What did Jobo ATL 2 Plus cost when new?

[Jim Simmons]

I picked up an ATL 2 Plus a few months ago and finally gather all the stuff I've needed to get it operational - thermostatic valve, thermometer, plumbing parts, etc. It had been in storage for several years after a small lab installed a Frontier machine, but it is operating flawlessly, and I've never had such perfect negs with such incredible ease. Does anybody have any idea what these beasts sold for when they were new? I got luck and got mine for less than US $200 with shipping, then spent another $200-300 getting it running. I'm thinking this may be the best money I've spent on gear in quite a while!
Jim

[Nana Sousa Dias]

I picked up an ATL 2 Plus a few months ago and finally gather all the stuff I've needed to get it operational - thermostatic valve, thermometer, plumbing parts, etc. It had been in storage for several years after a small lab installed a Frontier machine, but it is operating flawlessly, and I've never had such perfect negs with such incredible ease. Does anybody have any idea what these beasts sold for when they were new? I got luck and got mine for less than US $200 with shipping, then spent another $200-300 getting it running. I'm thinking this may be the best money I've spent on gear in quite a while!
Jim

I have one of those, the last price was about 10.000€, here, in Portugal. I bought mine 2 years ago for 1.000€, including water Thermostatic Cylinder heater, for washing, thermometer, 2x3063, 1x 3006, 1 x 3010 expert drums, several 2500 and 2800 series drums, reels, etc and several boxes of 4x5" Tmax 100, Plus-x, Technical pan and several boxes of 5x7" APX100, Provia 100F and Velvia 50.
You did a great deal, that price you paid is ridiculous, for such a machine like that. It's wonderfull, easy to operate. I process everything on that machine, even 5x7 and 8x10 positive film.

[Jim Simmons]

All the goodies you got with that kit add up to a pretty good deal for you too, Nana. I know full well why my price was so good. I live in New Zealand, and with only 4 million people here and the cost of shipping something that big to anywhere, even Australia, being prohibitive, when you try to sell something like that here, you're market is very small, and you just have to trust the fates that you can find somebody who wants it. If you're a buyer, you never know when something might come on the market, and when it does, because it's so rare, you may have two other people bidding, but it's a mad scramble because it's rare, or, you may be the only bidder, and you get an insane deal, as this case was for me.

Now, when I hear people worrying about whether they'll be able to get film developed any longer, I just laugh, because if I can get the chemicals and the film, I'll be OK.

[Nana Sousa Dias]

All the goodies you got with that kit add up to a pretty good deal for you too, Nana. I know full well why my price was so good. I live in New Zealand, and with only 4 million people here and the cost of shipping something that big to anywhere, even Australia, being prohibitive, when you try to sell something like that here, you're market is very small, and you just have to trust the fates that you can find somebody who wants it. If you're a buyer, you never know when something might come on the market, and when it does, because it's so rare, you may have two other people bidding, but it's a mad scramble because it's rare, or, you may be the only bidder, and you get an insane deal, as this case was for me.

Now, when I hear people worrying about whether they'll be able to get film developed any longer, I just laugh, because if I can get the chemicals and the film, I'll be OK.


New Zeland? Wow, you live in Landscape Photographer's Paradise! With a Jobo ATL 2 and a large format folding wooden camera you will be the real Lord of the Rings!

[pkphotog]

According to my old Calumet photo catalogue, the ATL2 cost $4395 new in 1989. That was for the machine only.

[Stephen Willard]

What ever they charged for it, it was not enough. I have one, and its an amazing machine that provides amazing value.

If I may make a few suggestions, make sure you grease the plastic drum that the lift arm rotates about and the gears that rotate the film/paper drums. There is a grease kit you can buy for doing this. The plastic drum is only accessible when the lift arm is fully elevated from underneath the arm. For the small white gears on the lift, there is a grease fitting in the side.

Enjoy...