go for the best and take a expert drum
Op 30/04/19 om 17:14 schreef mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
Want the jobo, and getting the wife's indulgence for a Jobo is two very different questions. Maybe one day. To tray process I just don't think I can get my darkroom dark enough. There might be a couple of other options in the house for just film, but it would mean washing in another place to do that. Light leaks will ruin the negative, and old eyes might miss them. I get why you do it. It makes sense. I also get penny wise pound foolish. Always a balance. I am really wanting to learn. What I don't know is if I am going to enjoy the pace of 4x5 photography. It is definitely a horse of a different color.
One day I will probably ask for a jobo, and I likely will retry tray developing. If I ask for a Jobo, I know at that point another ham radio would be out of the question. Decisions decisions decisions. Thing is with most ham radio shops, for an extra 5 bucks they will give you a receipt that matches what you tell your wife what you paid for the radio. IF you do that, in you will make sure you designate someone to help her that knows what the radios are really worthEmbarassed I'm enjoying the experimentation.
One thing I do wonder. I have several of the stainless steel tanks. I see Jobo reels that will hold 6 sheets. I am also guessing that those Jobo reels won't fit in the standard stainless steel tank.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: 4x5 developing tanks
From: ROBERT KISS <bobkiss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:bobkiss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Date: Tue, April 30, 2019 7:36 am
To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
DEAR MARK,
I assume you bought the 4X5 partly for the great increase in
image quality from 35mm or 120 film and partly because it is a
really great camera. But, if image quality plays any part in your
decision, then you MUST use the best possible processing system or
you will get unevenness in development, streaking in the image,
and all sorts of other problems, defeating the reason for which
you made the investment in the first place. Please don't be penny
wise and pound foolish!
As I mentioned before, I shot over 100 chattel houses on 8X10
Tri X for my book. I tray processed them mostly in PMK. Why
tray? Because, after practicing for a few batches, I got complete
uniformity of development and never ruined a shot. It also
allowed me to push and pull individual sheets in a batch of 4, 6,
or even 8 sheets. OK, this would mean investing the time and
materials to make your darkroom completely dark...not impossible,
just requiring some effort. But, if you don't want to do this,
then look on ebay for any of the used Jobo systems that you could
afford and would work for 4X5. I taught an advanced photo
workshop for decades and the only 4X5 negs made by the students
that approached my results were those using the Jobo.
Many years ago, in the interest of efficiency, I used a 3 1/2
gallon tank line in a separate film darkroom in my NYC studio.
Time was always of the essence so the line was always ready to
go. I used those large metal processing frames for 4X5, 5X7, and
8X10 and reels in baskets for 35mm and 120. The processing was
very good for the roll film but took careful handling to get
evenly processed sheet film. OK, if I had invested in a nitrogen
burst system, it might have been easier but, after I (and then my
assistants) got the hang of it, we got very even results.
IMHO, the best of the new systems (which I have not used)
appears to be the Stearman Press tank if you really don't want the
Jobo.
So, in summary, Best options (IMHO): tray processing in a
dark-darkroom or Jobo. Alternative: Stearman Press tank.
Good luck. Please post results when you have some...
CHEERS!
BOB
On April 29, 2019 at 11:44 PM mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Well the next step in the process is to figure out how to process
the sheet film. I did so little of it years ago, that I never
really found a good way.
I tried trays, but total darkness just isn't something that I
thought was practical. Old eyes only make it worse, but more
importantly my darkroom really isn't as dark as it should be. I
have a changing bag, but the darkroom has too doors and a
window. At this point I am ruling trays out. IF its not as dark
as it should be for paper, I can reprint. If its not as dark as
it should be for a negative, no way out. Makes a changing bag
and a light tight method a must.
I used an old unicolor print drum years ago. I still have it,
but it was very awkward, and wouldn't fit in the changing bag
now. Not the best option. Might work, but not exactly ideal.
Wish I could find some stainless steel reels like they make for
35mm and 120. Have the tanks and top for those, but again no go.
The main option that seems the most viable is the yankee
developing tank for about $35 or so. It's not water tight, but
it is light tight, or so it shows. Being able to process 12
sheets at a time seems to be an advantage. Processing all that
had a N +1 at the same time seems like it would be a plus. It''s
cost effective, and it looks like it would go in a changing bag
to load.
I have made developing tubes. They were sort of light tight.
You could turn the lights on while it was developing, but
changing the chemicals had to be done in the dark. Better than
trays, and maybe as good as the unicolor drums, but again not ideal.
The jobo reels do not seem to be cost effective unless I were
using a jobo processor. Maybe one day if I use color here, but
its not in the immediate plans.
Any other options other than those I don't know about. The
Yankee tank seems to be the best choice, unless someone knows
something I don't. (that is highly likely)
Also I am reading the books recommended here. Thank you. They
seem to have been excellent choices. I am learning a lot
Mark
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