Tray development of sheet film

reub2000 · Jan 18, 2007

Hey, I'm thinking of using the view camera that belongs to my school for a few things. At school there is a developing tank. However it requires all of the negatives to be processed for the same amount of time. I was thinking of doing tray processing at home. My teacher thought I was completely crazy.

How would one keep track of time in total darkness? Some type of timer that makes a noise at the end like a kitchen timer?

Using a one shot developer like HC-110, would I have have to mix up 1 liter for each sheet that I want to process?

David A. Goldfarb · Jan 18, 2007

I use a timer with a glow in the dark dial. Just don't keep it too close to the film.

Generally you want at least a half inch of developer in the tray for, say, 4 sheets using the shuffle method.

jovo · Jan 18, 2007

As David suggests, a timer with a glow in the dark dial, NOT an LED dial, is what's usually used. Perhaps you can borrow a Gra-Lab or Time-O-Lite from your school while you learn.

A rule of thumb for the amount of developer to use, is 100ml per 4x5 sheet, but you need a minimum of at least 400 ml, so try to have that many sheets of film ready to develop.

reellis67 · Jan 18, 2007

I shuffle all the time - 4x5 is easy to do. Do a search for 'tray development' or 'dish developmet' and you should be able to get all the details. If not, ask again here and someone will surely fill you in. As for time, as the others have stated, use an green glow-in-the-dark timer (mine is on the wall) not too close to the tray and you should be just fine.

- Randy

ewmoore · Jan 18, 2007

I use a small electronic metronome for timing in the darkroom.

reub2000 · Jan 18, 2007

Perhaps you can borrow a Gra-Lab or Time-O-Lite from your school while you learn.

Well I have a Time-O-Lite TR-90, but it only will only time up to 60 seconds.

400ml gets the water level barely above the ribs of developing tray. More would be better. 1000ml water plus 32ml hc-110 would work.

Also can the film be fixed in 1+1 fixer, or should it be fixed in full strength fixer?

Also can I make a contact frame pretty easily? Like a few weights weighing down the edges.

Thomas Bertilsson · Jan 18, 2007

Put as much developer in the tray that you're comfortable rocking it. Do a 'dry run' first with the lights on. And of course it'll vary between trays depending on their size. For 4x5 film I use the next size up tray, which is 5x7, etc.

Fixer should generally be full strength. Dilution of fixer is generally used for paper, but I use it full strength there too. Cuts down on the fixing time so it's easier to wash it out of the emulsion again.

Contact printing frame... The first experiments I made with contact printing was with an 11x14 glass printing 4x5 negs. That gave enough space around the negative and paper to push down. With enough weight on the glass, there was no need to worry about the neg sliding around.

- Thom

reub2000 · Jan 18, 2007

I have 8x10 trays, which I use for processing prints.

I was wondering if I could make something for contact printing.

raucousimages · Jan 18, 2007

I develop 4X5 with film hangers in open tanks but I like trays for 8X10. I develop one sheet at a time with about 8oz of developer in a flat bottom stainless steel tray. Dont use a plastic tray with ribs for this low volume of developer. This gives great results but you MUST keep the developer moving! About 30 sec left-right then 30 sec front-back. If you do it right it is great if not developement is uneven. Try it with an old sheet of film in the light to see if you like it. Results from trays can be very good but like all things LF it is SLOW.

jovo · Jan 18, 2007

reub2000 said:
Well I have a Time-O-Lite TR-90, but it only will only time up to 60 seconds.

400ml gets the water level barely above the ribs of developing tray. More would be better. 1000ml water plus 32ml hc-110 would work.

Also can the film be fixed in 1+1 fixer, or should it be fixed in full strength fixer?

Also can I make a contact frame pretty easily? Like a few weights weighing down the edges.

The Time-O-Lite I refer to is similar to the Gra-Lab and will do up to 60 minutes. I don't have the model number at hand.

