Ilford 2150 RC paper processor. Any experiences?

[andré herger]

Good day.

Does anyone have experiences with the paper processor Ilford 2150 RC?

I do not know if the quality of these prints is good enough for archival prints.

Does the machine give good results with large prints(50,8 cm)?

Thank you all for your infos about this machine.

Best regards André

[kthompson]

I've been using one for about ten years now where I work....have had some good & bad experiences with it, but on the whole--*if* the model you have is in decent condition, and if you approach it with the understanding that roller transport processors aren't perfect--the 2150 is a decent machine and is relatively user friendly compared to other similar processors.

the prints are probably not "archival". The big question here is always what your definition of archival is. The 2150 machines are probably the number one processors used by museums and archive photo labs around the world. The prints are processed rapidly, but the machine works by an elevated temperature--95 degrees F--instead of an activator type developer. What this means is that a non-developer incorporated paper may be used with the processor and these tend to have a better life than the dev-inc. counterparts. IF the processor is functioning properly and IF the model is young enough to have a sprayer bar on the exit portion of the wash tank? And IF the wash-flow rate is good, then the prints should get an adequate enough wash to be acceptable. I have selenium toned rc prints straight out of the processor--by shutting off the dryer and rewetting them briefly--with no ill effects. no staining etc. My experience has been if the chemistry is fresh and the wash is okay, the prints do rather well.

Like I said--are the prints archival? Loaded question. My gut feeling is that the display and storage environment play such a big role in their longevity that the answer can't be given easily. sorry.

The machine will handle a cut sheet size up to 20x24. A 20 inch wide print can be fed, but it needs to go in straight as an arrow--or it will get mangled on the edges of the racks and if severe enough, may bind in the processor. I have fed 20 inch by approx 4-5 foot long mural sheets through it, but this is a total PIA. 16x20s are a breeze along with anything down to about a 5x7. you need a minimum 5 inch length to feed. With some skinny test strips and smaller prints, they can jump the racks and get lost in the machine or get stuck to other prints--and certain thick papers, like Ilford Portfolio, don't feed well.

uhm.... the machine takes 2150XL chemistry--or you may be able to use some other similar machine chem. You get 1000 8x10s or 2 weeks--whichever comes first. The chemistry is used 'til exhaustion, no repl. needed. Whether this is economical, depends on your situation. Machines that use repl. chem. can handle higher amounts of material--but they need to be handling it on a daily basis. If not, you tend to use more chemistry--as the repl. rates are more aggressive for lower usage. The 2150 is an economical processor for small to mid volume labs in this regard--but once it's loaded, it's ready to go for that 2 week period of time. If you make 5 prints and that's it? It's pretty expensive. If you make 500? It works out pretty good.

It runs in 60 sec dry to dry. I suggest hooking it up to a water panel with about 5-20 micron filters for both hot & cold water. They don't require any tempered water per-se, but the machine is very sensitive to crud in the water, and having a water panel will cut the warm-up time considerably.

I guess that's it--hope this helps. You should know that Ilford doesn't make these machines anymore and doesn't offer direct support for them either. If you live in the US, the support is through SERCO. If not--then contact Ilford I guess.

Good luck, hope this helps. Opinions expressed in this message may not represent the policy of my agency.

[andré herger]

Wow!!

Where do i have to send the winebottle to?...

[kthompson]

ah, well, least I can do for a fellow 2150 user. alot of people use those machines, but there's not much info online about them. so, have you bought one or are you using someone elses?