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Thread: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

  1. #1
    Jeffery Dale Welker
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    Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    The past year has been an exception experience as I sold all my Canon DSLR equipment, purchased a Hasselblad setup, and returned to my roots in medium format film photography. Along the way, a little voice kept telling me that one particular composition or another would be even better if shot with a large format camera. Accordingly, I'm strongly considering adding a 4x5 camera to my film arsenal. The main issue I need to resolve is developing the sheet film. Currently, I develop my 120 black and white negatives in the kitchen using my prized beloved Nikor stainless tanks and Hewes reels. While my changing bag/tent will easily accommodate 4x5 film/holders, I'm not sure what I would use to replace my Nikor/Hewes setup for sheet film?

    Any comments, suggestions, and/or recommendations would be sincerely appreciated.

    Thank you;

    Jeff D Welker

  2. #2
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    Nikor made a special tank for 4x5 sheet. They show up now and again.

    There is also a Chinese model available on ebay.
    Tin Can

  3. #3
    Kyle M.'s Avatar
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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    I use a MOD54 in the Paterson 3 reel tank, in my personal experience I had trouble with the film coming loose using inversion agitation. So I found a way to fix the MOD54 in the tank so it won't spin and I now use a Uniroller base, I couldn't be happier with the results.

  4. #4
    Lachlan 717
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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    Jobo 2XXX series tank with a 2509n insert will do up to 6 sheets at a time. Roller bases can be made for a couple of dollars, or you can buy a proprietary one.
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

  5. #5
    Jim Jones's Avatar
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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    Tray development takes very little amounts of chemicals. It does require a dark room or improvised large enclosure.

  6. #6

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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    I agree with Jim, start in a tray if possible... Finding some space that can be made light tight is your friend, as you still have to load holders, dev racks, maybe contact print/enlarge somewhere, etc and a changing bag can get as hot/sticky/stinky as a YMCA locker room on a hot day, and you will have more room in the dark somewhere... Bathrooms are usually your best bet as there is a clean drying area inside a shower stall...

    Most tanks/tubes have a learning curve to climb, so consider that... I like the S/S hangers in a rack in smaller dip tanks, but dark is required... Or trays for a shot or two...

    Steve K

  7. #7

    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle M. View Post
    I use a MOD54 in the Paterson 3 reel tank, in my personal experience I had trouble with the film coming loose using inversion agitation........
    I use the same equipment, but don't invert. I use the swizzle stick. Never had an issue.

  8. #8
    Daniel Stone's Avatar
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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    JOB CPE-2 and 2500 series drums. You can use the same drums with both sheet film reels and 35/120/220 interchangeable reels. All in the daylight, versus trays in the dark. UNLESS you plan to do stand development.

  9. #9

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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    Quote Originally Posted by Salmo22 View Post
    The past year has been an exception experience as I sold all my Canon DSLR equipment, purchased a Hasselblad setup, and returned to my roots in medium format film photography. Along the way, a little voice kept telling me that one particular composition or another would be even better if shot with a large format camera. Accordingly, I'm strongly considering adding a 4x5 camera to my film arsenal. The main issue I need to resolve is developing the sheet film. Currently, I develop my 120 black and white negatives in the kitchen using my prized beloved Nikor stainless tanks and Hewes reels. While my changing bag/tent will easily accommodate 4x5 film/holders, I'm not sure what I would use to replace my Nikor/Hewes setup for sheet film?

    Any comments, suggestions, and/or recommendations would be sincerely appreciated.

    Thank you;

    Jeff D Welker
    I just went through this and tried a couple of different things recently. In art school, I tried and failed at tray developing. I never managed to get a single negative that wasn't scratched. So that was right out this time. I had an HP Combiplan tank, but it annoyed me with leaking and the long time it took to get chemicals in and out of it. The MOD54 thing has too many people saying they've had problems (though the MOD54 film drying rack is NICE). In the end, I went with a 2500-series Jobo tank and the 2509N reel for 4x5. I find it easy to load, regardless of what some will tell you on the internet. To do it for minimum money, you can just roll the Jobo tank around on the kitchen floor for agitation. No, I'm not joking. To make it a little easier, you can buy 4 non-swiveling casters at Lowes and make yourself a little manual roller base. If you feel really ritzy, you can buy a Color by Beseler motor roller base off eBay for $25 and use that (which is what I did). If you buy the short Jobo tank, it won't balance on the Beseler base. At Lowes, I bought a short segment of 6" PVC pipe. I push the Jobo tank down into the PVC pipe to make the tank act like it's longer so it'll roll on the base without tipping off.

    I'm quite happy with the results I'm getting. Developing is consistent and repeatable. Nothing gets scratched. Very little chemistry is used (300mL to run 6 sheets using XTOL).

  10. #10
    Lachlan 717
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    Re: Developing 4x5 in the Kitchen?

    Quote Originally Posted by williaty View Post
    To do it for minimum money, you can just roll the Jobo tank around on the kitchen floor for agitation. No, I'm not joking.
    I used to put a lump of 4x2 under two legs of the kitchen table to ostensibly create a ramp. I'd then roll the Jobo tank up, and gravity provided the return. Albeit an arc, as the lid is larger in diameter than the base...
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

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