Survey: How are you processing your LF film?

eclarke

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Jun 11, 2004
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1,950
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New Berlin,
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ULarge Format
4x5, 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14, HP5 TMX TMY Tri-x, Jobo with paper drums for 8x10 and 11x14, expert drum for 5x7 and the normal reel drum for 4x5. Germaine's Finegrain, D76H, FX37 and sometimes Pyrocat HD in the Jobo and Rodinal for stand development
 

Photographica

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Joined
Jul 8, 2004
Messages
114
Location
Indiana
Format
4x5 Format
I shoot 4x5 and 120 using FP4 rated at ASA 80.
My process is very similar for both films and based on +/- N exposure system (Zone).

I use D76 or PMK developers in a Jobo Multi-5 tank with film reels on a Jobo CPA processor.

With the PMK, I split the development time in half and use fresh developer in a second development. For example, if my full PMK development time is 10 minutes, I develop for 5, pour out the spent developer, add fresh PMK, and develop for the remaining 5 minutes.

I used to tray develop PMK and my experience with it was that it really liked the constant agitation. In the tray the developer didn't aerate that much so it lasted through the full development time. In the Jobo, it sloshes around a lot causing it to oxidize very quickly. Using the Jobo and split development, the PMK seems to be very happy with the agitation providing very clean results in smooth areas like sky and fog.
Bill
 

johnnywalker

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Sep 23, 2002
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2,323
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British Colu
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Multi Format
4x5, jobo 2551, HC110 dil "H". I've had better and more consistent results with this than tray developing or developing in tubes.
 

richard ide

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Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
1,217
Location
Wellington C
Format
Multi Format
4 x 5 and 8 x 10 on hangers in 1 gallon deep tank. 35mm and 120 on reels. Anything larger rolled in trays.
 
OP
OP

Sully75

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Jan 28, 2010
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405
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Somerville,
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Medium Format
When people say "hangers" are they talking about the generic looking stainless steel hangers you find on ebay? Like these? I thought I'd read these gave uneven development, am I wrong? Maybe I'm confusing the yankee tanks.

I was thinking about buying some hangers and making a daylight tank out of wood...seems like it would be fairly easy to do. I don't have a darkroom, and develop in my apartment's bathroom. I could conceivably block out the light but it's never happened that my roomate hasn't demanded to pee somewhere along the process, so I'm not that hopeful.
 

wclavey

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Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Messages
256
Location
Houston, TX
Format
Multi Format
Films: Arista.EDU (100), TMY-2 (400), CXS Green X-ray
Film size: 4x5
Developer: Diafine, each solution diluted 1:1 with water at use & discarded
System: Jobo 4323 tank (8-12 sheets) on a Uniroller reversing base

Some samples:

TMY-2


TMY-2


X-ray
 
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Thomas Bertilsson

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Jan 21, 2003
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15,708
Location
Switzerland
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Multi Format
When I shot 4x5 I used to process in trays, and later in a Unicolor rotating drum.

This is an early example from processing in a tray: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I don't quite like a rotating drum, because I have no control over agitation and therefore it's difficult to alter the results the way I want them.

Ultimately, I gave up on sheet film, but kept a 5x7 camera for future use, or just for looking at.

Good luck.

- Thomas
 

Robert Hall

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Joined
Aug 18, 2004
Messages
2,033
Location
Lehi, Utah
Format
8x10 Format
Sully75 said:
When people say "hangers" are they talking about the generic looking stainless steel hangers you find on ebay? Like these? I thought I'd read these gave uneven development, am I wrong? Maybe I'm confusing the yankee tanks.
Click to expand...

Yes, hangers like those. There are other types, such as those that have little clips for each corner of the film. Those bug me because inevitably you put your clip over a portion of the image.

I have those above for 4x5 and 8x10 and may try using them when my Jobo dies. (hopefully not soon.)
 

ashokgoyal42

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Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
125
Location
New Delhi, I
Format
Multi Format
They work well for me, though everything has to be done in the dark. So I've just ordered Jobo 2521+2509N for 4x5 film. The hangers are easy to load and easy to dip and dunk. I like the comfort of loading them in the dark. I've tried tray process but I scratched the film. The Jobo is a daylight tank and I'm hoping that works well for me. Enough experimentation.
 

ashokgoyal42

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Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
125
Location
New Delhi, I
Format
Multi Format
eclarke said:
4x5, 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14, HP5 TMX TMY Tri-x, Jobo with paper drums for 8x10 and 11x14, expert drum for 5x7 and the normal reel drum for 4x5. Germaine's Finegrain, D76H, FX37 and sometimes Pyrocat HD in the Jobo and Rodinal for stand development
Click to expand...

