Jobo Multitank 6 #2550 and two 2509n - volumina?

[Daniel Casper Lohenstein]

Hello,

I am thinking about buying a new Jobo tank for 4x5 development. I don't usually like Jobo. Because these tanks always leak. I prefer Paterson. But the Mod54 is too unsure for me (because of various reports here in the forum and elsewhere).

I already own an older Jobo tank and two 4x5 reels (40+ years) and have gained some experience.

If I understood the thing correctly, I would need a Jobo Multitank 6 #2550 and two 2509n reels for the development of 12 sheets of film.

Now I have some questions:

1. is it possible to do an inversion development with this tank?

2. how much volume does the tank have? The data on the outside are probably for rotation development. You don't need much chemistry. But I want to develop e.g. Ilford HP5Plus in HC110 H 1+63, with inversion, so I would need about 2000 ml. 3000 ml would be fine to do HC110 G 1+119. Do they fit into the tank?

3. is the film loader (guide) of the 2509n reels useful or can it be omitted?

4. do the old sheet film reels from the Jobo tanks 40 years ago fit?

5. do you need the film retention plates?

6. the reels sit on a tube (labyrinth against light). Do the old pipes from the other Jobo tank systems fit?

7. is the above Jobo system recommended?

8. what about the China things, e.g. Poilot P2550 Multitank, cf. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Poilot-P255...-/232377309144 ?

Kind regards

Daniel

[Huub]

I can't answer all your questions, but i do regularly use a 2551 to process 12 sheets of film in an inversion system. I use replenished XTOL as a developer, which leads to great results with a minimal use of developer. When i bought the system about 20 years ago I only had experience with tray processing and the Combiplan tanks and the Jobo was a huge improvement over both. The Mod54 and other systems weren't available yet and I don't have any experience with those.

The tank needs 2.5 L to fill completely. Some people seems to have issues loading the reels and prefer to use the film loader, but I don't have any issues at all loading the sheets and i think the loader can be omitted. If it doesn't work for you, you can still get one of course. I always use the retention plates, which come with the reels, as recommended by Jobo, also because i use a roller base for stop and fixing the sheets.

[Daniel Casper Lohenstein]

Huub, thank you very much for the feedback.

That sounds really good. 2.5 l is a good volume.

So I would have 39 ml HC110 syrup for 1+63, where I could develop a maximum of 19 films 4x5. That's enough for the 12 films on the spirals - but there would also be Multitank 8 for 18 films on 3 reels ...

With 21 ml HC110 syrup for 1+119 I would only be able to develop 10 sheets. Maybe you can cheat and fill in a total of 2900 ml, then the 24 ml would be enough for 12 sheets ...

Anyway, this sounds very good, and 1+63 already has a certain balancing effect.

-- But how does the Jobo reel compare to the MOD54 for the Paterson Tank? Besides some Paterson System 4 tanks for 3 spirals, I would also have two Paterson System 4 tanks for 8 films each, in which two MOD54s would fit. For the Jobo system I would have to spend a total of 300 USD, for the MOD54 retrofit only about 150 USD.

There seem to be a few people who get along very well with the MOD54 after all.

Kind regards

I can't answer all your questions, but i do regularly use a 2551 to process 12 sheets of film in an inversion system. I use replenished XTOL as a developer, which leads to great results with a minimal use of developer. When i bought the system about 20 years ago I only had experience with tray processing and the Combiplan tanks and the Jobo was a huge improvement over both. The Mod54 and other systems weren't available yet and I don't have any experience with those.

The tank needs 2.5 L to fill completely. Some people seems to have issues loading the reels and prefer to use the film loader, but I don't have any issues at all loading the sheets and i think the loader can be omitted. If it doesn't work for you, you can still get one of course. I always use the retention plates, which come with the reels, as recommended by Jobo, also because i use a roller base for stop and fixing the sheets.