Ah yes, mshchem, I had forgotten (almost) about the slots. Handy things,faster to set up with chems than trays, but somewhat of a PAIN to drain at the end of a printing session, I have to pull the small rubber plug from the plastic tubes, drain, then reinsert.
I've not used the slots much as (1) I don't do sheet film and (2) often as not I accidentally drop the paper being processed off my tongs and have to go fishing for the (by then overdeveloped) print. A minor aggravation, but one of my personal pet peeves.
The greatest joy of the Duolabs is how manual they are - apparently the heating systems were designed from the rod heaters used in electric coffee makers! A particularly big plus is that water temperature can be easily and instantly adjusted with a screwdriver, by just moving a screw a wee bit to the left or the right. A mercury thermometer left in the temp water gives me instant readings. When processing C41 or E6, I find virtually no temp variations to interfere with the process.
The Duolab doesn't have a lift, but as a lifelong devotee of the KISS principle, to me that's one thing less to break down.
Good to know two of us in the world still use Duolabs. As for the CPP3, I would happily have one if I could afford it or find a used one at a sensible price, so far no luck. As a retiree shooting and processing (mostly) outdated B&W films, the Duolab will most likely see me out and probably without major repairs, which is as good a recommendation as I could ever give to anything.
I've not used the slots much as (1) I don't do sheet film and (2) often as not I accidentally drop the paper being processed off my tongs and have to go fishing for the (by then overdeveloped) print. A minor aggravation, but one of my personal pet peeves.
The greatest joy of the Duolabs is how manual they are - apparently the heating systems were designed from the rod heaters used in electric coffee makers! A particularly big plus is that water temperature can be easily and instantly adjusted with a screwdriver, by just moving a screw a wee bit to the left or the right. A mercury thermometer left in the temp water gives me instant readings. When processing C41 or E6, I find virtually no temp variations to interfere with the process.
The Duolab doesn't have a lift, but as a lifelong devotee of the KISS principle, to me that's one thing less to break down.
Good to know two of us in the world still use Duolabs. As for the CPP3, I would happily have one if I could afford it or find a used one at a sensible price, so far no luck. As a retiree shooting and processing (mostly) outdated B&W films, the Duolab will most likely see me out and probably without major repairs, which is as good a recommendation as I could ever give to anything.