4x5 in Jobo

[Tim Stapp]

Developing 4x5 in Jobo. Better to develop two sheets at a time in multiple 2523 tanks or 6 sheet in three separate tanks?
I'm debating because I have one drum with a six sheet reel and have an opportunity to locally purchase another three 2523 tanks.

 

[Mick Fagan]

4 sheets at a time in one tank. Place two sheets on the inner slots and two sheets on the outer slots.

I've been doing it like that for close to 20 years, up until I purchased my SP445 tank.

I had a lot of film to develop after a holiday last year, used the Jobo to do it.40 sheets 4 sheets at a time, super consistancy as usual, but easy as; did it in a day.

I tried 6 sheets as a test in the early 1990's, there was inconsistancy, so I only ever did 4 sheets before and after that test.

Beware if you are running the older CPE2 unit, that the amount of chemistry that the motor can turn is limited. Around 600ml of chemistry for the original CPE2 motor, which equates to 5 rolls of 135 film using the 1520 tank with the 1530 extension module. In fact in Germany Ilford sold 600ml kits of their ID11 developer to cater for the German market, where Jobo processors were seemingly in every second darkroom back then.

Mick.

 

[Tim Stapp]

I do have the newer style 2509N 4x5 reels, but have never done more than 4 sheets at a time based upon your experience. Always good development. I've also done two sheets at a time in the "test drum" using the print drum "macaronis." Always good development. Mick, as you saw in one of my earlier posts; I'm looking at a couple Jobo drums available locally at a decent price. I have the CPE2+ that still has the 600 ml limit. My thinking is that if I have more than a couple sheets to develop, three test drums and a 2509N reel might speed things up. Maybe just GAS attack .

 

[Mick Fagan]

For the price of stuff available in the USA, compared to Australia and many other parts of the world, why haven't you bought them yet?

The limiting factor, give or take, is the amount of reels. I only have one 2509N reel, plus my original 2509 reel. One has to get the reel dry, really dry, hair dryer, on top of an oil filled radiator, or something like that, plus a very fine linen cloth for the initial wiping of excess droplets off. Within reason, having multiple tanks and reels is great, but unless you pre-load film prior to starting your first developing run, you are not going to save much time, but you will expend more energy; been there done that.

If you have a film being developed by itself on the Jobo, I don't think you are going to turn the lights out and load another reel. If something untoward happens, then you are in the dark and your developing film runs the risk of over development if you run over time.

One day I had an extremely competent assistant in the darkroom with me, she was and is the only person I allow into my darkroom on her own. Between the two of us we had around 60 rolls of film to develop, we tried various dry runs to figure out which way was going to work best. I have 14 Jobo 1500 series reels and we were basically held back by getting reels to dry between runs. That is, really dry reels.

I would assess your situation in this manner; purchase them, then develop to your hearts content.

Have you bought them yet??????

Mick.

 

[Neal]

I have the newer reels with baffles and develop as many as 12 sheets in a 2551 tank.

The setup works particularly well for me when using Graphlex 6 shot film magazines.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Developing 4x5 in Jobo. Better to develop two sheets at a time in multiple 2523 tanks or 6 sheet in three separate tanks?
I'm debating because I have one drum with a six sheet reel and have an opportunity to locally purchase another three 2523 tanks.

I always develop six sheets together in one drum without ill effect.