Newbie help choosing 4x5 developing tank

GeorgeDexter · Apr 4, 2011

Hi folks,
I am just starting to shoot 4x5, and I need help choosing a developing tank. I will be loading it in a dark bag, but developing in daylight. I'm trying to choose between the Combi-plan, Yankee, and Price Monobath, or similar. Are any of them flat-out junk? Or should I be looking at Jobo or similar? I'm on a tight budget, but I might have access to some fairly cheap Jobo gear.
Please help.
Thanks!

Kevin Caulfield · Apr 4, 2011

There seem to be a lot of negative comments here about the Yankee. I use a Combi-Plan and love it, but others here swear that they cannot use it without problems. Another option is tray developing. I tried that first and despite care got many scratches. Then I switched to the Combi-Plan and am happy.

SMBooth · Apr 4, 2011

I like the unicolour print drums, 4 sheets a time, 200ml of chemicals

altair · Apr 5, 2011

SMBooth: Can you send us a link to that unicolor print drum? 200ml of chemicals is astoundingly little.

SMBooth · Apr 5, 2011

altair said:
SMBooth: Can you send us a link to that unicolor print drum? 200ml of chemicals is astoundingly little.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/unicolor/

You will have to look on EBay for them, try and get the roller too.

ozphoto · Apr 5, 2011

This is another consideration:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

http://myworld.ebay.com/mod_photographic/

P C Headland · Apr 5, 2011

Another good option to consider is a Paterson Orbital. Your biggest problem will be finding one on your side of the Atlantic.

FiatluX · Apr 5, 2011

If I didn´t already have my beloved Combiplan I´d definitely get the "MOD Photographic 5x4 Film Processor" Paterson insert!

frobozz · Apr 5, 2011

I'll give my usual plug for the Nikor stainless cut sheet tank - just like their smaller tanks, but... bigger! Here's a link to one I sold a while back, 'cause it has pictures so you can see what the thing is:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Duncan

Dan Henderson · Apr 5, 2011

Kevin Caulfield said:
There seem to be a lot of negative comments here about the Yankee. I use a Combi-Plan and love it, but others here swear that they cannot use it without problems. Another option is tray developing. I tried that first and despite care got many scratches. Then I switched to the Combi-Plan and am happy.

I have read some negative comments about the Yankee tank here, and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. Here is my 2 cents. 100 cents, actually:

A long time ago, even before I shot 4x5 film, I bought an old used Yankee tank from a dollar sale table at a photo store. mostly because it was only a buck. When I did start using sheet film I dug the tank out and developed film in it, with great results. It loads easily, fills and dumps pretty quickly, and does not leak light. What more could one ask of a daylight tank? About the only issue that I can find is that when I fill it with presoak or stop water using a hose inserted to the bottom of the tank, the lid will float up as the tank fills unless I keep my hand on it until the fill operation is complete or I turn the water down to a trickle. On the occasions that I forgot to hold the lid down my film was not lightstruck.

I liked it so much that I bought 2 more so that I could have multiple tanks in use when developing to different contrasts. I bought those 2 new tanks for less money that 1 Combi tank, of which I have also heard some people complaining about here as well. I am not one to use something because it is the cheapest, but if it works as well as more expensive things, I use them happily.

M.A.Longmore · Apr 5, 2011

Kevin Caulfield said:
There seem to be a lot of negative comments here about the Yankee. I use a Combi-Plan and love it, but others here swear that they cannot use it without problems. Another option is tray developing. I tried that first and despite care got many scratches. Then I switched to the Combi-Plan and am happy.

.
The Yankee tank does require a bit of patience to load correctly.
I tried for the longest while to get the Combi Tank on Bay, but I
dropped out once it went past $50.00. I paid $6.00 with shipping
for The Yankee Tank, for that price I am extremely satisfied !

I would love to try loading it with 24 sheets, back to back ...

Ron
.

Dan Henderson · Apr 5, 2011

Ron LarFor4X5 said:
.
The Yankee tank does require a bit of patience to load correctly.
I tried for the longest while to get the Combi Tank on Bay, but I
dropped out once it went past $50.00. I paid $6.00 with shipping
for The Yankee Tank, for that price I am extremely satisfied !

I would love to try loading it with 24 sheets, back to back ...

Ron
.

Ron: Did your Yankee come with the little loading bar? I have them for mine but find they are really more of a pain to move from slot to slot in the dark. I find that holding the bottom edge of a sheet on the top of the slots and pulling the sheet towards me, listening to the snaps as it crosses each slot keeps them lined up.

I am going to start noticing who is trash-talking the Yankee tanks. I bet its those sore-loser Brits!

holmburgers · Apr 5, 2011

ozphoto said:
This is another consideration:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

http://myworld.ebay.com/mod_photographic/

+1

This processor plus a Paterson 3-reel will probably set you back less than $100 and you'll be set to develop 6 sheets at a time in daylight. Needs 1L of solution.

altair · Apr 5, 2011

SMBooth said:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/unicolor/

You will have to look on EBay for them, try and get the roller too.

Thanks very much for that

GeorgeDexter · Apr 6, 2011

Thanks all for your advice.

