's light tight?

 

[choiliefan]

I use a Cibachrome MK II drum on a roller base.
It works great and uses very little chemistry.
Two sheets can be loaded side-by-side in an 8X10 drum.
I always pre-soak.

 

[koraks]

I tried the paper safe once and the one I had leaked so that put an end to that. Also don't you need to have 3 to complete the process and where do you place them that's light tight?

Technically you could work in normal light once the film has been in the stop bath for about 10 seconds (assuming sufficient strength and freshness of the stop). But you'd have to get the film in the stop bath in darkness - or work really fast to prevent fogging. Personally I don't find the "dark tray" option very convenient either to be honest.

 

[MattKing]

I've always wondered whether 2.5 inch hair rollers can replace the rubber bands when using the taco method.

 

[Besk]

A very versatile system and suitable for your requirements is the BTZS system of developing sheet film. You can make your own BTZS tubes and get complete control over your developing. And use very little chemistry. They require a darkroom only when loading and a darkened room when initially putting the film into the fixer.
You find a lot of info on this method on the internet.

I use a PRINT unidrum II Unicolor drum on a roller base at present but plan to make my own BTZS system to explore the possibilities.

 

[mshchem]

My first basement darkroom was made entirely from old corrugated cardboard from the grocery store. In the corner of my boyhood c1899 home. Former coal bunker. Eventually I upgraded to Masonite. . I think 5x7 is a perfect LF size, contact prints are fabulous.

 

[btaylor]

I use a Cibachrome MK II drum on a roller base.
It works great and uses very little chemistry.
Two sheets can be loaded side-by-side in an 8X10 drum.

This is so simple, it’s essentially a daylight tank for sheet film- Cibachrome, Unicolor, Beseler, they are all essentially the same. I used these for years to process color prints, and they are so cheap I threw some away because I couldn’t find any takers! A drum for $10 and a roller if you feel fancy for $40 and you’re good. That or the taco method should work great with only a changing bag for darkness.

 

[nsurit]

bw-king.com makes a tank for processing 5X7. They also sell on eBay. This might get you started.

 

[Adrian Bacon]

I've always wondered whether 2.5 inch hair rollers can replace the rubber bands when using the taco method.

Assuming fits, I don’t see why not

 

[mshchem]

I don't have enough hair for rollers

 

[revdoc]

Technically you could work in normal light once the film has been in the stop bath for about 10 seconds (assuming sufficient strength and freshness of the stop). But you'd have to get the film in the stop bath in darkness - or work really fast to prevent fogging.

I do this all the time. Open the tube, tip out the developer, take out the film and slip it into a tray of fixer, all with the lights on.

The fixer stops development immefiately, so the length of time the film is exposed to light with developer on it is, to me at least, too short to make a significant difference.

 

[Mr Flibble]

The Paterson Orbital can easily be modified to develop two sheets of 5x7 film, but they can be quite pricy if you find them now. Particularly with motor drive.
They're very economical in developer though.

 

[KenS]

A very versatile system and suitable for your requirements is the BTZS system of developing sheet film. You can make your own BTZS tubes and get complete control over your developing. And use very little chemistry. They require a darkroom only when loading and a darkened room when initially putting the film into the fixer.
You find a lot of info on this method on the internet.

I use a PRINT unidrum II Unicolor drum on a roller base at present but plan to make my own BTZS system to explore the possibilities.

If I may.. I'll 'second' the motion of BTZS tubes for developing sheet films.. I 'made' my own 'first set of tubes' using black plumbing pipe.. found I was much better results than 'hangers-in-tank
and/or tray developing and eventually got a set of 4x5 and 8x10 BTZS tubes.. and found I was getting 'better... and more 'even' results. NO more hangers and No more tray developing for me.

Ken

 

[Nokton48]

I have a couple of Unicolor Unirollers, and for 5x7 I have used the 8x10 Unicolor print drums (old Grey and also White). I wash in a Patterson tray, especially in using Pyro PMK+. Photoflo final rinse also in Paterson tray. Distilled water is used for mixing the Photo-Flo. This works very well for two sheets.

I have all the parts to do up to 8x10 in a Kodak Basket Line. Plenty of SS Hangers also.

 

[Fritzthecat]

I run two sheets at a time in Unicolor 8x10 drums on a self reversing motor base. Works like a charm.

 

[Rick A]

I run two sheets at a time in Unicolor 8x10 drums on a self reversing motor base. Works like a charm.

Yeah, hey the least you could do is kick in for the chems you use in my darkroom when you're here bro.

 

[jimjm]

If I may.. I'll 'second' the motion of BTZS tubes for developing sheet films.. I 'made' my own 'first set of tubes' using black plumbing pipe.. found I was much better results than 'hangers-in-tank
and/or tray developing and eventually got a set of 4x5 and 8x10 BTZS tubes.. and found I was getting 'better... and more 'even' results. NO more hangers and No more tray developing for me.

Ken

I'm with Ken on this one. Started using BTZS tubes for 4x5, and I can easily develop 6 sheets at a time. Went up to 5x7 and decided to make my own tubes from plumbing supplies available at the hardware store. Now that I'm shooting 8x10, I've done the same thing and so far it works great. Never had any problems with uneven development, uses small amounts of developer and developing step can be done in normal room light. After development, I turn off the room lights, leave one safelight on, open the tube and dunk it in a tray of stop bath for about 30 sec. Then I extract the film and place in in a tray of fixer. After about 15 sec, it's safe to turn the room light back on for the rest of the fix time. View Camera Store has some videos that explain the process.

Here's the 5x7 tubes I made:

 

[Roger Thoms]

jimjim, is that white end cap light 100% light? My understanding is that they aren’t. Or is it grey pvc? I can’t tell for sure from the photo.

I also use homemade 5x7 BTSZ tube for 5x7. I was able to find black abs end caps and used grey pvc electrical conduit because that’s what I had.

Roget

 

[Vaughn]

A UniColor or Beseler motorbase and a Jobo Expert Drum 3006. If you can find a used 3006 at a decent price...$350?...worth the price and can be resold at same price later, no problem. Storage of the 'system' is easy and small, and development can be anywhere.

I'd suggest finding a large bit of lightproof material (heavy curtains, etc) that you can use to block off a corner of the basement as a walk-in, or at least sit down in dark space for loading holders and developing tanks/drums.