Options for 5x7 development

[Shootar401]

I'm currently using a Mod54 for my 4x5 films, but recently I've been shooting a bunch of 5x7 colour neg and chrome. Aside from tray developing which would be a PITA to do and keep a constant temperature, what other options are out there. I'd like to keep it under $100 if possible.

Maybe a Jobo tank on a DIY roller base?

[John Kasaian]

UNicolr processor witha print drum?
See Graywolf Phillips article on Unicolor linked on the LF Homepage. A drum that can handle 5x7 prints should work. All cheap ebay stuff.

[Shootar401]

I was about to buy one on the bay, but some little punk swiped it from under me.

[Ed Bray]

It would depend on how many sheets you want to do at one time. I have found using print drums can give rise to some streaking issues as you move up in format size. Personally I have found that the best ways of either doing 2 sheets at a time in a Paterson Orbital or 4 sheets at a time Taco style in a Paterson Super System 5 reel tank (with half a spiral on top to stop the film moving around). Either method can be used for standard processing or Stand/Semi-Stand processing.

[Shootar401]

I use trays for 5x7 B/W I'm looking for a somewhat easy way to do 5x7 color, something that doesn't eat up tons of chemicals. I'll try the taco in a Patterson tank, it worked well for my 4x5 before I picked up the mod54. Just worried about marks from the bands.

Someone posted on how they made tubes for the film out of plastic window screen. I might try that too

[szadow]

I develop 5x7 in a Jobo print Drum using a Jobo procesor (u can use some cheap roller base). You just need to place the sheets emulsion side up. And this setup needs additional fixing in a tray. As the sheets touch the back of the Drum at few points that leaves few lines, additional fixing (lights on) in a tray makes them go away.

[Noah B]

I did tray processing but purchased a jobo 3006 a few months ago and haven't looked back. I got the manual roller base from jobo but picked up an omega roller base. Trying it out tomorrow! Drum processing is great.

[Graybeard]

I'm currently using a Mod54 for my 4x5 films, but recently I've been shooting a bunch of 5x7 colour neg and chrome. Aside from tray developing which would be a PITA to do and keep a constant temperature, what other options are out there. I'd like, to keep it under $100 if possible.
:::
Maybe a Jobo tank on a DIY roller base?

First, find a surplus laboratory constant temperature bath (aka water bath) on eBay. Be patient and don't spend more than $50. My first one was about $30 and the second (and a much better one) was 99 cents.

Then, get some stainless 5x7 film hangers - eBay again, $2 a pop if you are patient. Go to Walmart and buy some Rubbermaid one gallon food containers - a bit under $5 each and they nicely accomodate 5 or 6 5x7 hangers. Once you have a 5x7 hanger in hand, the correct Rubbermaid container will be obvious.

Put the Rubbermaid containers into the lab water bath for temperature control of your film development. Any decent laboratory water bath will hold +/- 0.2 degrees C; take the time to get it in stabilized and into calibration.

QED and good light-

[sully75]

I bought a JOBO 3010. You can do 10 4x5s (that's what it's made for) but I've also done 5 5x7s, without difficulty.

I've used various print 11x14 print drums but I've never been able to get one to consistently hold the negatives securely. Even in the Chromaga drum, which has the most secure rail system, negatives would still get loose and ruin other negatives. I finally gave up on them.

I do sometimes use 8x10 print drums, 2 5x7s per drum. That works, but 2 negatives per batch is pretty slow going for me.

[mdm]

tray or jobo 2830 print drum, roatated btzs style in a sink for 4 sheets at a time in daylight. You need one with clips and the push on style lid, cost about $100 . or home made btzs style tubes.

[Shootar401]

I ended up picking up a Fischer water bath on the bay that heats to 140' F. Perfect for heating up my E6 and C41 chemicals since as of right now I'm heating them up in my sink. This will be much easier.

Still debating what way would be better for me to "hold" the 5x7 negs...

[Graybeard]

A suggestion on using your waterbath.

It is easy to forget that the water bath is operating when a darkroom session ends and leave it on when you leave the room. The water can evaporate from the bath (especially at 140F) and the bath itself can overheat and cause a fire. The newer laboratory baths usually have an overtemperature safety switch to prevent this but older baths generally don't have them.

I operate my older bath (which has no overtemperature safety) on a mechanical one hour timer. Even if I forget to shut the water bath off, the timer will do it for me - its no big deal to reset the timer during a session when/if/as needed.

[Shootar401]

Weill since my darkroom is also my kitchen I have to pack everything up and store it after a developing session. so I don't have a choice but to unplug it.

