HOME PROCESSING
USING A JOBO PROCESSOR
By Brian Murphy (Atra 3+)
Over the past couple of years I had noticed references in Bill Reid’s notes, and articles, in the Newsletter, to his change-over from a traditional home processing outfit to using a Jobo CPE2 processor. This change seemed to have pleased him greatly, and as we are both members of the Club Slide Folio, I was able to see for myself some of Bill’s slides and the excellent results that he was achieving.
My own very rudimentary processing methods while generally reasonably satisfactory, being so
crude and inconvenient, did not encourage me to shift the balance of my film-use from a current 75% to 25% ratio of print film to reversal film. I reasoned that this prevented me from achieving the maximum benefit of cost economy from home processing, and more losing the great satisfaction of those moments when I held a freshly processed film up to the light for the first time. Therefore if I followed Bill’s example and moved to a Jobo Processor.
Would this be the way forward? Late last year! spotted a secondhand Jobo CPE2 for sale in the lists of a highly recommended mail order dealer, from whom in the past I had purchased the odd item. Not being afraid to ask for advice, I decided to pester Bill and get his views. Having recently mastered the E-Mail system, I fired off my questions to him. In a very short time Bill replied, outlining the pros and cons. Quite honestly the only real disadvantage was the usual one of the financial outlay, but I was able to part. ex. some surplus equipment to offset a fair proportion of the cost, so I took the plunge.
Consequently just before Christmas my processor arrived. I had 4 exposed Konicachrome and 2
exposed Jessop chrome films in the fridge, and I decided to use a further couple of films on the family visits over the festive season, and then put them through the processor. My daughter dutifully took up my suggestion that a Jessop E6 Processing Kit would make an ideal Christmas gift, and so I found myself all ready to ~, on the evening of New Year’s Day 2001.
The processor contained all the necessary bits to process both film and prints, bottles, tanks, thermometer, squeegee, clips etc, and some very clear instructions. All in all I was very happy with my purchase, and it was obvious to me why the unit, if purchased new costs, ‘an arm and a leg’. Setting everything up was extremely easy, and soon the water bath was preheating, and my frequent temperature checks confirmed the accuracy of the unit’s thermostat.
As soon as the temperature had been achieved I switched on the rotary unit and set my first two films off on their journey through the 3 chemical baths, and Stabiliser. The whole process went according to plan and soon these films were drying.
The next pair of films followed at once, but then disaster struck. The safety cut-out on my domestic electrical system tripped out, and continued to do so each time that I switched on the Processor. It was obvious that there was an electrical malfunction within the Processor.
With no alternative, I completed processing the 8 films by hand. No slides were lost, and despite my disappointment over the malfunction, had seen enough of the processor to feel that the convenience, cleanliness and confidence ii the accuracy of temperature control and agitation, were the way forward, for me at least. The unit has a 6 month Guarantee, and it was returned free of charge to the Dealer. Investigation revealed a faulty heating element in the water bath. This was replaced and the unit was returned to me, although the delay of several weeks to achieve this was a little frustrating. I am once again almost at the stage of a processing run, this time using Fuji Sensia.
Perhaps I can share the results of this with you in a future News Letter.