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Thread: Anyone use the B&W King 5x7 (or 4x5) developing reel & tank (Nikor-like)?

  1. #11

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    Re: Anyone use the B&W King 5x7 (or 4x5) developing reel & tank (Nikkor-like)?

    Eu
    Quote Originally Posted by scheinfluger_77 View Post
    That looks kind of neat, a road test is indeed called for. At ~$200 for a 5x7 set it's not ...too horrible...

    Bob Mann what do you use for goggles and where are the found (besides ebay of course)? I have almost 0 knowledge about them.
    I use the ATN Viper goggles, a Google search should show venders other than EBay. I use them to load sheet film holders, to watch sheet film develop in dip tanks, even been using them for watching roll film develop in tanks with the lid off. Search this forum for a number of threads on using them.

  2. #12

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    Re: Anyone use the B&W King 5x7 (or 4x5) developing reel & tank (Nikkor-like)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Mann View Post
    I have the 5x7, reel has little wheels on the bottom and there is a handle so you can spin the reel. Nikkor tank does not have this. Construction is good, but top does leak a little when inverting on mine. There are not many daylight tanks for 5x7 other than a Jobo. Results are fine, loading is no problem for me - but I use IR goggles - might be a problem working in the dark.
    Three cheers for the IR googles! Kodak and the rest have used for years. I'm using some toy set that I bungee to my head. Amazing! I have a Nikor sheer tank and the CL81 8x10 reel. There a piece of cake with the goggles, damned scary without.

  3. #13

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    Re: Anyone use the B&W King 5x7 (or 4x5) developing reel & tank (Nikkor-like)?

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    You look pretty dumb but these work. Jakks Pacific Spy Net IR goggles. Two sets of LEDs one full IR the other near IR. I taped over the NIR LEDS so I wouldn't accidentally activate. The IR LEDS have had absolutely no effect on any film I've tried. Obviously no Ilford or Maco IR. Now I have installed a IR flood on the wall 20 bucks off of eBay.
    I covered the IR LEDS on the binoculars because it is so bright it blinds you, silver halide emulsions are bright white by IR. I can hold a Hewes reel in my hand and read "British Made" in total darkness. I paid about 75 bucks for the binoculars on Amazon. I use a bungee to hold them to my face. You watch what's going on via a small color led tv screen built into the goggles, I need glasses to read but I have a pair that fits inside.
    I'm totally sold on this,I use them as insurance I don't do something stupid, with the cost of 8 x10 film I'm not taking any chances. And I actually prefer the Jobo 2509n reels now as they are a piece of cake to load when you can see.
    For 75 bucks don't expect the moon. Single lens means no depth perception at all, manual focus wheel for plastic lens, in hot weather my glasses fog up, very narrow field of view. But you can see exactly what you NEED to see to insure reels, holders, and hangers are loade exactly as intended.
    Mike.

  4. #14

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    Re: Tank mod for doing two 4x5 negs

    Clever, good ingenuity. Bob is right re: Materials differences but you should be able to notice that before it becomes an issue.

    As a somewhat related side note: Someone in China is remaking the Nikor 4x5 sheet film tanks now, although they only do 10 instead of 12 sheets, and are not adjustable like the Nikor tanks. Also they are basically as expensive so no real value there... but it is interesting someone in china ripped off that design and remade it.

    Ed

  5. #15
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    Re: Tank mod for doing two 4x5 negs

    Quote Originally Posted by EdSawyer View Post
    As a somewhat related side note: Someone in China is remaking the Nikor 4x5 sheet film tanks now, although they only do 10 instead of 12 sheets, and are not adjustable like the Nikor tanks. Also they are basically as expensive so no real value there... but it is interesting someone in china ripped off that design and remade it.
    Do you have any more information about this? weblink etc?
    Zak Baker
    zakbaker.photo

    "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
    Ansel Adams

  6. #16

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    Re: Tank mod for doing two 4x5 negs

    Those Chinese tanks available on EBAY. The sellers name bw-king. It is not a copy of old Nikkor tank. Instead it is a much better designed and developed tank. They have web site too http://bw-king.com/. I have one and very happy with it. It expensive but probably the old Nikkor on the EBAY will cost the same but will be used and no warranty that it will be easily to load it in the darkness. I have two old Nikkor's too, so I can compare.

  7. #17

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    Re: Tank mod for doing two 4x5 negs

    R.K. mentions the correct info re: the copy of the Nikor tank. What's better about the design? I dont' see much, other than maybe the top plate allowing more flow possibly? (but is that even an issue with the Nikor?) Good luck on that warranty with China, btw. is this tank really any easier to load, other than the fact it takes 10 sheets instead of 12?

    This part of their website is both amusing and ironic, given this is a straight-up copy of the Nikor tank, basically:

    "The design of the product as well as the logo of B&W KING owns intellectual property rights, ratified by Chinese National Industrial and Commercial Bureau and China's State Intellectual Property Office."

  8. #18

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    Re: Tank mod for doing two 4x5 negs

    Quote Originally Posted by EdSawyer View Post
    R.K. mentions the correct info re: the copy of the Nikor tank. What's better about the design? I dont' see much, other than maybe the top plate allowing more flow possibly? (but is that even an issue with the Nikor?) Good luck on that warranty with China, btw. is this tank really any easier to load, other than the fact it takes 10 sheets instead of 12?

    This part of their website is both amusing and ironic, given this is a straight-up copy of the Nikor tank, basically:

    "The design of the product as well as the logo of B&W KING owns intellectual property rights, ratified by Chinese National Industrial and Commercial Bureau and China's State Intellectual Property Office."
    Ed. New tank made much stronger that the old Nikkor. The metal parts thicker, welding much better, nice metal guides for the film. You don't need the spring part to hold the film in place. It is no difference how film oriented when loaded in the tank. In the Nikkor tank if you not correctly orient the emulsion side of the film while loading, your negative will be ruined because it touching the middle metal guide. In the new tank film don't touch nothing in the middle and supported only for the edges.

  9. #19

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    Re: Anyone use the B&W King 5x7 (or 4x5) developing reel & tank (Nikkor-like)?

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    First batch of 5x7's through this tank. Two came out like this. It's my fault though, I didn't push the film in far enough I think, and two sheets came completely out of the reel during agitation. Two others partially sticking out but fine, the last two stayed in. Next time I will make sure they are all completely behind the reel's bars when loading.

    The second thing is the tank does leak, even a little when agitating standing up after replacing liquid during development. Just a bit. I can live with it!

    The GOOD news is that the four good images came out really nice. Good, even development with no problems. You can see those here.
    David Aimone Photography
    Critiques always welcome...

  10. #20

    Re: Tank mod for doing two 4x5 negs

    The King tank does look very nice. $180.00 for the 4x5. That may be a little pricey, but, considering the price of blood pressure meds and anti-depressants which are necessary before loading my Jobo reels, with the guide by the way, the King tank might look even more attractive!

    Sometimes the Jobo will load almost by itself, and other times I am tempted to turn on the lights to see what the problem is.

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