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how do YOU process your film ??

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i have tried a lot of different things ..
trays, rods, deep tanks, not so deep tanks
inversion / agitation ...

now i just do a 25 minute soak


what do you do, and why ?
 
Small tank/spiral reel. Gently agitate for the first 30 second, then 4 gentle inversions with a swish every 60 seconds.
 
MaximusM3 said:
I'm afraid to ask what you soak it in, John
Click to expand...

i soak it in a "eyeballed" mix of instant coffee ( at present stop and shot store brand ), washing soda ( either arm and hammer washing soda or pharm grade sodium
carbonate from france) and whole foods powdered vit C ( soon to be bought at trader joe's ) and a about 100 CC of ansco 130 ...

i can't complain !

john
 
Jobo Cpp2 for all sizes 35mm to 20 x 24. Temperature control, daylight processing and I can process a large quantity of film in a short period of time. Tonight I loaded 32 rolls of 120 film and 15 sheets of 8x10. Tomorrow I'll process it all. Very consistent results.
 
Good Evening, John,

35mm and 120 are processed with SS reels and tanks, normally with inversion agitation at 30-second intervals. 4 x 5 is almost always done in a Chromega drum on a single-direction motor base; I normally reverse the drum every 30 seconds, although I suspect that it isn't really necessary.

Konical
 
I do nearly all my film (35,120,4x5) in a drum sitting on this robot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POGHnDbwU3Y, which uses hardly any chemical and processes really evenly. The other day I processed sub 16mm film (from a Minolta 16) in a stainless steel tank by inversion at 30s intervals...

Marc!
 
35mm and 120 roll film in 1-, 2-, or 4-reel stainless steel tanks with matched stainless lids and caps. Static water tempering bath used.

4x5 sheets in a stainless steel Nikor 4x5 tank (for smaller quantities). Static water tempering bath.

4x5 (in larger quantities), 5x7, and 8x10 using hangers in 1-gallon Arkay stainless steel deep tanks as part of a 4-tank, active water-jacket tempered, processing line. Hooked up to a low-flow Hass K250 Intellifaucet for precision temperature control.

All agitations are for 30 seconds initially, followed by about 5 seconds (2 tank inversions or hanger lifts) every 60 seconds thereafter. Hanger films are currently being washed by total immersion into a 16x20 Versalab print washer with the print cage removed. The Versalab is also connected to the Intellifaucet for both temperature control and automatic timed shutoff.

I also have a dedicated, full-immersion, stainless steel, 8x10 hanger Arkay washing tank awaiting restoration, but not yet ready for prime time.

Ken
 
Sheet film in trays, roll film in standard stainless steel tanks "the usual way." If I'm using divided Pyrocat HD, I use two 8-reel tanks as dip&dunk with long wire lifters. The latter means standing in the dark quite a bit, but the results are good!

Peter Gomena
 
4x5 in trays, usually 1:1 Xtol, sometimes WD2D+ Pyro, shuffle the pack every minute or so, up to 10 or so sheets per go. Rollfilm in various plastic Paterson type tanks of differing sizes (depending on the number of rolls and format). Tried metal reels and didn't like em cause I couldn't load em without screwing up the film (which I didn't learn you don't learn until it's too late and your precious frames are unsavable. BRRAAAGGHH!!!!) I've been using the same set of plastic reels now for going on 5 years and only just now thinking about replacing them. Not because I couldn't get more years out of em either, they ain't broke, just a little browner than I like. Cost to replace 12 plastic, multi-format reels = less than a hundred bucks. Cost for a couple a Hewes SS reels in 35 and MF = more than a hundred bucks. And a h*ll of a lot harder to load not to mention expensive SS tanks too. (Felt the urge to hop upon my plastic vs steel soapbox for a moment there; please forgive)

For rollfilm lately, everything in 1+100 Adonal (Rodinal), agitate for 10 secs, leave sit for an hour or so, fix and wash as normal. Pretty consistent, printable results with Arista Premium 400 rated anywhere between box and 1600 or so. (but then I don't own a densitometer either!)
 
For 4x5, I use milk pitchers (stolen image attached). Can shuffle 4 to 6 sheets at at time with ease. Whole plate film and larger paper negatives in trays. 135 & 120 in three-reel Paterson tank.