I should have stipulated that the quantities of developer for 4x5 sheets were specifically for 5x7 trays as Thomas Bertilsson mentioned. 5x7 trays are large enough to manipulate the film with your fingers easily, and small enough not to have to use an excess of chemicals.

reub2000 · Jan 18, 2007

Well I would like to to use what I already have.

I would really like to play around with development. Maybe try overdeveloping with increased agitation for a contrasty negative. Or try a compensating developer for tricky lighting situations.

BTW, for playing around development like this, is it better to use a thin emulsion like Delta 100, or a thick one like FP4+?

Edit: Can I use print tongs?

k_jupiter · Jan 18, 2007

reub2000 said:
Well I would like to to use what I already have.

I would really like to play around with development. Maybe try overdeveloping with increased agitation for a contrasty negative. Or try a compensating developer for tricky lighting situations.

BTW, for playing around development like this, is it better to use a thin emulsion like Delta 100, or a thick one like FP4+?

Edit: Can I use print tongs?

No. You cannot use print tongs. You'll scratch the film. use gloves if you are worried about poisoning yourself.

Thin emulsion - thick emulsion isn't the question here. It's the properties of the particular film in a particular developer. Some people like Delta 100, I would take the FP4 because I like that type of look (non t-grain) over the Delta. Either one is agreeable to different looks by varying developers.

Stick to no more than 20 or 30 developers. More than that and you'll get confused.

tim in san jose

reub2000 · Jan 18, 2007

I've generally just developed film by the manufacturers instructions. In The Negative Ansel Adams says that the thicker emulsions respond better to adjustments in development. Exposure and development of film is confusing stuff. I hope that some experiance will make all of this stuff clearer.

I generally like what Delta 100 does to the high parts on macro shots. When it snowed I got some good pictures using Pan F Plus.

Monophoto · Jan 18, 2007

HC110 is an excellent developer for starting out with sheet film. Most people use dilution B (described on the bottle), but I find that dilution H is a bit more forgiving. To make dilution H, first mix dilution B, and then add water to double the volume. To compensate for the more dilute developer, double the development time. HC110 tends to be a fast working developer, so having the longer time is certainly convenient.

Others have noted that using an ordinary GraLab Model 300 timer is perfectly adequate. You have to work in total darkness, but it is still possible to see the hands glowing in the dark.

The best advice is to either follow Kodak's published instructions for your initial development time, or resort to a reference such as the Massive Film Development Chart. You will find that over time your development time will change from that starting point to adapt to your processing technique.

If you aren't going to be processing film frequently, then shuffle development in an open tray is fine. I vote for a presoak, but that's not something that everyone agrees on. Put the film into the tray emulsion side down, one sheet at a time. Then carefully lift the top sheet off the stack, tilt the entire stack, rotating against one edge that remains in place in the developer, and place the sheet emulsion side down at the bottom of the tray. Rather than forcing the sheet against the bottom of the tray, gently float it on the developer solution, and then let the rest of the stack fall down against that sheet. Repeat this process continuously for the duration of your development time.

The principle disadvantage of shuffle development is that it is very easy to scratch the film, so if you find that you want to process film on a regular basis, you may want to explore one of the several alternatives to shuffle development. BTZS tubes, Unicolor print drums, and Jobo processors are often recommended. I personally prefer a slosher. All are fine - the choice comes down to a combination of convenience and how much you want to pay for the equipment.

Jim Jones · Jan 18, 2007

Trays smaller than 8x10 are better for 4x5 film. Look in kitchenwares for substitutes for traditional darkroom trays. If you shuffle several negatives, 5x7 is about right. I often develop one at a time in a smooth bottom 4x5 tray. With constant agitation an ounce of developer suffices for a single sheet. One ounce of most developers has the capacity to develop several 4x5 sheets. HC-110 is great for mixing small amounts of developer. I sometimes use print developer to reduce dark time and boost contrast. If you are printing large exhibition prints, film developer is usually better. A prewash is always a good idea with tray development. Kitchen timers may not have some desirable feature of dedicated darkroom timers, but I've used one for many years.

