First Try, Jobo CPP-2 (4x10 & 8x10)

[Scott Squires]

After many years of having my film developed by labs, I finally decided I had the time to try my own B&W and E-6 processing. Last month I found a great deal on a new CPP-2 with lift for a price I could not refuse.

I took some Medium Format 120 test shots along with ten 8x10 and ten 4x10 shots. I decided to try Bergger 200 mainly because they sell boxes of 4x10 already cut so that made it easy. I had heard that it was a good B&W film. I wanted to try B&W processing before getting into any E-6.

I bought two Jobo 3005 drums for 8x10/4x10 and one Jobo 2563 drum for 120. I was surprised at the cost of the drums, expensive!After seeing how the they work it must be tough to mold them. I went with Kodak D76 and tried to keep it simple. Followed Bergger's recommendations along with Kodak and Jobo. Actually, as most of you know B&W is a pretty simple process, but for a new guy it seemed big.

The results were 4 rolls of 120, 10 sheets of 8x10 and the format I was most concerned about 4x10 in the 3005 drum all came out perfectly. I was concerned about the 4x10 sheets moving during rotation but they all stayed in place and developed perfectly. I do like the look of the Bergger film.

It was very exciting to see the finished negatives!

Next month I am off to Yosemite and as always I will just shoot B&W there. E-6 will come in the future but for now B&W has become much more fun to shoot.

Scott
www.scottsquires.com

[Dave Jeffery]

I'm looking forward to hearing about your E-6 experience as I'm considering doing my own developing as well.

Good Luck

[Scott Davis]

Glad you're liking your Jobo. I got one to do sheet film in b/w and now I can't see doing it any other way for 99% of my work. I'll still do deep tanks when I want to do semi-stand, but the Jobos are a wonderful thing, especially those expert drums. No more scratched film! No more stinky chemistry on the hands, and no more standing on my feet in a darkened room for a half-hour! In the words of Ronco founder Ron Popeil, "Set it and forget it!" (relatively speaking).

[Bruce Watson]

...and the format I was most concerned about 4x10 in the 3005 drum all came out perfectly. I was concerned about the 4x10 sheets moving during rotation but they all stayed in place and developed perfectly.

I'm curious about this as I use a 3010 drum for 5x4 film. How did you put the 10x4 sheets into the 3005 drum? I was thinking that the 3005 was 10 inches deep, and you put the 10x8 film into it by curling the film into a 10 inch long tube and inserting into the drum. This would seem to preclude using 10x4 film as there wouldn't be anyway to hold it in place while the drum turned.

Unless..... you normally curl 10x8 film into an 8 inch long tube and insert that into the drum, which is only 8 inches deep. Then you could also curl the 10x4 film into a 4 inch long tube and insert the same way. Is that how it works? If so, can you process two sheets of 10x4 in each well in the drum, or would there be too much danger of the sheets sliding over one another?

I'm curious because I'm feeling the inexorable pull of 10x4 myself. But before I put any money in it, I want to know how I'm going to process it.

[Scott Squires]

Bruce
I loaded the 4x10 the same as 8x10 is loaded in the 3005 drum, curl the 8" side and slide it down the 10" cylinder. I was concerned because the 4x10 only fills half the cylinder and could move during rotation. None of the 4x10 sheets moved and they developed perfectly.

As you know the 3010 has a ridge on two sides that allows two 4x5 sheets to be in the same cylinder and are held apart by the ridges. I think if you loaded two 4x10 sheets in a 3005 drum there would be a good chance that the sheets could overlap some during rotation. Of course a great Jobo drum would be a 3005 setup with two ridges like the 3010 and you could do ten 4x10's. It looks like Jobo is not really doing any more work in the drum area and 4x10 is still a very small part of LF. As long as the 3005 works I will be Very happy.

The Expert drums are a joy to use and loading film could not be easier. The whole Jobo CPP-2 setup makes processing fun! I wish I had not waited so long to try it!

Scott
www.scottsquires.com