Cibachrome processor

[Matt5791]

Anyone know what the table top Cibachrome Processor CAP-40 is like?

Is it worth hunting one down if I was going to want to produce a few Ilfochromes? will it make the processing easier or will it use excessive amount of chemicals?

Thanks for any help, Matt.

 

[steve]

The CAP 40 is built to use 2 liter chemistry kits. You can process 32 8x10 photos, or the equivalent number of square inches of print material with each kit.

In practice, you need to do test prints for the first 3-4 prints as the developer needs some silver in it to work correctly. You can then make display prints until about print 22-24 where there will begin to be a bit of color crossover in the shadows towards red. At that point, you need to start making test prints for the next run of display prints.

Chemicals will keep overnight in the processor, but you don't want to leave them for more than about 36 hours or the developer will oxidize.

There are two types of "turbulator plates." A turbulator plate is the cover over the chemical tank. The chemicals are pumped through a stainless tube at the back of the plate toward the front of the plate where it runs over the edge and back into the tank. They provide a laminar flow of chemicals over which the paper is passed as it is transported through the machine.

The first type of turbulator plate has small pins that stick up about 1/4-inch. The second type of turbulator plate is stepped. The plates with the pins can cause an uneven development pattern. This is noticed as parallel streaks in areas of solid color. It is most noticable in areas that are lighter or near white. The stepped turbulator plates were introduced to eliminate this problem.

A well used CAP 40 will have silver plating in the developer tank, on the developer turbulator plate and on the transport roller at the rear of the development tank. This is normal. It looks like a silver gray film on the surfaces.

The machines are quite easy to clean. Drain the chemistry and replace it with hot water. Run the machine for about 20 minutes with water and drain the machine. Take the turbulator plates our and rinse them and set them aside to dry. Remove the rollers and rinse them and dry them. Lastly, rinse out the tanks one more time and it's clean.

The concerns with the machine are: does the heater work? Do the pumps work? Do any of the rollers have flat spots?

 

[Bob Carnie]

Matt

Steve seems to have covered the topic quite nicely. Before I got my 30inch cibachrome processor I used the Cap 40 to start getting my clients interested in the process. It worked extremely well and I had no problems with it.
As Steve points out it is a simple machine to operate and clean and I assume he was refering to 11x14 prints when he mentioned the quantity of prints.
Chemistry and paper is getting expensive and if you are to buy one of these machines , I would stock up on paper and chemicals as the supply is not like the old days.
There are three paper grades and I always found the CLMK contrast *middle* as the go to paper. If you go to the CPS paper you will need to learn contrast masking to print certain transparancies.
The CFK paper *low* contrast is very nice for very high contrast transparancies *sometimes*
The one thing I will tell you that causes me untold amount of grief is keeping dust from showing. Make sure your set up area is really clean and if your slides have ever been in a projector take a loupe to them and really look for the state of the emulsion. Slide projectors ruin the surface and when the emulsion heats up dust suck in and it is murder to clean the suckers.

 

[steve]

Ilford recommends 13 8x10 prints per liter of processing chemistry. With 2 liters in each tank of the CAP 40, that works out to 26 prints. I've found that you can go to 32 prints for test prints before color crossover becomes too much of an issue.

That's why I said you can make 22-24 prints (8x10 or equivalent number of square inches of material) before you have to change to making test prints for the next run. The density and exposure times are still accurate at prints 26 - 32, but the color balance in dark areas gets too red.

Using Ilford's recommendations or my experience - you can make 5-6 16x20's in one 2 liter chemistry batch. If you've done your test prints from 26 - 32, then you'd start the next session by making 2-3 test prints to reconfirm color balance of the 16x20's to be made during the printing session and then go directly to printing the display 16x20's for the next 5-6 prints.

 

[boyooso]

I have used a jobo in the past and it worked quite well, I think. It might not be as convenient, but I think there are other conveniences it provides, I used it with the P3 chemistry set which produced a nice consistent and contrasty print.

I now use the jobo for film only which is another convenience

I haven't myself used a cap40.

Corey

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

I would stock up on paper and chemicals as the supply is not like the old days.

...but not too much, as I've found out at my own detriment that ciba chemicals - the bleach, expecially - have a very short life.