Jim Jones · Jan 18, 2007

There are many satisfactory ways of shuffling film in trays. After a prewash I place a negative in the developer face up. After sloshing the tray or pushing to film to the bottom, I add the next sheet. When all film is in the developer I lift the stack slightly, peel off the bottom sheet, slip it out, and add it to the top. This may be no better than other methods, but this old old dog doesn't want to learn too many new tricks.

reub2000 · Jan 19, 2007

HC110 is an excellent developer for starting out with sheet film.

Already use it for 35mm film.

Ole · Jan 19, 2007

reub2000 said:
In The Negative Ansel Adams says that the thicker emulsions respond better to adjustments in development.

Ansel Adams was writing about thick-emulsion films. Kodak Super-XX was the last of these, and all current films are thin-emulsion films.

I think the emulsion of Delta 100 is physically thicker than that of FP4+, but that doesn't matter at all with these films. Use whatever film you like (and can get hold of).

reellis67 · Jan 19, 2007

Jim Jones said:
Trays smaller than 8x10 are better for 4x5 film. Look in kitchenwares for substitutes for traditional darkroom trays. If you shuffle several negatives, 5x7 is about right. I often develop one at a time in a smooth bottom 4x5 tray. With constant agitation an ounce of developer suffices for a single sheet. One ounce of most developers has the capacity to develop several 4x5 sheets. HC-110 is great for mixing small amounts of developer. I sometimes use print developer to reduce dark time and boost contrast. If you are printing large exhibition prints, film developer is usually better. A prewash is always a good idea with tray development. Kitchen timers may not have some desirable feature of dedicated darkroom timers, but I've used one for many years.

I would agree with Jim on the tray size for 4x5. I primarily use hangers and tanks for 4x5, but I like an 8x10 tray (which is larger than 8x10) for 8x10 film, so it seems logical that a 5x7 tray for 4x5 would a good idea. I prefer a tray that is a bit tight rather than having lots of exta space. For me anyway, this makes it much easier to work with.

- Randy

reub2000 · Jan 19, 2007

Ole said:
Ansel Adams was writing about thick-emulsion films. Kodak Super-XX was the last of these, and all current films are thin-emulsion films.

I think the emulsion of Delta 100 is physically thicker than that of FP4+, but that doesn't matter at all with these films. Use whatever film you like (and can get hold of).

Thanks for that clarification.

Kilgallb · Jan 19, 2007

An easily available timer is a simple LED alarm clock. Plug the alarm clock into the Safelight plug on the timer. Just before you put the film in the Developer, turn on the timer (ON/OFF Switch). The alarm clock will start flashing 12:00. Most will then start counting up in one minute intervals. Most flash at exactly a 1 second rate. If you want a 6 minute 20 second developing time, just wait until the clock reads 12:06 and then start counting flashes.

Put the clock below the level of your trays and mask the timer with a piece of 35 mm film leader that has been partially developed. This will reduce the intensity of the light.

I have used this method for two years and have never fogged a film.

fotch · Jan 19, 2007

Kilgallb said:
An easily available timer is a simple LED alarm clock. Plug the alarm clock into the Safelight plug on the timer. Just before you put the film in the Developer, turn on the timer (ON/OFF Switch). The alarm clock will start flashing 12:00. Most will then start counting up in one minute intervals. Most flash at exactly a 1 second rate. If you want a 6 minute 20 second developing time, just wait until the clock reads 12:06 and then start counting flashes.

Put the clock below the level of your trays and mask the timer with a piece of 35 mm film leader that has been partially developed. This will reduce the intensity of the light.

I have used this method for two years and have never fogged a film.

Holy Snapshot, what a great idea! I got to try this.

Tray development of sheet film

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