What does everyone think of the JOBO HP Combi plan for developing 4x5 B&W negs? I'm thinking of getting one but wasn't sure if they were any good. How do you agitate with a full tank of solution,the tank would be heavy as heck. Also how many negs can you process at one time. It's only 75.00 for one but I'm more concerned with results more than the money.
What tank are you asking about? There's an HP Combi Plan tank and there are Jobo tanks. Jobo has nothing to do with the Combi Plan tank.Originally Posted by ignatiusjk
Once you've decided which tank you're interested in, an archive search here will provide extensive information on it. Both brands have been discussed in many previous threads.
I'm looking at the HP Combi plan.I didn't realize they were different.
To me, the Combi is a bit more difficult to load; but not that big a deal. The Combi will take about 1 liter of chemistry whereas the Jobo 3010 can be used with less. I think it can get my with about 250ml. When using the Combi one has to be careful about the agitation least the negs get loose from the holder. Agitation along the plane of the film is supposed to prevent this. I have the both and get more consistent results from the Jobo. Draining and filling the Combi is a slow compared to the Jobo. For stand development one would need the HP Combi.
Best Regards.,
Tim
One of the "standard" 4x5 tanks is the Jobo 2523 with the Jobo 2409n reel. However, this is not a tank designed for manual agitation; it is designed for use with one of the Jobo motorised processors.
That being said, I used to simply cork the hole when I used agitation (before I got the processor), cutting down a Champagne cork to fit. Absolutely no issue with this method.
This tank will do six 4x5 sheets in one go.
Lachlan.
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky
How many sheets can you process with the JOBO 3010?
"When using the Combi one has to be careful about the agitation least the negs get loose from the holder. Agitation along the plane of the film is supposed to prevent this."
Not if you haven't broken the film hold down clip by failing to slightly squeeze it when you remove it from the film rack.
The rack and the hold down clip are ratcheted and film can not fall out when agitating except with a broken clip.
There are no instructions as to which plane the film should be agitaed in with a Combi. The instructioons state that you simply invert the tank and leave it inverted until the chemistry stops moving. Then reinvert it. Do this for as long as the required agitation time for each cycle. Wide side or narrow side is immaterrial.
If you would like to review the instructions I will be happy to send you a copy.
There are two ways to agitate with the CombiPlan T. It was made for either inverse agitation in room light as a daylight tank system. As such it is only neccessary to be in the dark while loading the tank. To simplify this every complete CombPlan T includes a film loading guide that clips on to each side of the film rack. The guide has three wide slots that guides the film into the 3 slots on each side of the carrier. This guide clips on and can actually hold the loaded weight of the film holder.
The tank is not filled completely with chemistry. When filled with the amount of chemistry listed on the inside of the light tight to there is room left for the chemistry to "flow" to when the tank is inverted. It is not that heavy that this would be difficult to do.
The second method is to use the tank as a 3 tank system where the film is agitated either in the light as above with the top on or in the dark by lifting and replacing the holder in the tank in the dark. This will not give as even development as the inverse method with the correct amount of chemistry in the tank.
Up to about 20 years ago there were two different CombiPlan 45 tanks sold. One was the T for inverse, room light processing. The second was the CombiPlan L with a hard pklastic "Lab" lid for processing in a bank of tanks. As most users left chemistry in the tank an accessory floating lid was available as well as hard raised plastic numbers that could be applied to the sides of the tanks to help the user to recognize the proper tank in the dark. When the L system was sold it had a screw in plug on the bottom of the tank instead of the Light Tight Hose Connector of the T system and did not include the funnel or the second Light Tight Hose Connector for the top of the tank.
So that is a another difference between a drum system and the CombiPlan T. The T is also a forced film washe when you attach a hose to the tank.
How many sheets at a time? Officially 6, one in each slot. However when doing black and white it is possible to do two in each slot - back to back - but you have to practice this as some people have a problem with the films touching when processing this way. The Univ of MT taught processing this way with a fiber glass widow screen sandwiched between the two sheets. Others presoak the film briefly, others just do it with no problem. This will not work with color film. So the answer is 1 to 6 for color and up to 12 for B&W. Chemistry life is not changed when doing film back to back.
10 in the 3010. (And 4 in the 3004, 5 in the 3005, 6 in the 3006. But not 62 in the 3062 and not 63 in the 3063.)
If you use the screen material make sure to temper the screen material by soaking in developer fix and stop WITHOUT any film as the screen material can leach onto the film when first used. this will imprint the screen material onto your negative! Also check chemistry proportions if you use diluted developer as you can deplete the developer!
Wally Brooks
Everything is Analog!
Any Fool Can Shoot Digital!
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