I have had good success with the Nikor type SS tank. This has
a reel that holds 12 sheets. The key is agitating it correctly.
You can not use the roll film timing of inverting every thirty
seconds or you will get streaking. Once a minute is about right.
The streaking problem is much reduced by loading only every other
slot.
I think most press photographers used a continuously running
lab with a tank line or else, for only a single or a few sheets,
tray processing. Tray processing, if done carefully, is still
probably the most uniform of all.
On 4/30/2019 9:13 AM, Chauncey Walden wrote:
There are stainless tanks with reels for 4x5, probably designed for the days of 4x5 press cameras when speed of processing was more important than quality. The one advantage of these is that you can do inversion agitation just like 35 and 120 tanks but I woud not recommend loading more that 6 sheets in the 12 sheet reels. There are also trays that have covers that are light tight for changing chemicals. Usually these are 8x10 and can be used with a flat rack that will take 4x5s. In the past I have used both of these. The trays work great if you can find them. One time when I had a lot of 4x5s to process I borrowed a Jobo 3010 and was not pleased with the results. I use the Jobo 2509Ns in 1 or 2 reel tanks on my Jobo but usually with only 4 sheets per reel primarily because I use PMK and don't want to exceed the capacity of the developer in the reasonable quantities used with the tanks (be careful of exceeding the capacity of the available developer in any multi sheet tank!). I develop my 8x10s, 6.5x8.5s and 5x7s in a Jobo 3005 on an old print tank rotator. My primary Technika is in a Lowe backpack camera case with 4 or 5 lenses in wraps, darkcloth, lightmeter, loupe etc.=============================================================================================================
Chauncey
