Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

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Valerio Trigari
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Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:50 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hello everyone,

yesterday I bought my first box of Ilford Delta 100 Pro 4x5 film and I'm very excited about it. I haven't used film in years and I can't wait to see the first negatives.

Now, here's my question: is there are recommended way for storing the exposed film? Can I use a box with a black bag, or is there something commercially available? Having only one box of film I'm kind of stuck and I'm not really sure which is the best way to proceed.

Also, because I don't have a darkroom yet (though I got a changing box), is there a professional lab you would recommend for film development and printing? I've found many on the internet, but I wondered if you could suggest one or two in particular. It doesn't even need to be in London, for the matter, as long as they do a good job.

Cheers,

Valerio
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:00 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Please, I really need your help with this, any suggestion is much appraciated! :)
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by dave_whatever » Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:20 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

As for a lab recommendation for sheet film, I have only used Peak Imaging, who are very good but probably not the cheapest. I've only used them for E6.

To store exposed film you need an empty film box, i'e' the same as you buy the film in, only empty. To get an empty film box you can either ask your lab (whichever one you decide upon) to see if they'll send you one (I know Peak Imaging will generally do this free of charge, they must have tons of them lying around) or ask an existing sheetfilm user to give you an old spare box.

Mike Walker I understand also makes ABS film boxes, never felt the need though personally.

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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Joanna Carter » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:30 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

For the cost of it, versus the cost of paying a lab, you might consider getting a CombiPlan tank and some chemistry to do it yourself at home. It's really easy and a changing box is fine for putting the film into the tank.

Peak charge £2.75 per sheet for B&W, a Combiplan will cost you around £100; you don't need to develop too many sheets to start to save money 8)
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:31 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Dave and Joanna, thank you both for replying. :D
dave_whatever wrote:To store exposed film you need an empty film box, i'e' the same as you buy the film in, only empty. To get an empty film box you can either ask your lab (whichever one you decide upon) to see if they'll send you one (I know Peak Imaging will generally do this free of charge, they must have tons of them lying around) or ask an existing sheetfilm user to give you an old spare box.

Mike Walker I understand also makes ABS film boxes, never felt the need though personally.
That's what I thought, but I only have one box a the moment, so I'll find an interim solution until I get another box. I went into the Mike Walker's website, but I couldn't find the boxes you mentioned.
Joanna Carter wrote:For the cost of it, versus the cost of paying a lab, you might consider getting a CombiPlan tank and some chemistry to do it yourself at home. It's really easy and a changing box is fine for putting the film into the tank.

Peak charge £2.75 per sheet for B&W, a Combiplan will cost you around £100; you don't need to develop too many sheets to start to save money 8)
That's even better, if I can develop the film myself in the changing bag! I will look for the CombiPlan tank immediately. However, I will have to use a lab for developing transparencies, I would guess.
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Joanna Carter » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:05 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Valerio Trigari wrote:… if I can develop the film myself in the changing bag!
Not in the changing bag, you only need to use that for loading the tank. Once the film is in and the lid is on, it is a daylight process, simply pouring the chemistry in and out of the lightproof top of the tank.
Valerio Trigari wrote:However, I will have to use a lab for developing transparencies, I would guess.
Well, you can DIY but you need a lot better temperature control than CombPlan would give you.
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:55 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Joanna Carter wrote:Not in the changing bag, you only need to use that for loading the tank. Once the film is in and the lid is on, it is a daylight process, simply pouring the chemistry in and out of the lightproof top of the tank.
Cool, that's even better. I thought I could work in the light when the tank is closed, but I wasn't sure. :)

Speaking of tanks, I did a bit of research and I found out that Jobo also does tanks for sheet film. The film is loaded in spirals, instead of being flat like in the CombiPlan, as I'm sure you all know. Any suggestion on which one is best? On the spot I think I prefer the Jobo one, as it seems less fiddly.

And another question (sorry... ;) ), after the film has been developed, washed and treated with the wetting agent, which is the best way of drying it? Is there any drying rack or similar item you would recommend?
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Joanna Carter » Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:12 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Valerio Trigari wrote:Speaking of tanks, I did a bit of research and I found out that Jobo also does tanks for sheet film. The film is loaded in spirals, instead of being flat like in the CombiPlan, as I'm sure you all know. Any suggestion on which one is best? On the spot I think I prefer the Jobo one, as it seems less fiddly.
THe Jobo tanks are very good but make sure you get the newer 2509n reels as opposed to the older 2509 reels. The newer ones are a lot easier to load.
Valerio Trigari wrote:And another question (sorry... ;) ), after the film has been developed, washed and treated with the wetting agent, which is the best way of drying it? Is there any drying rack or similar item you would recommend?
I'll probably get roundly criticised for suggesting this, but I use a hair dryer on gentle heat, from around 6-9 inches, whilst cupping the sheet of film gently in the other hand and waving the hair dryer to ensure no hot spots :shock: 8)

Otherwise, get some small bulldog clips, threaded onto a "clothes line" in a dust-free room (bathroom after running the shower to lay the dust?) and pinch the very edge or corner of each of the negs in the clips.
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:19 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Joanna Carter wrote:THe Jobo tanks are very good but make sure you get the newer 2509n reels as opposed to the older 2509 reels. The newer ones are a lot easier to load.
Cool, I will buy the Jobo tank then, making sure to get the 2509n reel.
Joanna Carter wrote:I'll probably get roundly criticised for suggesting this, but I use a hair dryer on gentle heat, from around 6-9 inches, whilst cupping the sheet of film gently in the other hand and waving the hair dryer to ensure no hot spots :shock: 8)

Otherwise, get some small bulldog clips, threaded onto a "clothes line" in a dust-free room (bathroom after running the shower to lay the dust?) and pinch the very edge or corner of each of the negs in the clips.
Lol, I don't have an hair dryer, so I can't apply your method ;) The bulldog clips are a good suggestion.

Thanks Joanna! :)
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:36 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I have another question (sorry...): I'm storing my sheet film (unexposed and exposed) in the fridge and I've always done so in the past. Is it a good idea, or would you suggest a better way for storage?

Cheers,

Valerio
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Neil Barnes » Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I've had a ten-year old box of FP4+ on a shelf in an unused bedroom for, well, ten years. It's got no noticeable issues...

Neil

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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:47 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Neil Barnes wrote:I've had a ten-year old box of FP4+ on a shelf in an unused bedroom for, well, ten years. It's got no noticeable issues...

Neil
Cool, that sounds very promising. However, I just wonder if keeping the film in the fridge is a good idea, or is it daft? :P
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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - Help Please!

Post by Neil Barnes » Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:18 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

The only concern I would have with keeping it in a fridge is to ensure it is brought slowly up to working temperature before it's used; condensation on the film might otherwise be an issue. Certainly I'd want to bag it and add some silica gel as a drying agent while it's in the fridge.

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Re: Exposed Sheet Film - I did it!

Post by Valerio Trigari » Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hello Friends,

I can proudly say that today I shot and developed my first four sheets of Ilford Delta 100! :-D The image itself is nothing really special, it's a bunch of flowers on a piano, but that's not the point.

I took a couple of shots without any filters, the third one with a Yellow-Green filter and the last one with a Light Red filter. Looking at the negatives the filters seem to have acted as they were supposed to. Also because it was a long exposure and rather close to the subject, I seem to have taken into account both reciprocity and bellows extension correctly.

We'll see what the pictures look like when I get the films scanned. I don't own one at the moment, not in London at least, so I will ask a colleague of mine if he can do the scanning for me.

Anyway, I'm happy that I got everything right without any major issue. :-)
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