Large Format developing methods

[Professional]

Hello Professional,

An easy way to develop one 4x5 sheet at a time in a small volume of solution is to use one of these:

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/5041-A...ls?cat_id=1603

Use the tank and center core without the reels.

Put one sheet of film in the tank, emulsion side towards the center of the tank, with the core in place, and then put the funnel light trap on. When you pour the solution in the top, it escapes at the bottom of the center core, and fills the tank from the bottom up. This helps to prevent solution from splashing the film as the tank fills, but I recommend a plain water pre-wash to wet the film evenly before the developer is added.

Use a full tank of water for the pre-wash, and agitate vigorously for about two minutes.

Pour out the water, and then pour in the developer solution. If you agitate the tank continuously, by gently inverting the tank, you need only a small volume of developer solution; 200ml should be adequate. If you intend to use intermittent agitation, the tank must be filled with developer solution so that the film is completely covered during the rest periods.

When development is complete, pour out the developer, and rinse with plain water. Fill the tank, invert 5 times, dump, re-fill with plain water, invert 10 times, dump.

Pour fixer in the tank, and agitate gently and continuously for the recommended time.

Pour the fixer back into its container.

Wash using the Ilford rapid wash sequence. Fill with plain water, invert 5 times, dump. Fill with fresh water, invert ten times, dump. Fill with fresh water, invert twenty times, dump. Your film is now washed.

Fill with distilled water and add a few drops of Photo Flo.

Soak for 30 seconds to a minute, or so.

Hang to dry in a dust-free place.

The above method is safe, reliable, and inexpensive, but slow. Processing multiple sheets together requires a more complicated system.

For best results, keep all solutions at the same temperature

Good luck!

Thank you very much!

I forgot to mention that i have Paterson 3 Reel Tank, so i think i will give that a try as i prefer this method much more, i develop all my MF this way, but i wasn't sure how to place the 4x5 sheets inside and what amount of dev and liquids i need.

Thanks for your steps answers.

[gerald.d]

Hi Professional -

Hope you don't mind me jumping in on your thread.

As you know, I'm in the UAE too (Dubai). Can I ask which lab you used?

I just shot my first 12 sheets of 5x7 Ilford FP4+ yesterday, and now I discover from UCF that they cannot develop this (I had been previously told that they could).

[Professional]

Hi Professional -

Hope you don't mind me jumping in on your thread.

As you know, I'm in the UAE too (Dubai). Can I ask which lab you used?

I just shot my first 12 sheets of 5x7 Ilford FP4+ yesterday, and now I discover from UCF that they cannot develop this (I had been previously told that they could).

Hi again,

I am really surprised about that UCF told you they can't do it for you, in fact they processed my first 4 sheets 4x5 [2 B&W and 2 color slides], and they process all of my color films, i just develop my MF B&W at home, and i am trying to process LF at home as they are pricey for LF B&W processing.
I really don't know why they can't process, as they told me they can process film up to 8x10, but yes, i remember them told me that for C41 they can't process sheets until i have a big quantity like 15 minimum, thank God i didn't shoot with C41 yet as i am not like you to shoot more than 10 sheets in less than 1 month, i stopped after my fifth sheet, but i will start to process B&W sheets at home as soon i know the best way to do it rather than tray that i don't like, i have tubes which can process film up to 8x10 [but i need to buy 8x10 tube], so i think i can do up to 4x5 or maybe 5x7 not sure, but i think the Paterson Reel 3 tank can handle 4x5 and 5x7.

[gerald.d]

Hiya -

I called them up again to get clarification.

They can do E6 film up to 10x8 (including 5x7), but the machines they use for B&W can only handle up to 4x5 size.

Regards,

Gerald.

[Bill Burk]

Hi Professional,

A deep tank is operated in the dark.

I considered BTZS tubes and understand they provide even agitation by bobbing randomly as you process. They should be good for avoiding scratches.

Some people say you can open them in regular light after developing because, logically, you are about to pour in stop bath and fixer so the exposure at that moment will not get developed.

I develop 4x5 B&W by tray. When I started, I got scratches. With practice I got fewer scratches.

I recently started using an infra-red viewer which might have reduced scratches by reducing fumbling.

I also supervise washing, because I think many of my original scratches came from washing in a tray with turbulent water.

[kev curry]

BTZS tubes come with instructions. They are very easy to use.

I can only tell you how I use them to develop 5x4.

You need your BTZS Tubes and their tray plus another two additional trays. One for stop bath and one for fixer and a large jug for dumping used developer.

