And trying to develop 12 sheets in a combi plan leads to problems because the sheets stick together and are a bugger to get apart without damaging the them. They then need to be washed separately to get rid of any backing dyes.
And trying to develop 12 sheets in a combi plan leads to problems because the sheets stick together and are a bugger to get apart without damaging the them. They then need to be washed separately to get rid of any backing dyes.
I never use the top fill plug of my Combi. Either here or on another forum it was suggested to drain and fill from the bottom and that works the best. I do sometimes have problems when using Technical Pan film but that film is so thin. Also have problems loading that film into holders at times. I picked up two on ebay for reasonable prices and if I do decide to keep the 5X7 would get a different type of tank as do not have a darkroom right now and when I do unlikely to have running water so I do develop in the kitchen. Also if devopled a lot of LF film I would think of getting a system that held mor e.
Try and find a Paterson Orbital processor.
Very simple to load, only needs 100-150ml of developer, quick to fill and empty, even development and no scratches. In fact, it's pretty hard to screw things up!
They're more readily available through UK sellers (& ebay UK)
If you are a bit handy you can always make your own:
http://davidhoulder.com/info/4x5tanks.html
The older 2000 series Jobo tanks are excellent and can be found second-hand.
Ian
"Combi. Either here or on another forum it was suggested to drain and fill from the bottom and that works the best. "
No it does not! Take the top off your Combi and look at the top rim. You will see a trough that the chemistry goes into and that rim has small cutouts that directs the chemistry down the side of the tank. Not directly on to the film. Now look at the bottom of the Light Tight Hose Connector. It has an opening on the bottom that directs the chemistry into the trough so the chemistry does not splatter onto the film during filling.
When you tip the tank during filling or you fill from the bottom then you are pouring chemistry directly onto the film. This may result in spots on the film.
As for the Film Retaining Clip wearing out - it can and does not. The Film Clip has a
ratchet so it can not slip off or up when the tank is properly inverted during agitation. It can and does not wear out and it can not let film slip out of the holder accidentily.
However it can be broken by the user if the two sprung sides are not lightly pinched together during the removal of the clip as is plainly pointed out in the directions. If you do not depress the sides slightly you will break the clip if you try to remove it and then the clip will not stay in position during inversion agitation and the film can slip out of the carrier. You can also make the film slip out of the carrier if you took the carrier apart and put it back together so that the two curved grooved sides are not facing each other. If you have the two straight grooved sides facing each other (glass plate processing position) or one straight and one grooved side facing each other then film can fall out.
Lastly you can very easily process two sheets of black and white only film in each slot bringing the total film capacity for 45 B&W to 12 sheets. It is best to either prewet the film to prevent the base sides from sticking to each other (only process two sheets in one slot back to back) or to place a piece of plastic widow screen between the base sides of the sheets (Rudy Dietrich's technique). DO NOT PROCESS COLOR BACK TO BACK - IT DOES NOT WORK>
Heard it all before.
It's an agricultural piece of equipment which poorly designed and finicky to use. And yes film does slip out and yes the clip does wear out because its cheap plastic and yes the chemistry does run down the film on occasion because the cheap plastic innards are not as precisely made as you would have people believe, and yes it is prone to leaking and if it was so perfect why do so many people report problems.
Oh, of course its because the clumsy punters who can't read instructions or assemble the cheap overly priced plastic innards can't do it right.
Get yourself a JOBO and do yourself a favour.
After reading this threat during my lunch hour, I decided the HP tank is the best option for me. I need a purely daylight tank, and this one seems to fit the bill. I called the person who is influencing my large format photography for his opinions, turns out he owns this tank.Originally Posted by Joanna Carter
I'm currently paying $20 USD for four sheets of 4X5 and a contact sheet at my local pro lab. It takes a week to get the sheets back. I've had them do twelve sheets or so since I started shooting LF in April.
I'm going to do a bit more reading on this tank before ordering it.
Re uneven development:
I use a diluted solution 1 part D 76 to 3 parts water. This allows a normal development time of 14 minutes at 68 Degrees. This is long compared to higher temp and undiluted developers. I use longer times for a couple of reasons. Yes it’s a pain to spend longer times doing the process! However I rarely get uneven development. I never pre soak the negatives and my pour times are consistent. I don’t compensate for development times! Normal time is 14 minutes plus pour times no more no less! In this way I can add or subtracting development times to change highlights. Shadows are done developing at 50% of your Normal development time. Longer times means that i get my highlignts the way I want them.
The most important thing is to select a combination of chemicals, stay with them, and be consistent! I am using HP Combi Daylight tanks.
I've been in the same situation and have investigated all options. I finally settled on a Jobo 2523 with a 2509n reel. It has the most ups and the least downs of all systems. It's inexpensive, very easy to use once you get used to it, it takes a ridiculously small amount of chemicals (less than a one-reel stainless steel medium format tank), delivers very evenly developed negatives, and can be used in daylight. What more can you wish for?
If you really must, you can use it for inversion development (I use the Ilford washing method and use my gloved hand as a lid, which works perfectly), but in that case you need about 1.3 litres of chemicals. Stand developing is also possible. The only downside is that the plastic it's made of doesn't conduct heat very well, so it should be brought to the correct temperature prior to pouring the developer in, because otherwise the tempered bath has little effect.
I roll the tank by hand, back and forth, in a tray filled with water at 20 degrees Centigrade. You just need to make sure you make at least one complete rotation every time in both directions.
I can only recommend it.
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