Any special way to load 5x7 sheet film in a JOBO 3010 drum

[Serge S]

I heard the 3010 drum can be used to process (5 sheets of) 5x7 film.
As it is not designed to load 5x7 film..any special way to place the sheets?
Do I just place them loose in each cylinder?

Thanks,

Serge

[Christopher Barrett]

I use the 3010 for 4x10 and it works great. I'd just slip them in along the long side so that the curl is on the short side, unless anyone thinks there's a reason to reverse that?

[Serge S]

I use the 3010 for 4x10 and it works great. I'd just slip them in along the long side so that the curl is on the short side, unless anyone thinks there's a reason to reverse that?

Great. Thanks Chris!

[reedvalve]

this helps though it doesn't answer every question you may have:

http://www.jobo-usa.com/images/manuals/Expert_drums.pdf

I forget which way, but for 5x7 the film should be flush with the top and bottomed for 4x5 (or vice-versa)...pretty sure the answer is in the above instructions.

be sure to use enough chemistry

oops, edit, I thought you wanted to know how to load a 3006 not a 3010.

[cowanw]

5x7 will only fit one way with the curl in the 7 inch length. The problem is the ridge that holds the 4 inch 4x5 will touch the back of the 5x7 (if that is a problem, I don't know).

[cowanw]

PS the tank is only 5 3/4 inch deep and 8 inches round. I do not believe 4x10 inches will work. Perhaps Christopher is mistaken as to the model he uses.

[Christopher Barrett]

Yeah, sorry, I have the 3005 & 3010. Can never keep those numbers straight!

[Michael Clark]

I have been using the 3010 on 5x7 and it has worked fine for me.

[Serge S]

Thanks again for all the feedback. Glad I don't need to purchase another drum to process 5x7.
I prefer to allocate my funds towards film:)

[Pali K]

I went through the same decision recently when I started shooting 5x7. I have the 8x10 (3005) and 4x5 3010 expert drums and have used both with excellent results. I was worried that the 3010 would scratch the back of the 5x7 negative but I was completely wrong. 3010 is now my goto tank for 5x7.

Pali

[badbluesman]

For years I used the 3006 drum for 5x7, but I was losing about 15% of my film when the corner of a sheet would overlap itself during development. Jobo actually sold this drum as a 5x7 drum! Later someone told me that I should have been using the drum designed for 5 8x10s. But from reading this thread it sounds like I could get the 3010 and use it for both 5 5x7s and for 10 4x5s. Does that sound right?

[Oren Grad]

For years I used the 3006 drum for 5x7, but I was losing about 15% of my film when the corner of a sheet would overlap itself during development. Jobo actually sold this drum as a 5x7 drum! Later someone told me that I should have been using the drum designed for 5 8x10s. But from reading this thread it sounds like I could get the 3010 and use it for both 5 5x7s and for 10 4x5s. Does that sound right?

No. If you are getting damaging overlap in the 3006, there's probably something wrong about the way you're loading or otherwise using it. 3006 is my standard drum for 5x7. I would never use the 3005 if I had only 5x7 to develop - the wells are way oversized for 5x7, the drum is much heavier, and there's no reason to put the extra load on the motor when the 3006 is available.

EDIT: Can you describe how you use the 3006, what the wells look like when you open the drum at the end of the processing run, and exactly what the film looks like?

[Vaughn]

Same here, Oren. I use my 3006 for 5x7 often with no problem of over-lapping corners. I use my 3005s for 5x7 if I have filled my one 3006 already...or sharing a drum with some 8x10s.

[Oren Grad]

Yes, here too - depending on the mix of exposed film I have on hand, occasionally I'll include a 5x7 sheet to fill out a 3004 or 3005 which I'm using for larger film.

[badbluesman]

No. If you are getting damaging overlap in the 3006, there's probably something wrong about the way you're loading or otherwise using it. 3006 is my standard drum for 5x7. I would never use the 3005 if I had only 5x7 to develop - the wells are way oversized for 5x7, the drum is much heavier, and there's no reason to put the extra load on the motor when the 3006 is available.

EDIT: Can you describe how you use the 3006, what the wells look like when you open the drum at the end of the processing run, and exactly what the film looks like?

As far as I know I am loading the 5x7 sheets in the 3006 drum according to the instructions: Emulsion in, pushed down so they are just flush with or a little below the opening, 7" dimension parallel to the cylinder, 5" dimension curves around, the spaces between the ends of the curved sheets oriented towards the center of the drum.

When I open the drum after fixing, I sometimes find some sheets have twisted out of alignment with the cylinders. In the worst cases, they overlap one corner, causing uneven/underdevelopment. Sometimes this effect is minimal and doesn't ruin the printability of the image. Other times it is severe enough to cause a zero density area in one corner.

Could the problem be caused by my choice of rotary speed? As I recall, I was using the recommended speed and it was not the maximum.

[Oren Grad]

Could the problem be caused by my choice of rotary speed? As I recall, I was using the recommended speed and it was not the maximum.

Dunno, but it's a good question. What processor are you using, and what speed setting? Do you have the processor set to reverse the rotation direction periodically, or for uninterrupted unidirectional rotation? Also, what film and what developer do you use? How long are typical development times? Do you pre-soak in the drum? Just trying to see if any of the other details will suggest anything.

FWIW: In my experience, sometimes sheets will corkscrew a bit and a corner will extend up into the lid space slightly. But I've never had corners overlap, nor any damage, in ~20 years of using my CPA-2, with 3004, 3005, 3006 or 3010, and with many different sizes of film. My CPA-2 has the latest motor version; for many years I used rotation setting 4, more recently rotation setting 3, with the standard reversing rotation. Mostly HP5 Plus and non-exotic developers like D-76, ID-11, Xtol, or DD-X, development times generally in the 5-8 minute range, no pre-soak.