Newbie needs film developing advice

[Bob Salomon]

I ended up using the technique in this article:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ve-developing/

which is a dip-n-dunk method using 3 combi tanks and one combi hangar. My problem was space, and the fact that my 'darkroom' is not all that dark. I bring my tub with the 3 tanks with chemicals loaded into a dark closet, and sit in there like an idiot for however long it takes to do a batch until I get the film fixed. Then I bring it out into the light for washing.

I tried using the Combi straight, but it takes forever to pour the chemicals into and out of the tank, and it leaks pretty badly. They shouldn't be too upset, though. I did end up buying 3 of them.

They should not leak. If they do send us the tops and we will replace them.

The fill and empty times are the same so that presents no problem.

[ki6mf]

I used Jobo, Open Tanks in dark rooms, Yankee Dalignt, and the HP Combi tank. All work fine. My personal choice is the HP Combi tank. I do use a diluted developer, D 76 1:3 with a 14 minute normal (N) development time. Use of a diluted developer while creating longer development times tends to help solve problems with streaking and avoids pre-soaking!

Some don't like the slow pour times on the HP. As long as your are consistent with your agitation technique this doesn't matter. The Jobo is tends to have less spillage too. However for daylight adgitation your choices are limited to HP Combi, JOBO, or the Yankee Daylight tank. The Yankee daylight is the lease expensive however is not an inversion tank like the Jobo or HP Combi. If you get a bit of spillage in the HP you probably forgot to tighten the drains on the tank. One other thing the HP has a drain at the top and the bottom side this lets your flush your chemicals in final wash by putting water in at the top and draining out the bottom!

[scrichton]

I use the near free taco in the twin 120 daylight tank.

Providing you use bands of a good size and face all the tacos in a similar way there is no scratching and all the other woes people talk of. Pre-soak helps remove most of the issues with streaks etc.

For agitation use a swirl method. Pick the tank up with one hand and rotate like a powerball or stirring soup.

But the total cost of this would be less than £10 ($15) on ebay for an old paterson tank. So thats a full £300 less than a jobo expert tank!

[scrichton]

Oh and stay away from the Jobo Sheet Film Reels like the plague. I have had too many problems over successes to ever recommend one to anyone.

[sanking]

From someone else who has developed several thousand sheets of film with the BTZS method, yes. Once development is complete, and with the room light on, you remove the end cap of the tube and quickly plop it into an acetic fixer bath. After a few seconds, you can remove the film from the tube and leave it in the tray with room lights still on.

"No problema" at all.

Sandy King

"BUT the film tubes can be opened and quickly put in the stop bath in the light? For this question I'd prefer answers only form those who have successfully used the tubes."

Yes

[Paul Kierstead]

Oh and stay away from the Jobo Sheet Film Reels like the plague. I have had too many problems over successes to ever recommend one to anyone.

Hmm. I've done about 100 sheets on them without incident. They are fiddly, though. Clearly YMMV.