Everything now done in D-76 1+0, even paper negatives. Only because it can be gotten anywhere, anytime. Water stop, Kodak powder fixer.

With chemistry always mixed and ready to go, all film always gets developed the same day it was shot, which averages 3 days a week now.

Contact sheets, when needed or desired, are usually done as soon as the film is dry, and on a dedicated Saunders/LPL enlarger.


Things get a little crazy when I'm at my cottage in the summer. I usually arrive after a week of travelling, with many rolls to do, so don't bother with reels and such; rolls go together into a fresh pot of D-76 and get done spaghetti-style. Gets me caught up quick. Don't cringe -- it works!
 

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35mm & 120 in Nikor SS tanks with Kinderman reels. 4x5 in a Yankee Agitank. All film processed in Kodak D-76, water stop & Kodak fixer. Times determined by a Kodak process thermometer. Agitation by the book. I've been using this method for 40+ years with no problems.
 
munz6869 said:
I do nearly all my film (35,120,4x5) in a drum sitting on this robot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POGHnDbwU3Y, which uses hardly any chemical and processes really evenly.
Marc!
Click to expand...

Now this one was a cool thing! Love the little fan thingy. And the suitably industrial noises in the video. A motor base would be great, but I've been looking around and they are pretty hard to come by in Europe. They are bit more common in the us but the shipping would be expensive. Been thinking sometimes that I should build one.

However, my processing is done with HP5+/Kentmere (small format) or Plus-X (120) in a Paterson tank. XTOL 1+1 and 12 minutes (or 8.25 for Plus-X), agitation first 30 seconds and then about three turns (10 sec) at the start of every minute. Acid stop bath and then I pour in some Ilford Hypam.

Sheet films (13x18) these days goes into a cibachrome drum, souped in XTOL 1+1, about 200-250 ml soup and then I just roll it back and forward on a level bench. Works fine.
 
Paterson tanks, HC110 (H), 60 seconds agitation then 10 seconds every minute. Typically over develop by an extra minute.
 
4x5 in Combi-plan tanks, but not the standard way. To avoid the long drain/fill times, I use three tanks, but I don't use the "dip-n-dunk" method with 3 tanks as I found I could not get consistent negative densities with that method. The following method greatly improved my results.

I Load film in the "D" tank, when ready to start, turn out the lights, remove the "D" lid, put film in the "D" tank, lift film holder up and down for 5 sec, put the "D" lid back on, develop and agitate by inversion method with lights on.

One minute before end of development time, turn lights out, gently remove lid at the proper time, transfer film from the "D" tank to the "S" tank for a 30 sec continuous agitation bath, lights are still out.

Finally, transfer film holder to the "F" tank, put the "F" lid on the tank, turn on lights, fix normally.
 
35mm and 120 processed in SS Nikor tanks. I use 4 tanks in a static water bath.

Developer/Stop/ 2 Fixer baths. I place the loaded reels in the already filled developer tank, cap and turn on the lights.

Film is agitated for the first 15 secons by full inversion and then 5 inversions every 30 seconds.

At the conclusion of development I turn off the lights, uncap the tank and transfer to the stop. Lights remain off until conclusion of the 1st fixer bath.

Hal
 
I have tanks, trays, drums, rocker trays, sloshers, nitrogen burst system, homemade devices and hangers but I do all of my stuff in my Jobo...EC
 
Adox CHS 50 4X5: 5 min water bath in open 3l tank, Caffenol-C-L semistand for 70 mins in Combiplan, stop in 3l tank and fix in yet another 3l tank.

30s continuous agitation, then 3 inversions @ 1,2,4,8,16 and 32 min and stand for the remaining time.

....

Tmax 100 4X5: No water bath and full stand 60 mins in C-C-L, stop and fix as above.

10 inversions start agitation and some shaking of the Combiplan @ ½ time to release any bubbles.
 
Paterson 4 tank. Agitate for 45 seconds initially, then 3 inversions every minute. At the moment TMX and TMY-2 in Caffenol-C-H @ 20C/68F for 16 and 14 minutes respectively. 1min water stop, 5min fix and 20min wash, last minute with wetting agent.
 
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