Help in color developing
Peter Cheung
>I've recently started to do my own b&w film and print developing. Since I want
>to do my own color stuff, I am thinking of getting a Jobo. Just wondering which
>Jobo is most suitable.
>
>Right now, I only do prints up to 11x14. For color prints I would expect to be
>around that size or perhaps with a bit of room for expansion. Is there a
>distributor of Jobo in Canada where I can pick up a catalog for comparison
>between price and features.
>
>Thanks in advance
William,
having printed both colour and B&W at home for about 5 years now, I must say that
colour printing is NOT for the faint of heart. You will spend countless number
of hours working out the kinks and throwing out tons of tons of ugly ugly coloured
mistakes.
In terms of a setup, I have a Unicolor drum roller and using CibaChrome drums.
Why? The price and convenience. Yes, I have seen the Jobo systems. In fact
at UBC PhotoSoc there's a setup there.
I find that the system is way too expensive for what it does. And it's awkward to
use IMO. With the Jobo system, you'll be spending time rinsing out the system
each time you do a print, since you pour the chemistry through the spout at the neck
of the handle. Contamination is a problem, IMO.
As I said, I have been using Cibachrome Drums and Uniroller and they have served me
well. Drums for Cibachrome are not quite as expensive as the Jobo drums. I got a
very conditioned 16x20 drum for Ciba used at Leos for $50... Very reasonably priced
setup. It's mainly paper and chemistry I spent my money on.
Good luck
Peter
UBC ARES/EMRG
Tom Charles
William,
I purchased a used JOBO CPP-2 processor a few weeks ago. I too wanted to try
my hand at color printing. I had processed B/W prints before, but never
color. I found the system very easy to use and have been curning out
sucessful prints from the start. I have not made any processing errors
(yet), have not once had a contamination problem. The only problems I have
had have been my own, due to my learning process, mainly - color correction
fun :). It takes less than once minute to rinse out the drum and dry it with
a dish towel, not an issue with me.
Which Jobo you buy depends upon your budget and your requirments. I called
the Jobo offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan and they sent me brochures and price
lists. I'm am sure that if you call information they will have the number.
Before getting started I suggest that you buy a good book on color printing,
so you will be familar with what you are getting into. It is a little more
effort than B/W, but I find the rewards and convience of printing your own as
much fun as shooting.
Regards
Tom
Brad Isley
>William,
>having printed both colour and B&W at home for about 5 years now, I must say that
>colour printing is NOT for the faint of heart. You will spend countless number
>of hours working out the kinks and throwing out tons of tons of ugly ugly coloured
>mistakes.
I'd say this all depends on how fast you learn and how much time you
spend doing your homework. I found a couple of good books on color
photography, each with a good section on printing. If you're decent
at B&W printing, color adds the complexity of balancing the color,
drying the drum after every print (what a chore, but I do it while the
print is washing).
At first, I tossed a LOT of badly colored prints. Now that I have
acquired a klew or to, I don't throw many away at all. I have a
standard filter pack for each type of film which gets me very close on
the contact sheets. When I make contact sheets, I write down the
filter pack. Making the prints right the first time is just a matter
of getting the contact sheet close to correct then hitting the filter
change right the first time and using a densitometer. When I develop
my own film (I process all my 120) in Photocolor FP, it always prints
more yellow. But I know that and can usually get the color balance
right the first time just by looking at the contact sheet and judging
from there.
Sure, when you're learning to balance color, you'll toss a lot of
prints. But if you have a good eye for color and learn fairly
quickly, you will soon be tossing few prints. Sure, they're not all
going to be perfect. I give away many prints to family and they can't
tell if the color is a little off. (Ok, I admit that I give away some
that my wife won't let me toss and keep the next one that's right on).
But if you're being really picky you toss a lot of B&W also!
But, yea. It's not for the feint of heart. It can be discouraging.
Mark Gunion
313-995-4192) or by emailing them at resta...@aol.com (goes to Ricke
Stauffer at JOBO).
Film size is also an issue. The smallest processor, the CPE, will not
take the 3000 series tanks used for sheet film (4x5 and larger). There
is a 2500 series tank for 4x5, but almost everyone gets uneven
development with it.
The two larger manual processors (CPA2 & CPP2) are identical, except
(1.) temperature selection on the CPA2 is analog, and on the CPP2 is
digital, and (2.) the CPP2 has a cold water inlet valve with works
automatically with the thermostat to cool the water bath as needed. I
have a CPA2. If you run only one process (at one temp), it's fine. If
you run multiple processes and temps then get the CPP2 -- the digital
temperature selection is a _REALLY_ big improvement over the analog.
The analog takes forever to adjust back and forth between temps (it can
take _HOURS_ to reset the temperature, not seconds). Wish I'd known
this before I purchased.
Whichever one of the three processors you get, be _sure_ to get the JOBO
lift. Don't consider a processor without one, it makes a big difference
in the utility and consistency of processing. In my view, the lift
should not be a option, but just built into unit.
JOBO makes other processors which are fully automatic, but are prohibitively
expensive for most of us.
JOBO processors are frequently available used (see _Shutterbug_ for
adds). Older processors, though, have a retaining clip system for
holding the tank and these plastic clips tend to break. More recently, a
simple wire design has supplanted the clips, and this works well.
Good luck.
Mark Gunion
mwgu...@ucdavis.edu