Irving,
I am doing everything you indicate. I have posted an email I sent to
jobo, which I will again post below that explains the process I have
followed.
I am using the 2500 series FILM drums, with the proper inner cores
and with 2502 reels for 120 film. For my 4x5 and 8x10 films, I have the
3005 and 3010 expert drums.
I have processed everything from 35mm to 8x10² film, using methods
ranging from small tank (inversion), tray, large tank dip and dunk, large
tank nitrogen burst and now rotary processing. I can say with absolute
confidence that I have not gotten decent, even sheet film processing since I
switched from nitrogen burst to a Jobo rotary. I can also state that I have
not gotten even roll film development since I switched from small tank
inversion to a jobo rotary. I shoot landscapes and still lifes that have
large, extremely even, white backgrounds. The uneveness of development is
quite obvious in that environment.
I have experimented countless times in order to correct these
inadequacies. I have had a back and forth dialog with various members of
your technical assistance dept for several years, and have made alterations
to my methodology, as well as many experiments based on their advice. In
spite of all of these efforts, I still have, what your people describe as
³road ruts, on my roll film, and a combination of ³road ruts² and an effect
that can only be described as pouring a blob of developer onto the center of
un-agitated film and letting it sit there for a minute or two prior to
agitation. These results come from film exposed in my Rolleis, mamiyas and
Fujis. As well as readyloads, 4x5 and 8x10 sheet film in lisco holders, and
8x10 film exposed under the enlarger. I have been told by your tech people
that using kodak film with kodak developers is problematic. I have also
been told ( by 2 different techs) that I should turn the machine 90 degrees
to the earthıs magentic field!!!!
Upon the further advice of your technical assistance people I have
measured the rpm of the processor and have processed roll film at 75rpm, 65
rpm and 50 rpm. I have used distilled water in my developers, distilled
water or tap water for my presoak when d-76 was the dev, no pre soak when
x-tol was the dev. My drums are perfectly level when in operation. I have
used chemical quantities at the recommended amounts, and at more and less
than the recommended amounts. I never process more than 4 rolls of 120
film at a time in a 2563 tank, using 4 reels. I use as much as 1000ml of
developer to do this. I have used d-76 1:1 (1000ml for 4 *120ıs), Xtol
(straight 1000ml for 4 rolls 120), xtol 1:1 (1000ml for 4 rolls of 120). On
the advice of your tech people I do not use stop bath, but use 4 rinses
prior to a 5 minute fix in kodak rapid fix. I have done all of this with
Tmax100, Ilford fp-4plus and Delta 100. I have done all of this with sheet
film, in 300x series tanks. The only difference being that your tech people
recommended 50 rpm as the speed for the 300x expert drums. I use distilled
water for presoaks, for developer and for photo flo. The photo flo is done
after the film is removed from the reels or drum and placed in a glass
beaker filled with the photo flo working solution.
All of my tanks and reels are completely clean, no contaminants
anywhere, as all of my prints are for sale in galleries, I run an archivally
oriented darkroom. There are no, sources of light in my darkroom save the
red light emitted from the jobo itself and the green glow from some gralab
timers. The entrance to the darkroom consists of entering a light tight room
first, with a light trap door, and then passing through a second light trap
door into the darkroom.
As a means of protecting my negatives I have what is probably the most
experienced B&W digital lab in the country, Bow Haus, produce 8x10 tmax100
copy negatives for me. They too have a jobo, they too can not get evenly
processed 8x10 film with it. They have tried sending their film to outside
labs who also use jobo, and they too have had the same problems. They have
not been able to find a single lab that processes 8x10 properly in a jobo.
They now process my 8x10 copy negs by hand in a tray. That has given them
the best results so far.
On 1/25/04 9:40 AM, in article
,
"LABFIX 2" wrote:
There are some inherent problems with some jobo reels when processing certain
formats. And some process' are more prone to having problems. ie; B&W
1. If you are processing sheet film, you must use Expert Drums for even
development.
2. If you are processing B&W, do not use a stop bath between dev and fix.
3. Using distilled water for chemical mixing can solve a multitude of B&W
problems.
4. Follow JOBO processing recommendations. To the letter.
5. All of my customers sheet film problems have been solved by using Expert
Drums,LOADED PROPERLY, and chemicals diluted with distilled water.
I had a customer at a museum that constantly called me in to solve a
processing
problem with sheet film. They shoot 4X5, B&W and e-6. They would have a soft
diffused line down the middle of sheet film.But not all the time. It would
come
and go. I performed MANY test over several weeks to try and solve their
problem. At this point they absolutely HATED their JOBO processors ( a
ATL-2500
and a ATL-2000) When ever I made test, the film was perfect. Then I had the
museum make a test. When I went to take the film out to photoflo and hang to
dry, I noticed that every other piece of film was loaded incorrectly. The film
that were loaded correctly were perfect. The films loaded incorrectly(Emulsion
toward outside of barrel) had a diffused plus density line. Problem solved!
But, they still hate their JOBO's , go figure.....
Some very well known photographers use JOBO processors exclusively, with
repeatable excellent results. I know how frustrating processing anamolies can
be. But I encourage anyone with proceesing problems, to carefully review the
JOBO processor installation procedures and processing procedures-TO THE
LETTER.
This solves well over 70% of the problems.
It's the other 30% that keeps me awake at night...
Irving Harris
PLR-Photographic Inc.
JOBO Premier Servicing Dealer