Re: [Leica] plastic or metal tank

["Jeff S" <segawa@netone.com>]

Stephen,
Awhile ago, I asked this same question, and some clever person pointed out
that the plastic tanks are better insulated, hence, chances of temperature
fluctuations are reduced, so I went with a Jobo tank + plastic reels.
Compared to my Honeywell Nikor tank, it's faster to fill/drain, and there's
never a problem about stuck caps. I love the plastic reels because they can
handle 35mm, 220 film, or 2x 120 films each! But I'd recommend purchasing
extras, as they really should be completely dry before attempting to reload.

Remember, however, that if you wish to use 1:3 dilutions of XTOL, a
single-reel tank won't work--you'll need to have at least 100 ml of
full-strength developer per roll of film, which translates to 400 ml at 1:3!
In this instance, look into getting a 2-reel tank, but leave reel #2 empty.

Jeff

- -----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Kobrin <skobrin@yahoo.com>
>Digital processing of my B&W negatives has made me realize that I need
>control of the entire process and I want to get back to developing my
>own film (Its been 25 yrs).  A very basic question:  I am getting
>conflicting advice on metal vs. plastic tanks and reels.  Any
>preferences on the LUG?  I will start with a one roll tank.