Best Film for Beginner Doing Tray Development

[Fungus]

I want to give tray development of 4x5 a try and am wondering if certain films are better for this, i.e. that have a thicker base and are less likely to curl in the trays.

I've heard that Kodak 4x5 films are generally on a thicker base than Ilford films. Is that true?

[jp]

Kodak and Ilford are both pretty flat/thick sheet films and are well behaved in trays. Some cheaper films may/maynot have better scratch resistance in the emulsion.

If you are cutting down big rolls of film, many times those films are thin and harder to work with.

[Michael R]

The sheets won’t curl.


I want to give tray development of 4x5 a try and am wondering if certain films are better for this, i.e. that have a thicker base and are less likely to curl in the trays.

I've heard that Kodak 4x5 films are generally on a thicker base than Ilford films. Is that true?

[Tin Can]

Agree none will curl

Hang to dry carefully

No fan

I dry overnight over sink

No peeking

[Fungus]

I dry film in the bathroom and have a dehumidifier that can bring the humidity down to very low levels—is that good or bad for film? If it’s bad, I can leave the dehumidifier off.

[Mark Sampson]

Just keep the air still where you hang the film up. Dust on wet film never comes out and will ruin your negatives. Humidity doesn't matter... film takes longer to dry in high humidity, and so what? You're not on deadline for the morning edition. Of course you or someone else may want to use the bathroom...

[Alan9940]

I would suggest staying away from soft emulsion films, like Foma, until your technique is solid.

[Doremus Scudder]

Do read up on shuffling techniques. Mine are here in a post or two somewhere if you search.

Tray processing and shuffling through the stack takes a bit of dexterity, so practice with a few scrap sheets in a tray of water while watching, then with eyes closed and, finally, with the lights out.

A pre-soak is mandatory if you are developing several sheets at once to prevent them from sticking to each other in the developer. They'll stick to each other in the water pre-soak too if you don't soak each sheet long enough before adding the next one. I like 10-15 seconds between sheets. If sheets do stick together in the pre-soak, just be patient; waiting and gently working the edges will eventually get them to separate.

I use a 5x7 Paterson tray for 4x5 film. Others like 8x10 trays. In any case, you need enough room to shuffle, but that enables the sheets to float around loose and get skewed and mixed up. Learn to keep the stack corralled in one place in the tray with your fingers when shuffling so you don't have to chase film around the tray in the dark and possibly gouge a sheet with the corner of another.

It's a learning curve, but I find tray processing, once mastered, to be the most convenient, even and most flexible method I've found.

Have fun,

Doremus

[Fungus]

I plan to use the technique described by Ansel Adams in The Negative. I have 5x7 trays.

I’ll try to find some scrap sheets to practice with in the light before processing exposed film in the dark.

[Drew Wiley]

FP4 isn't quite as scratch resistant as the more expensive TMax from Kodak, but for several reasons, it is, in my opinion, the best sheet film for learning purposes. It's consistently high-quality, reasonably forgiving, and is amenable to a range of contrast control during development.

[Randy]

A pre-soak is mandatory...I like 10-15 seconds between sheets.Doremus, I had never heard this before - I do pre-soak, adding one sheet at a time, but never waiting longer than just making sure the previous sheet was completely submerged before adding the next sheet - never had any sticking problems.

[peter schrager]

You can develop with a pyro developer as this will harden the surface and make it less prone to scratching. I have also found found that using Xtol makes negatives with less scratches; don't ask me why it just is.

[Alan9940]

Doremus, I had never heard this before - I do pre-soak, adding one sheet at a time, but never waiting longer than just making sure the previous sheet was completely submerged before adding the next sheet - never had any sticking problems.

This is the way I used to work...right up until I had some 8x10 sheets stick together. After that, I used Doremus's method and never had any more sticking problems, though I haven't tray developed (other than some recent dabbling with ABC Pyro) in many years.

[Willie]

I dry film in the bathroom and have a dehumidifier that can bring the humidity down to very low levels—is that good or bad for film? If it’s bad, I can leave the dehumidifier off.

If drying in the bathroom leave the dehumidifier off. Steam the room with hot shower water, just enough to create steam. Then hang the film to dry, shut the door and don't open for a few hours while the film dries. The steam will remove all airborne dust and such and if you treated the film with foto-flo you will have clean, dry negatives.

As for which film to use. Do your tests with the film you plan on using for your work. Why not get used to what you will be using from the start?

[Doremus Scudder]

Doremus, I had never heard this before - I do pre-soak, adding one sheet at a time, but never waiting longer than just making sure the previous sheet was completely submerged before adding the next sheet - never had any sticking problems.

I think it depends on the hardness (or whatever) of the water you have. I've had sheets stick together if I introduce them to the presoak too fast (and had to wait and work them slowly apart). I simply count to 10 between sheets now.

Best,

Doremus

[paulbarden]

FP4 isn't quite as scratch resistant as the more expensive TMax from Kodak, but for several reasons, it is, in my opinion, the best sheet film for learning purposes. It's consistently high-quality, reasonably forgiving, and is amenable to a range of contrast control during development.

Amen.
FP4 is king in my world.