New Film Processor with JOBO Expert Support, Ready to Order

Hello,

I would like to announce the MEKINER LL-2 film and print processor is now available for sale!

Overall Capability

It is a film and print processor for Black & White and Color in virtually all formats: 35mm, 120/220, 4x5", 8x10", and Ultra Large Format (up to 20x24").

There is support for all JOBO 2500, Expert series, and 3000 print drums.

The JOBO 2850 and 3063 print drums for 16x20" and 20x24" prints (or ultra large format films) will require the LL-2B Large Tank Extension Kit to work with the processor.

This LL-2B extension kit is not for sale yet, final refinements in the design are still being made. I use the prototype extension kit to make my own 16x20" prints.

Portability

When fully assembled, this processor fits snugly in a 12x16" space. FYI, I can legally bring my processor in my luggage when traveling through an airport.

It can be powered by 6 AA batteries or the plug-in rechargeable Li-Ion battery (included with processor).

I have performed 4 to 5 development runs on a single charge, with the heavy JOBO Expert.

Workflow

The processor is controlled by a programmable temperature compensating multi-step process timer.

Once you enter your development times (and temperatures), you simply have to select START, pour in chemicals, wait for the alarm to sound, select STOP, pour out your chemicals, and then repeat.

This workflow applies for every type of process (e.g. B&W, E-6, C-41, RA-4, Pyro).

Custom processing becomes more procedural when the development workflow is the same, and maximum consistency is achieved.

Black and White

For B&W users, the temperature compensation system will calculate compensating development times for different working temperatures.

The temperature compensation system is adjustable. You may input different "temperature coefficients" to suit your particular developer.

The standard temperature coefficient matches the ILFORD time temperature charts.

Temperature compensation can be configured or disabled for not just one but multiple steps in the process timer.

All temperature compensation settings and development times can be saved into "profiles".

You can create development profiles to store all information for a particular process (suited to a certain combination of film, developer, dilution, and temperatures).

This processor is designed to be a scientific instrument to help you test and execute the fine tuning of your development.

I do not view film processing as a standardized process. It must be varied and controlled by the photographer to achieve the desired results.

It is my opinion that this processor is the most ideal for large format B&W work among all processors currently on the market.

Color

Color development will require the use of your own tempered water bath.

Some use a sous-vide or even the Cinestill TCS-1000 for maintaining chemistry temperature.

I have done extensive testing and written high quality color processing procedures into the manual.

Accessories

The processor comes with following much needed accessories (of which more can be ordered):

• Wide-mouth processing bottles, which enable easy pouring directly in and out during processing.
• Large rinse water bottles, which allow storage of 8 liters (~ 2 gallons) of water within an 8x10" space.
• Sturdy funnel with hose, which enables pouring of chemicals into JOBO tanks while they are rotating.

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4MusRuzzo

Rotating JOBO Expert: (This is a third party video, not official.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvq0S6l...on_share_sheet

Results

Some work from my portfolio archives is currently viewable at:

dereklluisma.com

There are many 4x5" large format color negative and 35mm color slides shown. Every image shown was processed using the processor.

Website

To purchase, view more information, or learn more about current pricing, visit the website:

mekiner.com

This announcement only covers general information. For more extensive details about the processor, I urge you to read the very highly comprehensive manual:

mekiner.com/home/support/manuals.clsp

If you make an order, current turn around times can be up to 6 weeks.

I try to finish the order as soon as possible, so it could arrive far before that. It's a little busy right now.

Final Remarks

I feel that the videos shown aren't satisfactory for me.

It is taking time, but I am filming videos for 4x5" color negative development with the JOBO Expert and color printing with RA-4 (ft. Beseler 45MXII with Dichro DG Head).

I would also like to thank the people who run this forum and the helpful folks who regularly discuss. Reading through many of the LF discussions here contributed to the design and development of the processor.

Sincerely,
Derek Lluisma

https://mekiner.com/accounts/downloa...969-small.jpeg

https://mekiner.com/accounts/downloa...353-small.jpeg

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Very interesting.

Possibly the best user manual for negative and print making for both colour and B&W processes I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

I do believe you should specify everything in metric with USA preferences in brackets, there are a couple of instances where you are having a bet each way. 1¼ x 300ml = 375ml then in the next instance you use 10 x 375ml = 3.75L instead of 3¾L.

But to be honest, that manual is brilliant.

Jobo had a pair of stepped wedges with three levels for levelling their processors, either that or perhaps a simple screw leveller in the base on some corners?

I didn't know about the 2509N reels not spinning when empty.... But then again, I don't really think I could check that as all of my tanks are opaque.

I didn't quite get where a temperature probe could be placed, or did I miss something? Having temperature controlled variables inbuilt, is pretty cool, especially if it is real temperature monitoring.

Is the button on the computer reasonably moisture proof, I say this because no matter how fastidious one is with drying hands, at some point a wet finger is going to press the button. Love the metronome, great bonus for printing.

Is it possible to add another alarm ding? The idea being that the first ding goes off at 20 seconds, the second goes off as it does now at 10 seconds. With long processes one can sometimes be busy elsewhere in the darkroom, or daydreaming, and you need a reality check to wake yourself up. I'm thinking of a second ding being user programmable, not ex-factory set. With C41 process you need to be ready to stop things dead in their tracks at 3'15".

There was no mention of AC power input specifications for the battery charger, while most of the world has evolved over to 230V AC 50 Hertz, the USA is 115V AC or 230V AC 60 Hertz. Japan as I understand it being the exception where half of the country is 50 Hertz while the other half is 60 Hertz.

