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View Full Version : Tried my First Tray Devlopment



Pfiltz
1-Dec-2012, 08:51
today.... not sure it wen't ok. I'm still not good at looking at negatives, but it seems thin.

I'm pretty sure my exposure is ok. I'm used to metering in the studio and shooting. Shot a piece of Arista and rated it 64, as I usually do outside. I wanted to shoot something in the studio. Since I have my DR up and running, I thought I would try a tray development. I'm not 100% sure the developer was healthy to be honest, so it's been dumped, and a new batch has been made.

I'm going to shoot one more image, and do my usual patterson tank development. The only 2 things different today, was I didn't pre-wash my film, and I was running my safe light. I developed it for my usual 7 minutes. Film is drying right now. I want to scan it, to see what I get...

Oh well, no biggie but it did surprise me.

Edit: Just shot my 2nd neg. Same settings on the exposure side of course. Patterson tank development BUT with fresh developer... Neg looks great.

Now I'm not sure if it was the developer or the way I did tray development... Is there a certain way for tray over tank? I did agitate the tray ever 30 seconds, as I do with the tank.....

Leigh
1-Dec-2012, 13:52
A safelight for tray development? I'm amazed you can see through the negative at all.

Your developer must have been really dead.

- Leigh

ckpj99
1-Dec-2012, 14:23
Yeah, I would echo what Leigh said. Black and white paper isn't sensitive to safelights (and it's super low ISO), but black and white film IS sensitive to all light including the red/orange of a safelight.

Paper is usually around ISO 4-6 also, and even with your 64 ISO film, you're talking at least three stops difference.

wallrat
1-Dec-2012, 16:39
If you are attempting to do "Develop By Inspection", you must process the film in total darkness until it is at least 50% complete (some say 75%). At that point, using a foot switch, you may briefly turn on a safelight with a Wratten #3 (dark green) safelight filter for a brief moment to inspect the negative. You can do so multiple times but only very brief intervals. If you are not trying DBI, you need to be in total darkness until you are 50% of the way through fixing, at a minimum. Even safer is total darkness until 100% fixed, at which time you may turn on the lights.

Pfiltz
1-Dec-2012, 16:45
It's all good folks. Obviously I screwed the pooch on it. No biggy. I've always done tank on my 4x5 and 120's. I thight I'd try tray development and wasn't sure if a safe light would work or not.

I've just set up my darkroom, and I'm having a blast...

Now I know!

Lol