p.1 #1 · Old-style developing tank with apron for 120/620 film?
Someone gave me a roll of Film Washi W (in 120), an artisan film with the emulsion coated onto washi paper. It can't be developed in modern tanks with reels; it's too thin and fragile to go onto a reel, but it can be loaded into those old-fashioned corrugated plastic aprons, which I remember using as a kid with our Brownie cameras.
I found the right tank and apron on eBay (a Correx tank with apron from the 1950s; seems in good shape and even has the twizzle stick) but the cost of the tank plus shipping is nearly $100, which would make this one very expensive roll of film. I could always buy more of that film and amortize the expense, justifying it to myself, but that's just the sunk costs fallacy in action.
Anyway, I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative. The film can also be developed in a darkroom using paper developer in a tray, but I don't have a darkroom. It's orthochromatic so you can even develop it under a safelight, but again this is really not a feasible option for me; all our closets are full and there's no easy way to lightproof any space in our house. Buying a portable darkroom would also be expensive.
I suppose I could go around to some flea markets to see if I can stumble on one of the old Kodak tanks and aprons, which would probably work, but does anyone have any other ideas?
p.1 #2 · Old-style developing tank with apron for 120/620 film?
Update -- I found a Kodak one on eBay for less money (especially less for shipping) so I bought it! Should do the job, and I think it'll bring back memories as I think this is exactly the same tank and apron I used as a kid.
p.1 #5 · Old-style developing tank with apron for 120/620 film?
We'll see if it was worth it for this film. If I develop it in Rodinal I have to shoot it at ISO 3, which doesn't scare me as I've shot films even slower than that (ISO 1.5). I think I'll put it in my Mamiya C330 and bring a tripod and cable release.
Lomig (the guy who runs Film Washi, it's really a one-person business) has since developed a newer panchromatic version of this film, Washi Y, that's ISO 100 and I might try that next if this one works out.
p.1 #7 · Old-style developing tank with apron for 120/620 film?
Oscarsmadness wrote:
I use the garage at night when I'm sloshing in the trays. I turn off the motion sensing light, and the car gets to spend the night outside.
I like that picture.
We have no garage, not even a driveway, and our house is less than 900 square feet. The basement could theoretically be made light-tight, but the cat's litterbox is down there and thus the air is pretty dusty most of the time. Plus we need to keep the basement door open at all times so the cat can get down there; the idea of putting a cat door in the basement door got vetoed (not by me) long ago. I do develop my films in the basement, as there's a sink, so if I ever do decide to create a darkroom I would build it down there.
p.1 #9 · Old-style developing tank with apron for 120/620 film?
Oscarsmadness wrote:
Oh no. That's not a lot of room. I hope the tank and apron you found works!
thanks, me too!
The one concern I have (I should have read the instruction manual before I bought it) is that you're supposed to fill the tank with developer first, then put in the apron and lift it up and down a few times. That's not really feasible in a changing bag although if I buy one of those tent-like changing bags it would work. But that would just be more money.
I might try the usual way of pouring in the developer after I've loaded the film and then agitating by swishing, after I experiment with some water to see how quickly the tank fills that way. I think the reason they want you to put in the developer first is that it takes a while for the tank to fill up; it doesn't fill as quickly as a Paterson tank so there could be uneven development.
p.1 #10 · Old-style developing tank with apron for 120/620 film?
I use a Photoflex Changing Room pop up tent. It’s better than a bag but trying to pour developer into a tank would be a challenge. The best scenario would be to place the tank in a tray, fill it, zip the access flaps closed then try to load the reel without knocking the tank over. You would still have to contend with the possibility of developer overflow when you insert the reel. Loading the tank in the bag and finishing in daylight is the best option.
Good luck and hopefully you’ll get decent results.