I'm considering all alternatives. I'm glad to hear that there are some Yankee fans out there, so they must not be all bad. The Patterson looks good too, though I'd rather not use an entire Liter of developer solution.
I probably should have mentioned this in the original post, but I'm going to try my hand at Stand developing Rodinol 1:100 or 1:200 for up to an hour or two, so that might eliminate things like Unicolor rotating tanks. I haven't yet totally ruled out development methods that use traditional aggitation/inversion yet -- I'll try both and see what I like better.

Dan Henderson · Apr 6, 2011

GeorgeDexter said:
I'm considering all alternatives. I'm glad to hear that there are some Yankee fans out there, so they must not be all bad. The Patterson looks good too, though I'd rather not use an entire Liter of developer solution.
I probably should have mentioned this in the original post, but I'm going to try my hand at Stand developing Rodinol 1:100 or 1:200 for up to an hour or two, so that might eliminate things like Unicolor rotating tanks. I haven't yet totally ruled out development methods that use traditional aggitation/inversion yet -- I'll try both and see what I like better.

George: It is too bad we are clear across the state from one another or I would loan you a tank to try out. As far as solution quantity, beware that a Yankee tank takes 55 ounces of solution. But using Pyrocat at 1:1:200 for semi stand development, I only use 8 ml of A and 8 ml of B. Considering that I mix it myself from raw chemicals, the per-tank cost is ridiculously low.
Dan

GeorgeDexter · Apr 6, 2011

Dan Henderson said:
George: It is too bad we are clear across the state from one another or I would loan you a tank to try out. As far as solution quantity, beware that a Yankee tank takes 55 ounces of solution. But using Pyrocat at 1:1:200 for semi stand development, I only use 8 ml of A and 8 ml of B. Considering that I mix it myself from raw chemicals, the per-tank cost is ridiculously low.
Dan

Thanks, Dan, I appreciate the thought, but as you say, Holland is a bit of a trek. I'm part of a local camera club, so I think I'll put out the word that I'm looking for 4x5 developing tanks, or I'll just spring for a Yankee on eBay. They seem to be the least expensive. If I don't like it, I can always resell it and try another.

George

GeorgeDexter · Apr 8, 2011

Has anybody tried the Fink Roselieve tank?

Has anybody tried the Fink Roselieve tank? It look similar to the Yankee tank, but seems to be a bit older?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290551392455&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I've already exposed two sheets of film and want to get developing so I can see if I'm getting anything before I expose more.

Thanks, George

holmburgers · Apr 8, 2011

How much solution do these style (Yankee, FR) tanks require? Sorry if I missed it above...

GeorgeDexter · Apr 8, 2011

holmburgers said:
How much solution do these style (Yankee, FR) tanks require? Sorry if I missed it above...

One source lists the Roselieve taking 56 fl. oz. or 7 cups of solution. I don't know about the Yankees, but I'd guess it's similar.

M.A.Longmore · Apr 8, 2011

What Loading Bar ???

Dan Henderson said:
Ron: Did your Yankee come with the little loading bar? I have them for mine but find they are really more of a pain to move from slot to slot in the dark. I find that holding the bottom edge of a sheet on the top of the slots and pulling the sheet towards me, listening to the snaps as it crosses each slot keeps them lined up.

I am going to start noticing who is trash-talking the Yankee tanks. I bet its those sore-loser Brits!

.
Hi Dan,

I had no idea that a loading bar was available.
I'm starting to realize why it can be such a hassle to operate.
I just got frustrated that I couldn't get a Combi tank on eBay, or
elsewhere, for less than $60.00, so I pounced on the $7.00
Yankee contraption. But, for that price I decided not to complain.

Ron
.

holmburgers · Apr 10, 2011

GeorgeDexter said:
One source lists the Roselieve taking 56 fl. oz. or 7 cups of solution. I don't know about the Yankees, but I'd guess it's similar.

≈660 mL isn't bad. Hmm, these thanks are intriguing...

keithwms · Apr 10, 2011

For 4x5 I find using two combiplans works nicely. One alone never quite worked for me. I like having two, doing the dev in the first one, the stop in the second, then fix back in the first. That way it's only lights off for a little while but there is no delay in getting the film uniformly stopped and fixed. And I think there is really something to be said for the strong rapping you can do when you actually lift the film carrier out of one liquid and put it into the next. I do a few lifts before closing the lid and voila, no bubbles, no problems, easy peasy. I have never seen uneven development.

Note that if you want to do monobath, a single combi works well.

Sirius Glass · Apr 10, 2011

I tried tray development of 4"x5". That worked but I do not have a darkroom on the East Coast. I bought a Yankee from FreeStyle. The sale person I work with said that he had uneven development problems with the Yankee and recommended the Combi-Plan and the Jobo 3010 Expert tank. He uses the Jobo 3010 Expert tank. I exchanged the unused Yankee and bought Combi-Plan. A few weeks later I returned the unused Combi-Plan and bought the Jobo 3010 Expert tank. I picked up a populated Jobo CPP 2 processor via APUG for $150. Now I can do color and black & white 35mm, 120, and 4"x5"! That is my story and I am sticking to it!

Steve

Newbie help choosing 4x5 developing tank

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency