Want to Buy WTB: Partial boxes 4x5 film, expired 4x5 film, otherwise unwanted 4x5 film

fretlessdavis · Mar 7, 2014

Hey everyone,

Since I've started 4x5 work, I've been learning and applying Zone style exposure and development (not totally precise, yet, but works well enough to get between a grade 2 and 3 on all my negatives so far). It's getting very tedious as to keep chemical waste down, I've been doing D76 1:3... making developing half a dozen negatives about a 2 hour project.... Anyways, I'm going to try transitioning to another development style, either the 'taco' style, or hangers in tanks, and start dividing my D-76 like I have with my 120 rolls. I know 2 bath compensating developers are definitely not the *most* ideal solution for LF work, but as this is my hobby, and I enjoy the shooting and printing stages 10x more, I'd like to shorten up my development stage.

So, anyways, if anyone has any outdated, mix-matched, mostly empty boxes or other unwanted 4x5 film, I want it! Looking to basically try way different exposures and different films, seeing if I can get consistent printable results in a 2 bath developer, while also practicing a new system to keep scratched to a minimum... basically I don't want to waste a box of FP4 tweaking my process and losing a bunch of negs to scratches, and testing to see if it would be possible to run, say FP4+ and HP5+ at the same time through this.

Let me know what you guys have!

Paul Cunningham · Mar 7, 2014

I'm looking too, except I'm looking for C-41 type stock. Portra, Ektar, and older stocks. PM me, please!

sondonation · Mar 7, 2014

Got a partial box of FP4, PM sent.

antmar · Mar 8, 2014

I am also interested in C41 & B&W 4x5 film and I am located in Europe (so I think that I don't bother the dear fellows above with this message of mine). If someone has some film then please send me a PM.

gone · Mar 8, 2014

Just develop your D76 full strength and this will shorten your development times nicely. I love the 35mm negs I get that way. I'm shooting Tri-X, and the grain is nice and tight. You will find 4x5 even more tight on the grain issue. I hear people using D76 1:3, but the more common way is full strength or 1:1. Just shoot Tri-X full strength in D76 and you will not need to do all that experimenting and film wasting. It works, and in my own work, I see no need to shoot anything else because it works so well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I don't get the idea of keeping chemical waste down. It's a developer, use it as you need to. That's what it's for. One individual developing some 4x5 negs on an occasional basis, or even regularly, is nothing. If you live someplace where you're on a septic tank or something, Freestyle has some eco friendly chemicals, but it's fixer that is generally what you need to monitor.

fretlessdavis · Mar 8, 2014

momus said:
Just develop your D76 full strength and this will shorten your development times nicely. I love the 35mm negs I get that way. I'm shooting Tri-X, and the grain is nice and tight. You will find 4x5 even more tight on the grain issue. I hear people using D76 1:3, but the more common way is full strength or 1:1. Just shoot Tri-X full strength in D76 and you will not need to do all that experimenting and film wasting. It works, and in my own work, I see no need to shoot anything else because it works so well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I don't get the idea of keeping chemical waste down. It's a developer, use it as you need to. That's what it's for. One individual developing some 4x5 negs on an occasional basis, or even regularly, is nothing. If you live someplace where you're on a septic tank or something, Freestyle has some eco friendly chemicals, but it's fixer that is generally what you need to monitor.

I am on septic here... And, I may be rare in this regard, but I didn't particularly like using XTOL, which is basically what Freestyle's 'Eco Pro' is.

I guess I could just use full strength replenished, but I like the look of 1:1 a bit better than straight. I guess I could work out a replenished system similar to the activity of D76 1:1?

I've also tested 1:1 and 1:3, and they work pretty damn near the same for me. I've got myself all calibrated at 1:1 for 35mm, and 1:3 for 120 and 4x5.

The light out here in SW is usually pretty crappy, and I end up pulling quite a bit to get good results. I actually run all my 35mm and 120 at N-1 so I can print normal contrast scenes in the 3-4 range and higher contrast scenes in the 1-2 range. From what I understand, divided developers developed to a more or less fixed contrast, so, once calibrated, everything would come out printing close to a grade 2 with no worrying about times.

