first 4x5 neg dev:observ. & questions

[Chuck_P]

I developed my first 4x5 negatives today. Here is what I observed:

-I don't like using the combi-plan tank in the daylight scenario, the small leak is annoying and it takes too long to empty for my tastes (with the top hose connector opened for pressure); I just did not like that. That was anticipated when I bought the tank

- I used my other two tanks and tried Eugene Singer's dip and dunk method with the combi-plan in hopes that it would afford me more control, indeed it did. It was still awkward to do because it was my first time, but I can tell that with practice, this is the way to do it. I had difficulty when taking the film holder out to tilt it as several times I could not get it back in the tank in a timely manner. When I did get it in properly, it took me about 10 sec to complete the agitation cycle.

- I purchased some clear tubing for the hose connection from my faucet to the base of one of the tanks for washing the film and in my home kitchen scenario, that was perfect and made the purchase of the tanks extremely justified.

Observation unrelated to the tanks:

- I only developed 2 sheets, I had that hardest time just getting the film out of one side of the holder, I just could not grab hold of the sucker.

- One of the sheets did not have clear film on one of the edges i.e., the short side opposite the "Kodak 400 TMY" text. What happened there?

- Where there was clear film on both sheets, it certainly looks like there is a light leak as it shows density at the corners and some on the straight edges. Is this due to a warn film holder or something else?


That's about it. Thanks for any information.
Chuck

 

[johnnywalker]

I can't comment on the combi-plan - I use tubes and a roller.
I've had similar leaks that seem to come and go. I finally numbered each side of each holder and put file marks on the holders that would identify the negatives as to which holder and side they came from, to see if the problem was consistent with one or more holders. I'm doing this as I empty the holders, so the next round will start to tell the tale. Basically it's a modified Roman Numeral system: I use a round 5/32 power saw file to file a "U" (10's), a small triangular file for the 5's, and a fine straight blade for the 1's. So seventeen would be UVII, marked on the flap that the darkslide slides into - on the inside, under the darkslide, next to the film.
I found the instructions for this somewhere, with pictures, but darned if I can find it again. Someone will probably know.

 

[Poco]

Chuck,

Try not removing the film holder assembly completely from the tank when agitating. If you put a liter of water into the tank, you'll see there's still over an inch of room at the top and there's no reason you need to pull the holder out beyond that. Just lift and twist simultaneously and you'll be able to get at least a 30 - 40 % tilt while still keeping the bottom corner "in" the tank.

 

[phaedrus]

- One of the sheets did not have clear film on one of the edges i.e., the short side opposite the "Kodak 400 TMY" text. What happened there?

Chuck

That part's not properly fixed due to contact of the film with something in the holder.

 

[Chuck_P]

That part's not properly fixed due to contact of the film with something in the holder.

I don't think so, because there is sharp focused image all the way to the edge of the sheet. Also, the other film also had the same thing but on the longer side of the sheet. I can only think that I must have not had the sheet properly under the guides on the holder.

This might also explain the light leaks I mentioned.

Thanks
Chuck

 

[Chuck_P]

I just realized that there is a disproportionate amount of clear film on one of the sheets on the edge with the code notches, and there is clear film on both long sides. The film must have shifted while in the holder causing the opposite short side to be fully exposed----I just recreated that with a wasted piece of film.

Is this normal or is the holder too used and therefore simply not holding the film stationary?

Thanks
Chuck

 

[Ole]

That's normal. Maybe your film is in the small side of the acceptable size range, and your film holder is at the large end. Nothing to worry about, and certainly not related to wear.

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Chuck,
If you look carefully at the holder (I assume plastic "recent makes" from Toyo Fidelity or others) you'll see that when you put your sheet of wasted film into it and push it all the way into, the film become locked by a groove near the flap. This ensure that the sheet will not move during transportation. So maybe you've not pushed these sheets up to the end of travel. The sheet having a bad long side is probably from the sheet being not put under the guide for it.
Been there, done that ;-)
ALso, in my holders, when the film is fully inserted, one can see under the flap a circular recess which is really useful to grab the sheet for treatment. I normally use my nail to uplift the film and grab it out from the holder. It took me month to figure this ;-)
Hope this helps

 

[Ole]

... I normally use my nail to uplift the film and grab it out from the holder. It took me month to figure this ;-)

And you still haven't figured out that it's much easier if you pull the film down rather that lifting it up?

Try this: Unload the bottom side of the holder.

Doing it this way I've been able to load and unload 8x10" film in a rather small changing bag. Unloading the top side of the holder in this case proved to be just about impossible. So I load from the top and unload from the bottom.

 

[John Kasaian]

Unicolor Processor---used the drum for paper developing. See the Large Format Homepage for a link to greywolf Phillips' article. You can soup 4 negs in an 8x10 drum. These processors go for about $35 on ebay.Painless!

 

[Chuck_P]

Thanks for everyone's advice. LF photography is certainly a different beast to tame.

Chuck

 

[k_jupiter]

Thanks for everyone's advice. LF photography is certainly a different beast to tame.

Chuck

It's actually several thousand beasts to tame and we all do it differently.


tim in san jose