Help with QL45 reel uneven development

[William D. Lester]

I have been using this reel with mixed results. I use inversion ajitation as I always have used with other film formats. Sometimes the resulting negatives appear to be evenly developed and sometimes they exhibit overdevelopment in the centre arm area resulting in a light band across the middle of the print. Presumably this is caused by turbulence in the area of the arm. I'm not sure if I am inverting too much or too little or too vigorously. I invert 10 times with a slight twisting motion in the first 30 seconds and then 3 additional times every 30 seconds. I have tried using the twizzle stick method and again one time is OK and the next not. I like the convenience of these reels compared to my Mod54's but I need to resolve this issue or stop using them. Any help is welcome.

[Jim Noel]

I have been searching for the "best" method for developing sheet film since about 1938. Yes, 1938. I have never found a reel which will give the consistently good results of a tray one standard size larger than the film. With practice it isn't difficult to process 8-10 sheets at the same time.

[Jos S]

I had the same experience and replaced the arms by thin steel wire arms of 0,8 mm thickness. It did not solve the problem.

[Michael R]

For what it's worth I found the best uniformity and consistency by quite a margin when it comes to these various tank inserts came from the Bounet "B's" product. The rest are expensive, poorly designed junk in my opinion.

Unfortunately I have also found when it comes to uniformity the results of virtually all sheet film processes from tray to dip/dunk to rotary to inversion can vary by film/brand.

[Alan9940]

I have this reel, the B's reel, and a Nikkor style stainless steel tank made in China. In my experience, both reels that have bands around the middle can cause issues with certain films and/or processes. Since there are many variables involved, it's very hard to pinpoint an exact solution. I've found that I've gotten the most consistent development with a slow, smooth inversion with a slight twist. The B's reel provides more consistently even development, but residual anti-halation can be an issue due to the back of the film being firmly pressed against the reel. His 2nd generation reel is a little better in this regard and the one I'd recommend over a used 1st generation.

The most consistent and best sheet film development I've experienced over the past 25+ years is with Jobo Expert Drums. Unfortunately, this is an expensive proposition.

[Bill Poole]

https://mod54.com/collections/shopmo...film-processor

No bands. Once you learn to load em, simplicity itself and great results, at least for me. I have 2 and am contemplating a third

Check-out on the manufacturer's site currently disabled .

B&H has them

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...heet_Film.html

Hope this helps.

[William D. Lester]

Jim. I have been tray developing sheet film for 24 years. I recently tried using reels (MOD54 and then QL45)and found it nice to be able to work with the lights on.I'm only having issues with the QL45 which I find easier to use than the MOD54.

[William D. Lester]

Bill. I have 2 MOD54 reels which do work well. I just found the QL45 reels easier to use. They fit in my Zone 6 roll film washer and the centre column of the tank fits snugly on the reel. The MOD 54 does neither. I just felt that maybe I could figure out a way to get consistently reliable results with the QL45. If not, I'll simply keep using the MOD54 reels.

[Bill Poole]

Bill. I have 2 MOD54 reels which do work well. I just found the QL45 reels easier to use. They fit in my Zone 6 roll film washer and the centre column of the tank fits snugly on the reel. The MOD 54 does neither. I just felt that maybe I could figure out a way to get consistently reliable results with the QL45. If not, I'll simply keep using the MOD54 reels.

Roger that, William. Whatever works!