Problems developing Rollei IR in 4x5...

[Kodachrome25]

Ok, so here goes...

I shoot infrared in 35mm, 120mm and now 4x5. It is one of my most important films for fine art. I use HIE in 35mm ( yes, I have a ton of the last batch ) HIE and Rollei IR400 in 120mm. I don't use Efke because I had bad luck with the quality control and get better results from HIE if I don't care about the grain.

Rollei IR400 is my primary IR film due to just enough IR effect, tight grain and great quality control....

In 4x5, it is really thin, about half the thickness of say, a sheet of Tmax. So it is just not working in using my preferred method of MOD54 inserts in Paterson 3 reel tanks. Basically, the problem is that the film dislodges very easily from hydrodynamic pressure when pouring chemistry out, causing the film to jump out of the slot and stick to the other sheets.

So now I am looking for alternative methods of developing it that do not require a full time wet side darkroom. I usually soup my film in the kitchen, live in a small apartment, have the enlarger and trays set up in a 15 square foot area of closet space. Tray development is out of the question, not going to work in a production level environment.

The only thing I can see working for this is either a hangar system or one of those grossly overpriced Nikor tanks, if I can even find that. I have to say that in my 36 years as a professional, the lack of high tech, professional level development options for non-Jobo types of production in 4x5 is downright deplorable. The fact that Morgan O' Donovan even had to fab his own design of 4x5 insert really says it all, what a bunch of leaky, ancient, ill thought out garbage for 4x5 film development!

Now that I have said my peace, who in the heck is using Rollei IR 400 in 4x5 with consistent, professional results that don't require a Jobo and rip off 3010 Expert drum and WHAT in the heck are you using?

Will either a craptastic Combiplan hold the film in place, or will it be a stupidly priced $200-$300 Nikor spiral tank?

If I can not get a workable solution for souping this film in 4x5, I might just dump the format all together as it is a really important emulsion for the projects I am working on, but I hope it does not come down to that...

[RichardSperry]

Combiplan works fine with IR 400.

Just don't invert it unless you want to make a mess.
Either use it as a 6X dip and dunk, or slosh twist it.

I use it in a dry darkroom, in an 8x10 dry tray for drips. Separate container for fix(in dark of course). Rinse in the bathroom.

[Kodachrome25]

Not going to work, I need a full daylight solution, I am about fed up with the lack of professional caliber tools in this format and might just kick to the curb at this point...

[Corran]

I don't know what you mean by "full daylight solution" since that's essentially impossible with sheet film, but wouldn't the BTZS tubes work for you?

[polyglot]

You can use a Jobo tank in the daylight (assuming you have a darkbag to load it of course) without the Jobo processor. Just roll it around by hand in the sink.

While the 3010 is excellent but expensive, plenty of people report good results with the 2509N insert in 2xxx tanks.

[RichardSperry]

Not going to work, I need a full daylight solution, I am about fed up with the lack of professional caliber tools in this format and might just kick to the curb at this point...

Well then, that's a problem for you with all 4x5 films, isnt it? Not just IR 400.

There is an active thread here about "when you discovered you were not an LF photographer". Maybe you just discovered you are at that point. Search YouTube for BTZS vids, it's about as daylight as you can get. But it has it's own foreseeable problems.

[Kodachrome25]

Part of the reason I even considered 4x5 is the brilliantly simple and very effective Mod54 Paterson tank insert. I own two and have zero problems with souping any 4x5 film in it except for this darn .11mm infrared sheet film.

Like me, Morgan O'Donovan is a pro who needed total control and consistency from his film development so he just got tired of the garbage and made his own solution. Short of designing some form of acetate stiffener that has some lifter passages for chemistry, I am at a loss as to what to use with this IR film. Sure, I can do any of the standard crap in my bathroom with the lights off, but that is introducing a host of steps that could go wrong and could easily spell the opposite of what I consider to be by far the most important step in a professional film shooter's process.....consistency.

I own one of the better Jobo machines, just don't have the room for it in a 800 square foot 2 bedroom one bath apartment right now....so it is in storage.

[Roger Cole]

Jobo 2521 tank with 2509n reel and a manual roller. I find the loader base helps a lot to make loading simple and easy, but some folks don't use it and don't need it. I tried not using it and went right back to using it.

I use this (and it's big brother the 2551) with a Jobo CPE2. But come to think of it, I'm not sure what the thinner film would do in the 2509. I THINK it would work ok.

[evan clarke]

Jobo 2521 tank with 2509n reel and a manual roller. I find the loader base helps a lot to make loading simple and easy, but some folks don't use it and don't need it. I tried not using it and went right back to using it.

I use this (and it's big brother the 2551) with a Jobo CPE2. But come to think of it, I'm not sure what the thinner film would do in the 2509. I THINK it would work ok.

You can use this tank for stand or semi stand development. I do the Rollei IR in this tank on my Jobo with no issues so the tank will work..just treat it like a 120 tank...

[Tim Meisburger]

you can use a paterson orbital processor, if you can find one.