Hi All,
I just scored two Nikkor tanks, only one reel though, but very cheap at a thrift store.
Anyone have experience developing 4x5 with these?
Even development, how many sheets, I know they hold 12 but that seems a lot in a liter of chemistry, any special tricks required?
Or do I just off them and stick with the Combi Plan?
JD
Hi Joseph,
Don't off them, many people love them. If you didn't get the steel zig-zag band you may need to use rubber-bands or other way to keep the film from creeping out. The tik marks are alignment marks and give appropriate clearance for loading the different film sizes. They help you keep the top spiral parallel.
I have my issues that sent me to tray - but I never gave it much of a chance. The first few dozen sheets I got had a visible centerline where the support spiral caused uneven development. Maybe I should have turned the film emulsion out. Maybe my agitation was too strong and caused more than necessary turbulence. This may be a non-issue for stand development.
If nothing else, they are a very nice size to hold solutions for tempering.
The Nikor tanks work as well as the Combi Plan in my experience, although require a bit more skill and practice loading them. Do a search on this site and you will find lots of advice as well as a manual. Be sure to read the manual.
Manual here: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...l=1#post811750
Thanks to you both.
I tried searching the forum but apparently didn't narrow the search parameters adequately. Got a zillion threads, none of which had anything to do with the Nikkor tanks.
Jason, the manual is extremely helpful.
JD
Note that these tanks were not produced by Nikon who uses a product name with two ks (Nikkor), but rather a company with only one k--Nikor.
Search for "Nikor", not Nikkor.Originally Posted by Joseph Dickerson
They are really two different systems. The CombiPlan is a daylight processing system that you fill while it is closed and empty while closed. Once the film is loaded you do not have to remove the top until it is time to wash. And, if you use a hose in the bottom light tight hose connector it is also a force film washer.
You can't really do all that with the Nikor tank.
I used the Nikor tanks for a couple of years with 4x5 sheet film.
I didn't have any discernable uneven development problems (I used inversion agitation and only loaded every other position in the reel) but I seemed to always scratch about 10% of the negatives. This, of course, may have reflected my (lack of) ability in loading the reel.
I've gone over to using film hangers with plastic food storage containers as tanks and my scratch problems have disappeared. I did make a bit of money when I sold the Nikor tanks.
But you can Bob. I don't think there is a significant difference between the two in terms of daylight usability, but it is a lot easier to load a CombiPlan.
Personally I only use my Nikor for 3x4 film. I much prefer other methods of developing, such as Jobo tanks or BTZS tubes.
Hi Bob,
I beg to differ, the tanks I bought are similar to Nikor (note correct spelling this time) tanks for 35mm or 120/220. As such they are indeed daylight processing tanks.
Having said that I should point out that I have been using Combi and JOBO tanks since the mid-seventies.
JD
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