Yankee Plastic 4x5" Sheet Film Day Light Developing Tank

It is nice because you can develop 12 sheets at a time, but loading is a learning process. Because the lid does not secure tightly, there are light leaks at the edges of film. Agitation it weird also, you agitate back and forth rather than up and down or immersion. This could lead to uneven development.

This tank doesn't have any kind of seal on the lid, which means it sloshes chemicals when agitating. Due to this, the level of the chemicals drops throughout the development, making it uneven. I also experienced bubbles on the film at the top due to the liquid level dropping. If you simply want to do a stand development with no agitation, it may work, but I would stay away from this one.

I have found the Yankee Agitank processing developing tank to be ideal for my way of working. That's not to say it's for every photographer or lab. No, it's not invertible and will indeed leak if tipped even slightly if it's full. (There is a warning on the lid that states agitation must be side to side.) In fact, I don't use it as a "daylight" tank - I go "lidless". I process in complete dark, agitate by slightly lifting the rack up and down, for 30 seconds and let the film be still for 30 seconds, per each minute. It's the rack that I find to to be the best, over the smaller tanks on the market or even to be found in the past. I own one of the supposedly excellent Combi Plan tanks. It's OK, but only holds a maximum of 6 sheets of 4x5 film. The Yankee holds 12. I shoot a considerable amount of film and appreciate the volume. Yes, as one reviewer pointed out, the Yankee tank requires enough chemistry to cover the entire the rank and fill the large tank: 55 ounces. If I am processing 12 sheets of 4x5 film, which I often do, that's an acceptable investment of developer $. (I dilute my homemade D-76 at 1:2 which means I am using 18.5oz to 37 oz.) I found the rack easy to load and found no uneven development marks. I would have gone for 5 stars but nothing's perfect. I suppose loading could be a bit easier and the materials could be a bit more durable and not fragile - the hard plastic is prone to crack or break if dropped. But after the vexations and challenges of tray development (my second favorite) and surge marks from metal hangers, the Yankee is my preference.

Very uneven development; uses too much chemistry. Try the SP-445 instead.