Developing Etkar 8x10

[ndwgolf]

Currently I develop 8x10 B&W using my Beseller 8x10 tank on a beseller motor base. I have on box of 8x10 color film and I want to know the best way to develop it.
My choice is this. Use the Beseller tanks and hope that the temperature doesn’t drop to much ( I live in Thailand so the ambient temperature is around 32 deg c.
Or develop the film in trays, I think that would end up a right PITA doing it that way.
How do you guys develop color sheet film without the fancy temperature control equipment?
Neil

[Duolab123]

Currently I develop 8x10 B&W using my Beseller 8x10 tank on a beseller motor base. I have on box of 8x10 color film and I want to know the best way to develop it.
My choice is this. Use the Beseller tanks and hope that the temperature doesn’t drop to much ( I live in Thailand so the ambient temperature is around 32 deg c.
Or develop the film in trays, I think that would end up a right PITA doing it that way.
How do you guys develop color sheet film without the fancy temperature control equipment?
Neil

There are lower temperature instructions out on the web. Tetenal has reduced temperature times. I would pre warmth tank and use a temperature you can hold steady, use as much developer as the tank will hold, replenish.

[interneg]

The thing that matters is being able to hold the developer temperature consistently - as has been said above, it is possible to reduce the process temperature to an extent & compensate the developing time to match.

[MartinP]

If the environmental temperature is fairly high anyway, how about the fly-by method?

Using water at 38C,for testing instead of the chemicals, measure the temperature drop during the processing time (ie. Temp-in minus Temp-out), then divide that in half and add it to 38C, that then becomes the new starting temperature. Clearly, this isn't going to be the same in every ambient temperature so you will need a new test if/when the weather changes. Also, the further away from 38C one goes, the less predictable are the results (probably).

(And yes, be careful that you don't need to start more than a few degrees over 38C else the film might be damaged, so this method isn't much use in a shed in a European winter).

[ndwgolf]

If the environmental temperature is fairly high anyway, how about the fly-by method?

Using water at 38C,for testing instead of the chemicals, measure the temperature drop during the processing time (ie. Temp-in minus Temp-out), then divide that in half and add it to 38C, that then becomes the new starting temperature. Clearly, this isn't going to be the same in every ambient temperature so you will need a new test if/when the weather changes. Also, the further away from 38C one goes, the less predictable are the results (probably).

(And yes, be careful that you don't need to start more than a few degrees over 38C else the film might be damaged, so this method isn't much use in a shed in a European winter).

That’s a fantastic idea. Normally I put the aircon on about 30 minutes before I go into my darkroom as the ambient temperature in my darkroom is well over 30 degrees. I will do a Demi run when I get home on Sunday and see what happenes without the aircon on.

[ndwgolf]

One last question
I use 350ml for developing B&W. I assume it’s the same for color ??
Neil

[koraks]

350ml should be fine for c41 8x10. With a huge margin in fact.

[ndwgolf]

That’s a fantastic idea. Normally I put the aircon on about 30 minutes before I go into my darkroom as the ambient temperature in my darkroom is well over 30 degrees. I will do a Demi run when I get home on Sunday and see what happenes without the aircon on.

So I put water in my Beseller drum at 38.5 degrees and simulated 3 minutes 15 seconds developing. After 3 minutes 15 seconds the water temperature was 36.4 so I will start the process at 39 degrees and see what happens. I also tried loading 4 sheets of 4x5 in the 8x10 drum. In the light no problem but in the dark impossible to get the bottom two down far enough without sticking or popping out of the guide. I will just put 2 sheets of 4x5 in at a time to be safe.
Neil

[ndwgolf]

Okay. I have been swithering over what temperature to develop my color sheet film and what tank to use. I ordered a Souis Cooker but it hasn't arrived yet and me being not the most patient guy on the plant I wanted to develop the film NOW. So without a sure way to maintain 38 degrees as recommended by Tetenal I decided to follow my own process off a color film developing chart that I happen to have.

So here is what I decided to do, I mixed the Tetenal colortec C41 to give me 500 ml of the dev, Blix and stabiliser all with tap water (This kit has been in my fridge for over 2 years). I left the aircon off in my darkroom and put the 3 bottles with the C41 in my darkroom and shut the door. I went for a swim for half an hour and came back and checked the temperature of the chemicals they were all 27.5 degrees (81.5 F) I then looked on the chart that I have and it said to develop for 14.25 minutes.
I loaded the two sheets of Etkar 4x5 into my Beseller 8x10 drum and started the developing process with the drum on the Beseller rotary base switching it from forward to reverse every 60 seconds;
1/. pre wash 60 seconds
2/. Develop 14 minutes and 25 seconds
3/. Blix 8 minutes
4/. Wash 6 minutes
5/. Stabalizer 1 minute
Hang to dry over night
And here is what came out……enjoy




Neil

[pepeguitarra]

Is that a Mr. Lincoln rose?