[welly]

I ended up picking up a Fischer water bath on the bay that heats to 140' F. Perfect for heating up my E6 and C41 chemicals since as of right now I'm heating them up in my sink. This will be much easier.

Still debating what way would be better for me to "hold" the 5x7 negs...

Did it come boxed?

[Shootar401]

Did it come boxed?

Boxed? Well it was used and was shipped into me to yeah it was boxed if that what you mean. Here is the unit in question... http://www.ebay.com/itm/360542409382 The water bath part is roughly 15" x 15" x 8" deep. It holds 4 of my 1L beakers that I temper my chemicals in. It' needed a good cleaning, but I can adjust it to a quarter of a degree C' and holds that temp +/- and eighth of a degree for the 4 hours I tested it.

[John Kasaian]

I'd normally suggest an old Unicolor processor with a print drum but alas, mine seems to have been jinxed or something (after all the years of good negs it's churned out for me!) Still, one might suit your needs. You might also find a Patterson Orbital processor

[Michael_qrt]

Since you're already using a MOD54 for processing 4x5 I'm assuming you have a Paterson 3 reel tank. I've used the 3 reel tank to develop 5x7 film taco style with good results so far and you can do color processing just as you would with the MOD54. I have developed 3 sheets at a time with this method but perhaps 2 at a time makes for easier loading. If you've got some junk sheets it might be worth having a play with loading the tank and then see how you feel about it.

[Ed Brock]

I have used the Paterson multireel tanks for years for both 4x5 and 5x7. They are well within your budget and available at Freestyle Sales among others. I have every Paterson tank made.

For 5x7 I mostly use the Paterson #118 Multireel 8 tank. I fold 5x7 along the long axis and insert into home-made mesh tubes - plastic window screening from Lowes / HomeDepot. (Taco style but avoids the scratched corners etc that come with rubber-banded tacos sloshing around) I can process up to 10 sheets in the tank - two layers of 5 each are a PERFECT fit. You can use aggressive inversion agitation, stand develop or anything in between - all in the daylight with a probe thermometer checking the temp. 10 sheets require 96 ounces of solution.

Or you can process 1-5 sheets in one layer with 48 oz of solution. Fold the sheets along the short axis and you will get up to 4 in one layer needing 36 oz of solution. Every so often, I process 120, 4x5 & 5x7 all together in the same tank at the same time (all HP5 in my case).

[David Aimone]

Ed,

Just came across this thread while pondering how to develop 5x7 negatives. I'd like to try your idea. What did you use to glue/stitch the window screening together to make the tubes?

David


I have used the Paterson multireel tanks for years for both 4x5 and 5x7. They are well within your budget and available at Freestyle Sales among others. I have every Paterson tank made.

For 5x7 I mostly use the Paterson #118 Multireel 8 tank. I fold 5x7 along the long axis and insert into home-made mesh tubes - plastic window screening from Lowes / HomeDepot. (Taco style but avoids the scratched corners etc that come with rubber-banded tacos sloshing around) I can process up to 10 sheets in the tank - two layers of 5 each are a PERFECT fit. You can use aggressive inversion agitation, stand develop or anything in between - all in the daylight with a probe thermometer checking the temp. 10 sheets require 96 ounces of solution.

Or you can process 1-5 sheets in one layer with 48 oz of solution. Fold the sheets along the short axis and you will get up to 4 in one layer needing 36 oz of solution. Every so often, I process 120, 4x5 & 5x7 all together in the same tank at the same time (all HP5 in my case).

[koh303]

This seems like an awful lot of work, and potential risk for what is a fairly expensive thing (5X7 being what it is).
Why not go with something which was purposefully designed and built to process 5X7 sheet film, and after all offers the best over all results, like the Jobo 3006 Expert drum?
While its not cheap by any means, it will pay off its investment in no time and will also guarantee you industry standard, perfect results every time.
You can see a 3006 in action here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=481385618646946

[David Aimone]

Maybe, but right now I'm only shooting an occasional 5x7 pinhole, so I'm not sure I can justify a $500 tank. I have everything else I need to do it in the Paterson.


This seems like an awful lot of work, and potential risk for what is a fairly expensive thing (5X7 being what it is).
Why not go with something which was purposefully designed and built to process 5X7 sheet film, and after all offers the best over all results, like the Jobo 3006 Expert drum?
While its not cheap by any means, it will pay off its investment in no time and will also guarantee you industry standard, perfect results every time.
You can see a 3006 in action here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=481385618646946