best method to process film?

[stradibarrius]

I tried the "taco" in a hand tank. It seemed like it would be a great method but for some reason it didn't work out. The development was uneven???
I also have hangers. I need two more tanks so I can go from tank to tank with the hangers. I may try the taco method again today...it seems so simple???

[dtheld]

I use a MOD Photographic 4x5 Processor in a Paterson 3 reel tank. It takes six 4x5 negatives and with gentle agitation it gives excellent results. Do a search for MOD Photographic for details.

[Jack the boatman]

Hi,

I read all the comments on the Combi Plan tank, some positive and quite a lot negative. I bought one second hand on Ebay for £31 (about $45) and have found it to be excellent. If it leaks check that the valves are properly closed. I found it best to practice in daylight with some old negatives, it takes a while to be able to positively position the film in the correct slots. Be careful not to push the film retaining clip too far down after film has been loaded. I found this could cause the adjacent sheets to touch. All the best, I am only a few months ahead of you.

Jack

[Bob Salomon]

Hi,

I read all the comments on the Combi Plan tank, some positive and quite a lot negative. I bought one second hand on Ebay for £31 (about $45) and have found it to be excellent. If it leaks check that the valves are properly closed. I found it best to practice in daylight with some old negatives, it takes a while to be able to positively position the film in the correct slots. Be careful not to push the film retaining clip too far down after film has been loaded. I found this could cause the adjacent sheets to touch. All the best, I am only a few months ahead of you.

Jack

Do you have the Film Loading Guide that comes with a CombiPlan?

[Jack the boatman]

Bob,

Thanks for your reply, yes I do, but I have found it easier to just do it by touch.

Jack

[Tony Evans]

Stradibarrius,

In the Paterson 2-reeler, I increase chemicals to 800 ml. Never had uneven development, but have screwed up a few times. (usually hair-bands coming off until found a smaller (tighter) hair-band).

[blevblev]

I use a little of each - BTZS tubes, trays, and hangars. I use the BTZS tubes to develop/stop. BTW, I'm not sure why they would end up in the "gear head" category - mine don't have any gears. To me it's the most trouble free method, and I've tried them all. My particular situation is that I don't have a completely dark darkroom. I can only process at night, so the BTZS tubes fits my needs. I can load them in my completely dark closet, and bring them out into the not-so-darkroom. I have a deep sink that I keep the tray in, with the developer caps loaded. It's dark down in the sink so that I can transfer the caps. After putting the developer caps on the tubes, I can turn my safelight on and finish the process because, as Fred Newman has demonstrated, you don't need complete darkness after the developer. I put the opened tubes in a stop bath tray, and then transfer the films to hangars in Yankee tanks for fix, hypo clear, wash and photoflow.

[Pawlowski6132]

When it comes to rotary processing, I'd love to know why anyone would choose to take out a loan to buy a Jobo system instead of a Unicolor drum and base system? What am I missing?

[Steve Smith]

So far nobody has mentioned the Paterson Orbital Processor. Very convenient and easy to use. Load in the dark, then do everything in daylight. does 4 sheets at a time.

That's what I use and I don't wish for anything else.


Steve.

[Jay DeFehr]

When it comes to rotary processing, I'd love to know why anyone would choose to take out a loan to buy a Jobo system instead of a Unicolor drum and base system? What am I missing?

Automation. A JOBO processor provides very accurate and consistent control of time, temperature and agitation, and it's programmable, so it remembers multiple processing routines. One need only load the film, press a button and walk away with confidence one's film will be processed as programmed.