The local high end photo shop is only able to process 4x5 and so I am stuck with a dilemma. Is there anyway for me to develop the negatives from my shots at home?
I remember years ago in school, when we briefly played around with single sheet cameras like the Speed Graphic, my professor used a sort of little bucket type item. He would put the exposed film in a little tray that had vertical slots in it, put in inside the bucket, put on the lid and spin the tray with an attached handle on the lid of this sealed bucket.
There was one more step after that if I remember and bam... negatives.

Anyone have any idea what I am talking about? :^)

_________________
Pfc. D. Geraths - US Army Photographer
Easy Co., 2/16th Inf.Reg., 1st Inf Div.
NWHA - (Northwest Historical Association)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DGeraths on 2003-05-15 11:36 ]</font>

I assume your question is how best to develop 2x3 sheet film. When I was using it, I had a Nikor attachment, built sorta like you described, which fit in a regular Nikor tank [for 1 120 reel]. It is a frame, with corregated sides into which the film is inserted. Worked great - permitted inversion agitation. You still see them regularly on ebay, cheap.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2003-05-15 12:40 ]</font>

That sounds kind of what I am looking for. What I need is this...

I need to know if there is a system or a way for me to develop into negatives my 2.25 x 3.25 shots at home without having a dedicated darkroom.
Is there a "bathroom" system that you can recommend?

Hi. I develop 2-1/4'X3-1/4" sheet film. I use a Yankee Adjust-a-tank that I picked up cheap on eBay. It's just a tank that allows you to slide several sheets of film into the grooves of the insert and will adjust to anything from the size in question up to 4"X5". Any tank you can obtain for sheet film that is adjustable to 2-1/4X3-1/4" will allow you to develop the negatives in your bathroom if you can get it totally dark to load the film into the tank's film-holding insert. I always add the developer into the tank beforehand so that the film can be immersed quickly for even development. Anyway, just set the tank with the developer into your sink...load your film into the insert in the dark...immerse the film in the insert into your tank....put the lid on...turn the light on...agitate the tank for several seconds to get rid of any air bubbles on the film....time the development....pour out the developer...rinse the heck out of it under running water (all with the lid on, of course)....pour in the acid/fixer...wait about five minutes...pour out the fixer, remove the lid...rinse for about ten minutes...and you're done. I use D-76 developer, although there are others just as good or better. Fred.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2003-05-15 14:35 ]</font>

both the Yankee agitank and the HP combi Plan tank will work with 2x3 and even 3x4 and 4x5 film. The Combi plan tank works with glass plates too.

The Yankee holds 12 sheets, and is cheap on ebay. The HP holds 6, is hard to find used and is expensive new.

You could also tray develop in an 8x10 tray. That worked well for me

COOL!!! That is exactly what I was talking about! Thanks so much for your help, I think I am going to start searching on EBay for the system you mentioned. Thanks again everyone!

Speak of the devil, here's the tank I use...and it works just fine...go for it!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2928338426&category=29993

Fred.

I have tried four methods of processing 2x3 sheet film and the most successful method is to use open 1/2 gallon (hard rubber or CescoLite) tanks with stainless steel film hangers (total darkness required). I follow the development time for "Large Tank" and lower the hangers into the developer, tap them three times to dislodge air bubbles, and then use the "lift/tilt" method of agitation (1/minute). The 1/2 gallon tanks and the hangers can be found quite cheaply at photo fairs. I bought the new-old-stock hard rubber tanks for $2.00 each and the hangers for $1.00 each. Six films can be processed at a time. I use six tanks. One holds the empty, clean hangers. One holds the hangers once I load the films, one is for the developer, next for stop bath, next for fixer, and the last is the wash tank. I also empty my tanks back into the bottles after I am finished (instead of storing the solutions in the tanks with floating lids) and clean them thorougally.

I never could get even development with the Yankee cut film tank. I never could process sheet films in an open tray and not cause scratches.

The next best method was the special Nikor 18 oz. tank equipped with the special stainless insert that holds 12 films. Note that this insert requires a tank that holds 18 oz. (16 oz. is not enough). The tank also comes with special film loading metal guides. This tank can be tricky to load and not get scratches on the film. It also must be agitated using inversion. Any side-to-side agitation results in undeven development due to odd liquid flows caused by the shape of the film holder cage.

and ebay is not the place to buy these. When they come around they usually sell for $60-80. A friend of mine got his at the local used shop for $12

I've had NO problems with uneven development with my Yankee Film Tank. I pre-fill the tank...immerse the film quickly...slosh it up and down several times to remove air bubbles...and agitate it 15-seconds each minute with a circular motion. I use D-76 W.S. and adjust development time according to the temperature of the developer, using the chart that accompanies the Ilford HP-5 400-speed 2X3 film. I've been very happy with the results. Fred.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2003-05-19 15:25 ]</font>

Thanks for the information on how you use the Yankee Tank. I will follow your method of loading, agitation, etc. There are times when having a "lights on" operation would be helpful vs. film-in-hangers. It would also save cleanup time to rinse/dry the hard rubber tanks/hangers.

Here's a useless bit of trivia. Early Yankee tanks had the top of the basket made of semi clear plastic (newer ones are white).
Also the rails of basket had a hole in the upper right and left corner and came with two long brass pins.

The clear top was to help with processing Ektachrome using the E-4 process where you re-exposed the partially processed film.

The holes and pins was to fasten the thinner transparency (and packfilm) in place.

To be very accurate and specific here, the Yankee Tank I've used with great satisfaction is all black. It is a Yankee Adjustable Cut and Pack Film Agitank. I erroneously called it an Adjusta-tank in my earlier reply to this post, whereupon Les correctly referred to an Agi-tank.(Thanks.) I think I've killed too many brain cells with cheap beer. Anyway, the Yankee tank has given me good results, as old as it is, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to process with the lights on after loading and immersing the film in the developer...and, of course, putting the lid on. Fred.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: clnfrd on 2003-05-21 18:00 ]</font>

The outside of mine is all black. But the part of the basket that adjusts for the size film is semi clear or white, never saw a black version.

I try to call these Agi-tanks over Yankee tanks when ever possible. I was looking for one on ebay for a while an cam accross an auction for a "Yankee tank" Great I thought as it was closing quickly and cheap. Moments before I was to bid the pic finally loaded and I realized that Yankee made open topped rubber tanks for SS film hangers too. Nothing remotely adjustable or agitate-able about those!

And, if you're intrested in a <a href=http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/DOEI4233/default.htm> New One </a> click on download catalog then view catalog PDF, its on page 5.(Price $39.99)
Charles