4×5 introduction

I decided to write up a guide to getting started with large format photography, specifically using a 4×5 view camera. I’m no expert, but I also found that the information currently available on the web is a bit lacking in the way of step-by-step guides. So far, I’ve just written up a checklist of what to buy to get started shooting. I’m planning on adding some more content on how to shoot and develop 4×5 B&W film… with pictures! For the latter, I’m going to need to find one of those product softbox tent things…

4×5 development tubes

I recently obtained a very nice Shen-Hao 4×5 field camera and so I needed a way to develop the film. When class is in session, I have access to a nice large tank development setup, but class isn’t always in session and since it’s a shared facility, I don’t have quite the level of control that I would using my own setup. Not to mention that getting large tanks to a consistent temperature is not possible (at least there), so I need to adjust the development time, which is always a bit tricky.

I picked up a used Yankee tank last fall, but there are a couple big issues with it. First, I have yet to get even development. Since the tank is intended for side-to-side agitation (and I’m not sure if that means shifting or tilting), you must remember to premix diluted developer (e.g. 1:1 D76) outside the tank as opposed to pouring in the developer then water. What happens is that one half of the film will be overdeveloped and the other half underdeveloped with gradations in between. Ok, this is a dumb mistake, but I doubt I’m the only one ever to make it. On my second try, I premixed, but the development was still very uneven in a nice sky picture. The second major issue is that it takes a tremendous amount of developer to use this tank and it takes the same amount regardless of how many sheets are in it. I’m used to using developer just once, so dumping 55oz (!) of developer each time for a maximum of 12 sheets is a bit ridiculous.

So I looked at the BTZS tubes that are famous for their even development. Again I identified two problems. First, I’m cheap and the tubes are not. Second, the tubes must be in the dark to pour in the developer. The latter is a real issue, given my development setup.

After poking around a bit, I found this set of instructions for similar tubes that do allow you to pour in developer in the light and are pretty cheap to build. I made some modifications to the instructions, but the basic original idea is quite inspired.

1. Instead of using rubber pieces in between the connector pipes, I used a knockout test cap that I cut a portion out of and painted black. The nice thing about using caps is that you know that it’ll stay put in between the connectors as opposed to the rubber pieces; the caps are designed for just this type of pipe.
2. Next instead of using a cap at the end with the film, I used a female adapter and a threaded plug. I did try using a cap the first time, but found that the developer pooled in the space between the cap and the end of the tube, leading to uneven development — just what I was trying to avoid.
3. Finally, I used a 1.5″ piece for the top segment of the tube instead of a 1″. Looking at the diagram, it actually looks like that’s what the original author intended as well. By using a longer top piece, it’s easier to put the top cap on.

So far, the results are pretty encouraging, but not completely satisfactory yet. You really need to make sure that you don’t over glue the pieces or else the glue will run inside of the part of the tube that accepts the film, potentially leading to scratches. I’ve had to correct a couple problems with that in the tubes that I made. Scratching is the biggest concern overall. You have to wash the inside of the tubes extremely thoroughly before use because there will be a lot of small specks left over from sawing and sanding and whatnot. Also when actually developing, using the ABS tubing has the drawback that the fittings have these little ribs that make them hard to rotate next to each other.

The benefits of the tube system are that once you get it working, it only requires 2 oz of working solution per tube and you get very even development. One thing I’m still working out is the timing for moving from development to stop bath. I don’t use stop bath — just water — so I actually put water in and rotate the tubes again for a minute or so after development. When using multiple tubes, shuffling them around and keeping timing precise is tricky.

To sum up, I’ve got some good results and some bad results, but I think I’m steadily reducing the bad to a manageable level.

Mega-Pinhole

After a couple trips to the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse and a couple of weeks of work, I finally finished the “Mega-Pinhole”, a pinhole camera with 42 pinholes. I used these instructions to create pinholes of the right size. The camera is constructed from a box for a slide carrier with 42 35mm film canisters. I cut a hole out of the bottom of each film canister and taped a pinhole over the hole. The canisters are glued to the inside of the box and I cut a hole for each canister, exposing the pinholes. I then covered the pinholes with a piece of foamcore to serve as the shutter.

For the first exposure, I placed a sheet of T-Max 400 over the canisters. Another piece of foamcore glued to the inside of a box lid served as a pressure plate. The shot above is a still life of an autumn scene with flower bouquet, several pumpkins, and leaves. The scene was lit from above with room lighting and took 4 minutes. I’m looking forward to taking more shots with the camera, so feel free to send along some inspiration.