For 4by5 do you hand process the Jobo?
 

removed account4

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Jun 21, 2003
Messages
29,832
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Hybrid
sorry i didn't attach these earlier, i was away from my reservoir of images.

the images loaded are tray processed

trix + ansco130
tmy+ansco130
tmx+sprint
 
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Monophoto

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Joined
Aug 27, 2004
Messages
1,689
Location
Saratoga Spr
Format
Multi Format
Efke 100, exposed at ei50
HC-110 dilution H, 11 minutes at 68 deg F
Continuous agitation for 30s followed by 5 s every 30 seconds.
Water rinse instead of stop
Sprint rapid fixer with continuous/intermittent agitation
Rinse, hypoclear, 5-6 successive soaking intervals in still water
Photo-flo dliulted in RO-filtered water
All done in a slosher insert in open trays
 

c6h6o3

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Oct 16, 2002
Messages
3,215
Format
Large Format
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Ektagraphic

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Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
2,927
Location
Southeastern
Format
Medium Format
4x5/5x4
Tri-X Film
D-76 occasionally D-76 1:1
Unicolor Drum and motorized base
Occasionally FR Cut film processing tank.

Printed With Omega D2
Paper usually ADOX MCC-110 and Standard Ilford Multigrade RC VC
Always developed in Dektol.
 

stevebrot

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
113
Location
Vancouver US
Format
35mm
Still very much an amateur with 4x5:

Film: Arista.EDU Ultra 100 @ ISO 200
Developer: Edwal FG-7 1:15
Processor: AP generic daylight tank using taco method (4 sheets per tank)
Time/Agitation: 12 minutes, continuous agitation by inversion for first 30s and 5s at 30s intervals thereafter






I am still working out the details with this film/developer combo...


Steve
 
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removed account4

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Jun 21, 2003
Messages
29,832
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Hybrid


using hangers in a daylight type tank might cause your film to get surge marks.
it usually happens when someone plunges their hangers into their deep tank,
instead of sliding them in on the 45º angle and then does a round of continuous agitation.

it would be easier if you can find a set of FR tanks, they have a set of teeth on the sides
that the adjustable film holders ( go 4x5 and smaller ) slide the film into.
you could canabalize it and epoxy the sides into your own epoxied / water tight / wooden
fiberglass resin'd box and make a tank that did 5x7 and smaller films pretty easily.

the parts are pretty inexpensive

the tanks are cheap too

fiberglass resin works well on sinks, and with the fabric on the corners/ seams make it easy to do something like that.

the down side is that regular FR tanks take about 2L ( maybe more maybe less )
of fluid to fill up and something that would work for 5x7 would need more way chemistry than that.
 

patrickjames

Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
742
Format
Multi Format
HP-5, Pyrocat-P, TF-4, Jobo drum on a Unicolor motor base. Sometimes I use hand rollers given to me by a Jobo rep. I have done it other ways, but the Jobo is the best, and you can't beat 10 sheets at a time. You can also load it when it is still wet so there is a fast turnover..


 

2F/2F

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Apr 29, 2008
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Location
Los Angeles,
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Multi Format

What a great mood you've created in this photo!
 

BetterSense

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Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
3,151
Location
North Caroli
Format
35mm
I got surge marks in the past with hangers, but I was agitating them every 30s or more, and was plopping them in the developer too hard. Now I only lift-and-tilt once per minute, I pause for 5s with them out of the developer, and I slide them back in slowly. Development is very even and no scratches even with xray film. Downside is standing in the dark, but I don't mind so much.

I was thinking about buying some hangers and making a daylight tank out of wood...seems like it would be fairly easy to do.
Click to expand...

If you do, let me know how you did it. I have 2 Kodak hard rubber processing tanks but I need 1 more. I've been considering making another one out of wood. It's remarkable hard to find a container of similar dimensions to the Kodak 4x5 tanks.
 
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