Even with full strength D76 I'll still be spending a decent amount of time in the dark tray developing... At this point I'm not even capable of developing my 4x5 away from my darkroom.

I would *like* to simplify things, if possible, even if it means changing things up. If I can develop half a dozen sheets from the holders to the hangers in half an hour, and can do so away from my darkroom, I'll be all for it. This is more about that than anything else...

tbartolomeu · Mar 11, 2014

Search MOD45

oldlincoln · Mar 11, 2014

tbartolomeu said:
Search MOD45

MOD54 will work better.

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 11, 2014

Replenished Xtol keeps waste down to a minimum, about 80-100ml per 120 film (equivalent), and it actually has different tonality than straight Xtol, or dilute. It's as sharp as diluted developer, but has finer grain, at the loss of film speed (which would work great for you with the flat lighting you describe).

Just a thought. I loved running Xtol replenished, and may some day return to it, but am on the D76 band wagon now and need to use it long enough to be proficient with it.

fretlessdavis said:
I am on septic here... And, I may be rare in this regard, but I didn't particularly like using XTOL, which is basically what Freestyle's 'Eco Pro' is.

I guess I could just use full strength replenished, but I like the look of 1:1 a bit better than straight. I guess I could work out a replenished system similar to the activity of D76 1:1?

I've also tested 1:1 and 1:3, and they work pretty damn near the same for me. I've got myself all calibrated at 1:1 for 35mm, and 1:3 for 120 and 4x5.

The light out here in SW is usually pretty crappy, and I end up pulling quite a bit to get good results. I actually run all my 35mm and 120 at N-1 so I can print normal contrast scenes in the 3-4 range and higher contrast scenes in the 1-2 range. From what I understand, divided developers developed to a more or less fixed contrast, so, once calibrated, everything would come out printing close to a grade 2 with no worrying about times.

Even with full strength D76 I'll still be spending a decent amount of time in the dark tray developing... At this point I'm not even capable of developing my 4x5 away from my darkroom.

I would *like* to simplify things, if possible, even if it means changing things up. If I can develop half a dozen sheets from the holders to the hangers in half an hour, and can do so away from my darkroom, I'll be all for it. This is more about that than anything else...

pinholeboy · Mar 11, 2014

If you are trying to do zone system I would recommmend that you use new and reliable film. Expired film is fun (and cheap to shoot with) but unpredictable.

fretlessdavis · Mar 12, 2014

I'm starting with the opposite... I have a basic zone system going with FP4, but I'm looking to simplify everything by just throwing all exposures, and maybe even different kinds of film into a 2 bath developer, which should give consistent negatives in terms of contrast with over/under exposure, as well as different speeds.

fretlessdavis · Mar 12, 2014

Thomas Bertilsson said:
Replenished Xtol keeps waste down to a minimum, about 80-100ml per 120 film (equivalent), and it actually has different tonality than straight Xtol, or dilute. It's as sharp as diluted developer, but has finer grain, at the loss of film speed (which would work great for you with the flat lighting you describe).

Just a thought. I loved running Xtol replenished, and may some day return to it, but am on the D76 band wagon now and need to use it long enough to be proficient with it.

I'll check that out.

I'm still debating in my mind, as when I first started with film, my father said something along the lines of "Plus-X, Tri-X, and D-76 are all you need" So I have a pretty good working knowledge of D76, though I did jump to FP4+ and HP5+ a while ago. I've used D76 straight all the way to 1:5 (semi-stand for extreme compensation). Every time I've tried another developer, film, or combo, it just isn't quite as nice as FP4+ in D76 1:3, with my fairly rough Zone times. I guess I'm already set in my ways.

Thanks for the tips everyone... looking back at what I've shot on 4x5, it seems like my shots on the same day are similarly exposed, so doing the taco or similar method with 3 sheets in each of my tanks, developing them at the same time, for their respective times should be fine. There shouldn't be harm in letting film sit in rinse after an acid stop waiting for the other tank.

I guess I'll just stick to my ways instead of trying something totally new.

Want to Buy WTB: Partial boxes 4x5 film, expired 4x5 film, otherwise unwanted 4x5 film

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