Mick.

I see about the metric. I honestly though of using 1¼ instead of 1.25 because I figured it would be easier to remember. But good point, I'll think about it.

If the counter top is level (like most are), then the rotation base is always perfectly level to the millimeter. Everything is flat on the bottom and this means it's stable when auto-reversing the larger tanks.

The 2509N reels have those flaps, so when there is no film the rotation speed is briefly affected the moment the water of chemicals get scooped up by it. That's my experience at least.

For printing in a tray, there is a temperature probe sensor which can be placed in the tray and plugged into the process timer. The process timer could then be setup to perform real time temperature compensation based on the sensor readings. Granted, with the supplies right now, I only see the temperature sensor being sold in limited quantities.

The real problem is when larger amounts of water spill onto the computer. The buttons are reasonably moisture proof that wet hands do no harm. But, I decided to make the manual more "conservative".

This processor has been used by some friends in a lab environment for nearly a year now. They processed several hundreds of rolls and they abused it everyday, and still are for that matter. And being so busy, they weren't so careful about the dry hands, and it still survived and is running even right now with no maintenance.

If anything, the thing I would worry about is when water accidentally collects in higher quantities inside any gloves you wear. I didn't realize much water collected inside my gloves at one time, and then the water was dumped out onto the computer when I pressed the button. That's a more serious case though.

An extra alarm ding. That is interesting. Maybe instead, we could have the "metronome" sound effect start playing a certain number of seconds before the end time. And maybe this could be programmable in a menu setting.

Very interesting idea. I wrote my own firmware and user interface APIs; basically I can even perform firmware updates on existing processors and add features as needed.

Frankly, I was printing one day and my enlarging timer broke. Instead of botching my print run with already exposed paper and heated chemicals, I decided to write the "metronome" functionality plus the user interfaces to configure it. That took 4 hours.

If anything, it takes longer to craft explanations and illustrations for the manual than it takes to create the new functionality.

But yeah, I think it's possible the best idea would be to make it programmable to have the "metronome" sound effect kick in a certain numbers of seconds before the end time. Like a warning before the final alarm. It would be a "Warning" menu setting.

The battery charger is rated 100-240V, 50-60 Hz. An adapter plug is all that's needed.

Cheers,
Derek

Oooh, having a metronome kick in for a set number of seconds prior to the ding going off, is a brilliant idea. You may wish to add the metronome for say 8 seconds after the ding anyway. The mind is actually a time machine and we time virtually everything without noticing it, this is a hardwired thing in our brains. A feature like that could be brilliant as we would automatically be doing things to finish on time with the metronome counts happening in the back of our minds.

Your Brain Is A Time Machine:

https://kidsbookbuzz.com/product/you...ysics-of-time/

The temperature probe idea for prints in a tray is a pretty good idea as no matter what people do, the temperature almost always drops as one is printing.

I forgot to comment on the diameter differences of the Jobo tanks and their relative speed, nice touch!

Just a thought on your video, I've only seen the one linked in this thread. If you could slow your speech delivery slightly, I think the comprehension for listeners would climb a fair bit. I am a native English speaker (Australian English) and I'm pretty adept with different English accents, but at times I was struggling to comprehend what your were saying, due mainly I thought to your speed of delivery; which I believe lowered your elocution a little.

Did I mention that that is the best manual, I've ever read?

Mick.

Yes, I'm sold to the metronome warning idea.

I'm actually going to be on the road for a week or so for a very important photographic assignment. Can't miss this one.

Once I get back, I'm adding the new "Warning" setting. Looks like I'll have to update the manual too then.

Any processor purchased from now on WILL have the "Warning" setting. It's quite useful, even for me.

Thanks for the compliments about the manual; I certainly hope it's worth something good. It took a whole year to write that.

I'll take note about my talking for future videos. Eventually, I'll add captions to the existing video.

It's actually the FIRST video I have ever filmed in my life. I'm definitely not used to that yet.

- Derek

Brilliant, just seeing this now. Quite an accomplishment!

I love it, but I'm unclear - is this Lego Technic?

I made a manual rotary processor with a Lego geartrain but your device is MUCH more sophisticated - not to mention much cooler! :cool:

Congrats!!

Much obliged, thanks.

And yes, this is Lego Technic. The idea is the plastic gears from Technic are virtually bulletproof when used correctly.

With the gear train design right now, this processor has been able to run 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, for nearly a whole year.

And still going strong. Virtually no wears on the gears even now.

I figured that using Technic for the base meant easier and cheaper to replace parts, but without sacrificing a level of manufacturing quality.

There's even a "bonnet" which pops open to show the gear train: not just for maintenance, but I just thought it might look cool.

Cheers,
Derek

I think you are correct about the Lego gearing being a good choice. When I was researching for my device I looked at different options for moving parts which would be off-the-shelf but also reasonably resistant to photographic chemistry as well as being low-zero maintenance. In the end plain old ABS Lego was the best option (at least for prototyping in my case).

Great job, again!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drk

And yes, this is Lego Technic. The idea is the plastic gears from Technic are virtually bulletproof when used correctly.

With the gear train design right now, this processor has been able to run 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, for nearly a whole year.

And still going strong. Virtually no wears on the gears even now.

I figured that using Technic for the base meant easier and cheaper to replace parts, but without sacrificing a level of manufacturing quality.

There's even a "bonnet" which pops open to show the gear train: not just for maintenance, but I just thought it might look cool.

Cheers,
Derek

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