What is the mininium diluted developer volumn needed for Paterson 8x10 tray to develop 4x5 and 5x7? With that volumn how many sheets can be safely developed ? Thanks.
What is the mininium diluted developer volumn needed for Paterson 8x10 tray to develop 4x5 and 5x7? With that volumn how many sheets can be safely developed ? Thanks.
You will need to provide much more specific information.
But as a rule of thumb for a beginner (which apparently you are) follow the instructions provided with your product.
The volume shld really be decided on based on scratch avoidance rather than anything else. I like to have a good couple of inches depth when tray developing, so for 810 in an 11/14 tray I'll use 3 liters of solution and do two stacks of 6-8 sheets one after the other. So figure on two liters for an 8/10 tray, or so. Developer is cheap relative to time and money spent photographing, so not a good place to scrimp, IMHO.
5x7 in an 8x10 tray might be somewhat difficult and prone to scratching the film. If I were tray developing 5x7, I'd use 11x14 trays.
I do 4x5 in a tray that's barely large enough to fit the film in and use 100ml one shot. I would have expected higher edge density, but I get even development this way.
Do you have a developer spec sheet that describes its "useful capacity"?Originally Posted by JayY
It's usually stated in terms that one can convert into a personal situation.
For example, Kodak says the useful capacity for D-76 is: 16 8x10 sheets per gallon in a tray.
With some quick math, you might convert this into [X] 4x5 sheets per [Y] ounces in a tray.
(I usually discard the developer before its officially stated exhaustion.)
Should the OP find one, he might appreciate a 'rocking' tray for single sheet film development.
Here is one model, and here is a more popular one.
I used the later before going to rotary drum processing. You only need just enough chemistry to do one film. A couple things about the later one - look carefully at the left side end for a hole. There is another on the other side near the front. Those are for conveniently dumping the chemistry quickly. Both models have retainers inside to keep the film in place, emulsion surface up, of course.
Best of luck!
Going with the minimum amount of chemistry per sheet you are asking for problems.
Go with double so you have the safety factor in developing your negatives.
Small trays mean much greater chance for edge density problems. Couple it with the bare minimum of developer you are talking about and you are asking for trouble.
Larger tray, more chemistry - preferably one shot with the developer(use once and dump) and work on being consistent with the film in the developer.
"My forumla for successful printing remains ordinary chemicals, an ordinary enlarger, music, a bottle of scotch - and stubbornness." W. Eugene Smith
I've used the Heath rocking tray without problems, but only after removing the wire bail which may have been intended to facilitate lifting the film for removal. Using the minimum recommended amount of developer worked for me in this tray as well as in a flat tray with frequent agitation.
Thanks all for the reply.. the Heath Rocking Tray looks promising. But for now, I will not cheap on developer and maybe will try “rocking” the Paterson tray, instead.
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