I. Load your film into the tubes emulsion side out and attach the (empty) caps.

2. Mix up your chemicals to the correct temperature.

3. Fill up the BTZS tray with water at the right temperature e.g 20'c.

4. Fill the empty BTZS caps required with 60ml of you chosen developer.

5. Turn out the lights and carefully switch caps. Your tubes must remain upright at all times while switching the empty caps for the caps filled with developer.
You must not allow developer to make contact with the film at this point. Work on a level surface and leave the tubes standing.

Heres what I do. Remove the empty cap/s from the tube/s. Hold the cap filled with developer in my left hand keeping it level and in constant contact with the work surface. Using my right hand I take the uncapped tube and screw it onto the dev filled cap leaving it standing upright at all times. Carefully push it aside and repeat.

6. Turn on the lights.

7. Fill your trays with stop bath and fixer and place along side you BTZS tray.

8. Start your timer.

9. Take hold of the upright tubes with both hands and shake vigorously for 10 second.

10. Place the tubes in the water bath and spin continuously for your chosen time. Its much easier to spin an even number of tubes.

11. When development time is reached, uncap the tubes and dump the developer into a jug.

12. Place the uncapped tubes into the tray of stop bath and spin for 30 seconds or so.

13. Carefully remove the film from the tubes and place into the fixer tray. I use the shuffle method for fixing. Remember this is all done in the light (i use dim light) so you can see what you are doing while carefully shuffling the film through the fixer.

Watch Fred Newmans BTZS videos a few time more!

[jeroldharter]

Use what you have. Do what Kev said.

"Emulsion side out" means the emulsion faces the center of the tube.

Don't be afraid to make some mistakes. Not hard to figure out with practice.

[Graybeard]

In fact i feel i want to go this path as i dev my MF with one of those tanks, so i feel more comfortable if i know how to use it over the tray or the tubes, but what do you mean by standing in the dark? Is it required for deep tank?

The sheet film goes into metal film hangers - usually one sheet per hanger but there are multiple hangers available for 4x5 and 5x7.

The tanks are deep enough to immerse the film, in its hanger, completely. You process the film by putting the hanger into a tank filled with solution. Every minute or so you lift the hanger, let it drain, then put it back in. This is how agitation is achieved.

The film is loaded into the hangers in total darkness and all processing up to the fixer is done in complete darkness. If you are loading sheet film into film holders for your camera you won't have any trouble with this. A radio in the darkroom is nice for when you are standing in the dark.

You actually don't need tanks from a darkroom equipment manufacturer. Plastic food storage containers work perfectly well, especially for 4x5. I can get sturdy ones here for 3/$5. I wash the negatives, still in their hangers, in the slot washer that I use for prints. The width of your tanks will determine how many negatives you can do at one time - I can do up to six at once with my gear.

Jim Stone's book "A User's Guide to the View Camera" (ISBN0673520064) has a section on this.

I also had problems with scratches, especially when using trays, and uneven development problems with daylight loading tanks. I've had no problems since I began using hangers.

[Professional]

Hiya -

I called them up again to get clarification.

They can do E6 film up to 10x8 (including 5x7), but the machines they use for B&W can only handle up to 4x5 size.

Regards,

Gerald.

Hey,

In this case, i have to depend on myself to process my B&W at home, i will use them for color films only, no need to waste more money for B&W on labs, and i was planning to get 8x10 in the future, so if they can't handle larger than 8x10 for B&W then they are useless.

Thanks for asking them.

[Professional]

Hi Professional,

A deep tank is operated in the dark.

I considered BTZS tubes and understand they provide even agitation by bobbing randomly as you process. They should be good for avoiding scratches.

Some people say you can open them in regular light after developing because, logically, you are about to pour in stop bath and fixer so the exposure at that moment will not get developed.

I develop 4x5 B&W by tray. When I started, I got scratches. With practice I got fewer scratches.

I recently started using an infra-red viewer which might have reduced scratches by reducing fumbling.

I also supervise washing, because I think many of my original scratches came from washing in a tray with turbulent water.

I am sure if i try to use trays again i will get better output and less and less scratches, first time will not mean end of the world, but honestly i had a lot of pain doing it in my bathroom as it is the only place and i don't have a darkroom, so with pain and end up with scratches it is too much for, believe me if i use another method more comfortable even taking longer time and i get scratches i will not complain, i developed MF rolls and the last 3 rolls i did few weeks-month ago i got blank rolls, i was sad but i didn't complain and at least i enjoyed it and no pain, i still have one roll waiting and i may lose this one as well, so i prefer to develop sheets this way of processing rolls over the trays, if i have to use the trays then i think i should do that in our photography club where they have the darkroom and i can stand to develop my sheets in trays, not to sit near to the floor in my bathroom.