Developing Sheet Film

[Jeff Morfit]

This may be a redundant question, but here goes. How many ounces of chemicals do need to use for each sheet of 4x5 film that I am developing? I have looked around quite a bit without finding any definate answers.

Thanks for any help.

Jeff Morfit

[steve simmons]

How are you developing? Trays, hangers, in a machine?

seve simmos

[Gem Singer]

Hi Jeff,

According to Anchell and Troop, in their "Film Developing Cookbook", for each sheet of 8X10 film (which is equivalent to 4 sheets of 4X5 film) use:

At least 250ml of undilute developing solution.

At least 500ml of dilute developing solution.

At least 1000 ml of very dilute developing solution.

Example: for ONE sheet of 4X5 film developed in D-76 1:1, use 125ml of developing solution. For ONE sheet of D-76 1:3, use 250ml of developing solution.

[ronald moravec]

One once per 4x5 sheet to get the proper density. Now your development method will require more to cover the film, ie 64 oz to fill a half gallon tank for 1-6 hangars, 1400 cc for a jobo used for inversion, 8-10 oz for a Jobo drum with the individual cylinders for each piece, about 16-32 for one 4x5 in a 8x10 tray ( don`t use a smaller tray ).

We need more info to help.

[David Beal]

Well, it depends. I routinely develop old Tri-X with 100 cc of 1:100 Rodinal in homemade BTZS tubes (20 C*, 20 minutes). That works out to 1 cc of Rodinal concentrate and 99 cc of distilled water to develop one 4x5 sheet. If you used the same thing for 8x10, you'd need 4 cc of Rodinal and 396 cc of distilled water.

I read somewhere that you couldn't develop a 4x5 sheet of film unless you had 3 cc of Rodinal concentrate in your developer solution, whether you diluted it 1:25 or 1:50. Go figure ...

"According to aerodynamics, the bumblebee cannot fly. But, since the bee doesn't know that, it flies anyway."

Best wishes

/s/ David

[Mark Sampson]

If processing in a tray, more is better. A volume well above the minimum required will produce more even, consistent development. Developer is cheap, your photos are expensive.

[Chris Gittins]

I use 2 oz. of D76 stock per 4x5 sheet no matter what my dilution. I can't recall where I heard that number, but it's worked for me. A piece of 4x5 film covers 20 sq. in., 8x10 covers 80 sq. in., so:

(2 oz. / 20 sq. in.) x (80 sq. in.) x (30 ml / oz.) = 240 ml D76 stock per 8x10 sheet

Basically the same as what Eugene recommended above.

Chris

[Roger Scott]

Hi Jeff,

It depends on your developer and negative but if you can find a reference to 120 or 135-36 in the datasheet for your developer you can divide these numbers by four to get close. Replenishment rates can also give you a clue. For example Ilford claim one litre of stock solution of ID-11 will develop approximately 10 rolls of 120 which equates to 40 sheets of 4x5 (ie 25mls (~1oz) per sheet). Perceptol is four rolls of 120 per litre which would mean 63 mls (~2oz) per sheet. If you use diluted developer you still need this amount of stock solution so your solution volumes will increase. Personally for sheet film I tend to use double these amounts.

[Roger Scott]

Whoops... should have also mentioned that in most instances the volume required for your trays/tanks/drums will be the determining factor and not developer capacity. This of course assumes you're not using really dilute developer.

[tim atherton]

It varies from devleoper to developer - often the manufacturer will give this info in the info sheets - Ilford DD-X for example (haven't cheked any others lately), Xtol and so on - often xx sq in per 100ml or whatever (sometimes they seem to give it for diluted solutions sometimes concentrate...)

That, and if you are using say rotary drums, there are minimum amounts of developer needed for it to work properly in the drum. For trays and tanks you are usually above the minimum amount needed.