Thinking of getting into 4x5 again, advice please?

[Kaj]

Hi everyone... it's been a few years, and I was thinking about getting back into film with my Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5.
I wanted some opinions on what my best options are. I have the camera, holder, dark bag, etc. - but no darkroom, not even a dark closet!

I've noticed the newer options for instant film in 4x5 format - but are they going to be around for long? It looks like fuji is going to discontinue them soon.

Basically, I'm trying to choose between instant film, or how I can bodge up simple processing without a darkroom. With either option, the result would be scanned for "digital darkroom" work.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Orio]

You don't need a darkroom at all if you are only going to develop film.
Just buy a light safe changing bag.

A darkroom is necessary only if you print chemical.

[Kaj]

[Orio]

About large format I don't know. Obviously you need something larger than a changing bag.

But frankly speaking, pretending to make large format photography without a darkroom sounds to me a bit like
wanting to have a formula one car and pretending to store it in a standard city garage.
I mean, every thing has it's size and it's use and purposes. For simple amateur photography to handle at home without a darkroom,
there is the small or medium format. Large format is for people who want to dedicate to it, and this includes setting up a darkroom.
This is my personal opinion.

[rawhead]

For loading and unloading LF film, you will want a changing tent:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/41880-REG/Photoflex_AC_CROO1_Film_Changing_Room_25.html

Better yet, you can create a changing box equipped with an infrared camera and monitor:

http://lockerz.com/s/185467801

so you can see what you're doing in the dark One downside is that you can't, obviously, deal with infrared film.


Regarding tanks, if you can spend a little money, I'd recommend a Jobo CPA2 or CPP2 and their Expert Tank, which is very easy to load and can develop 10 sheets of 4x5 at a time. For a smaller Jobo (like CPE2), you can get a Jobo tank & reel that can do 6 sheets at a time for cheeper.

If you don't need to do color, you can go cheaper still. A uniroller base

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmhhHUJeMro

Can be had for 30-40USD on Ebay. You can use it with any ol' tank. For the film, you can create little inserts with PVC pipes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuFNUO3H6v8

or, just do the good ol' "Taco Method", where you curl up the film (emulsion side inside) and holding them with rubber bands.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/largeformat/discuss/72157594305554218/

I've been shooting and developing my own 4x5 for about 2 years now and having a blast (I have a CPP2 and an Expert Drum). Here are some of my 4x5 stuff:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=graflex&w=88929764%40N00&m=tags

[Kaj]

[Kaj]

Update:
I now have 2 unicolor processing drums and a uniroller motor base for them. Looks like a nice solution for me to work with. Thanks for all of the advice!

[Farside]

What I found a really useful thing for LF was the biggest changing bag I could find and put a large carboard box in it, the largest box that will fit. It really helps if the bag isn't collapsing onto your hands and also helps prevent the build up of sweat. Anything larger than 4x5 and you'd be looking at the changing tent mentioned.
Apart from that, I use a couple of Jobo and Paterson rotary tanks - the Jobo tanks are simply 4531 paper process tanks (cheap) which also happen to accept 2509 sheet holders (still cheap enough). I also made a diy 'Expert' holder to fit into the 4531 tank, which works fairly well, but does need a little tweaking. The genuine Expert isn't cheap.
My Jobo machine is an early model CPP, with none of the bells and whistles of later ones, but it just works. Those old CPPs can be picked up for next to nothing, as everybody thinks they really need the b&w

[Kaj]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I've acquired a Uniroller base and 2 processing drums (4 sheets of 4x5 each), and it looks like it should work well. I built a light tent a while back, and if I assemble 1/2 of its PVC frame inside my changing tent it works nicely.

[screwunscrew]

Kaj, there are so many more possibilities with a darkroom. For instance can you process Gigabitfilm in its special way (not rotation) or work on contacts from your originals. Let’s say you’d start a business with producing large format slides, then you’d be well off at a bench in total darkness.

It doesn’t take a big room. What you’d need are a sink with running water, a bench, a safelight, the clock, you know the little aids. Once you’re in that you’ll have fun making reversal duplicates, positives from negatives, combinations, and more. The difference lies in your hands because that way you always know exactly what went wrong in case something did go wrong. That is not so with enclosed equipment.

My 200 cent