Cost of Jobo Processing?

RattyMouse

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I am wanting to shoot much more color film these days and so am considering buying a Jobo CPE-3 processor. The unit is around $1700 and I'm wondering what is the chemical cost to run this device? Knowing this I can calculate how many films I need to process to break even on the up front cost of the machine. I pay around $10/roll to get C41 film processed locally.

Some other questions. Can this machine process E-6 film? It says all color films on the Freestyle web page but is not specific with regards to process.

Also, how many films can be processed at one time?

Thank you!
 

Anon Ymous

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I can't answer your question, but I can certainly say that using your regular tanks will do the job just as well and it's not difficult.
 

bdial

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You can use the Jobo for any process. As for the number of rolls at one time, it depends on the tank size. It looks like the CPE-3 kit comes with a two reel (35mm) tank, but a 4 reel tank is available. Based on the description for the single reel tank, it looks like each roll needs 140 ml.
 

twelvetone12

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I use an ancient CPA2 and do four rolls 135 a time, with Tetenal C41. A !L kit at fotoimpex costs 26 euro and can do 16 films, so it is around 1.65 euro per roll. This is not counting electricity and water use. The 2.5L kit is slightly less expensive per roll.
I do also E6 and it works very well, again using the tetenal kit. For the next run I will use a Bellini kit with separate bleach and fix, which should cost around 2 euros per roll.
I also used a big drum for RA4 but I found it quite impractical and always got streaks, so I use trays for that.

Forgot to add: the 4-roll drum uses 470ml of solution, which is handy since you can divide the Tetenal exactly for 500ml dilutions (each does 8 rolls for C41 and 6 for E6, if I recall correctly)

EDIT 26 non 20 euro!!
 

EdSawyer

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I use a phototherm ssk-4 (a better unit than the Jobo in all ways, for film, IMNSHO), my cost for c41 is < $1/roll using everything except bleach as 1-shot. Re-using some of the chemistry would lower it even more. It will do 4 rolls or sheets of 4x5 at a time.
 

jbrubaker

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The way you shoot and process will affect the cost per roll. If you process one roll at a time right after shooting (as I tend to do), you will not get the lowest cost per roll because the chemicals will go down the drain and not be usable again. The most economy is realized by saving your films until you have a large batch to do at once. Since I don't like to do this, I have switched to doing C-41 in a small SS tank and saving the chemistry. For BW where chemicals are cheap, the Jobo remains a good option. regards ---jb.
 

TheFlyingCamera

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I do my C-41 in batches of 8 or more in my CPP2. I use my C-41 chems twice, then dump, so 16-20 rolls of 120 per chemistry kit. At this point, the cost is somewhere between $2-3/roll. If you were to buy your chemistry in larger volumes, rather than in the press kit size, and replenish your chemistry (this requires you to be doing a decent volume of C-41 on a regular basis to make sense), then the cost drops to closer to $1/roll. I don't know the volume of film you process a year, but I figured that at the rate I shoot, a brand-new CPP3 would pay for itself in 3-4 years, maybe faster. And the CPP3 is a $3500 machine. My local pro lab charges about what yours does - $10-11/roll for C-41, and B/W is now $12+/roll, not sure if they even offer E-6 anymore.
 

twelvetone12

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If your volume is low c41 in a small inversion tank is just as easy as BW. But the jobo does the inversions and temp control automatically, you get spoiled pretty fast.
 

mshchem

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Absolutely no good financial reason to buy a Jobo Processor. You can process anything in any tank with a water bath. HAVING SAID THAT, the Jobo machines are great. I picked up a "parts only" CPP-2. With a part from Catlabs I have a working machine. The lift makes life grand. You use about half the volume of chemistry as a Nikor tank with the 1500 series tanks. The CPE units have 600ml max capacity, this would let you process up to 4 (maybe 5) rolls of 35mm, or 4 (maybe 6) rolls of 120 with the 1520 and 1530 modules put together.

The smaller machines are ideal for a smaller space, The CPE machines have no pump, so basically a water bath with an immersion heater. I use Kodak Flexicolor (C-41) chemistry. Kodak recommends you use ONE SHOT for Jobo machines, This isn't a big deal as developer and fixer is dirt cheap, I reuse Bleach as it's expensive. No stabilizer, just wash then Flexicolor final rinse.

The thing that's NOT cool with the CPE machines is you have to fiddle around to set the temp. of the bath, the CPP units have a digital display. When I used my CPE-2 I would fill it with water at the proper temp, and use the machine to maintain.

In the good old days every commercial darkroom was equipped with at least one thermostatic mixing valve. You can get a REAL nice mixing valve for a third of the price of the processor. Temperature control problem solved. But then you are stuck inverting tanks and replenishing solutions.

For E6 I use the Fuji 5 liter kits, I have used the Tetenal 3 bath kits, they work OK, don't try to overuse them.

If it's purely about cost, probably cheaper to have a lab process your film. But, there's no fun in that
Best Mike
 

trendland

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Anon Ymous said:
I can't answer your question, but I can certainly say that using your regular tanks will do the job just as well and it's not difficult.
Click to expand...

Yes - this is almost much more relevant
with a normal drum in bigger size.
If you have some films to develope at the same time.
Ok some swear on jobo machine development.
I personaly would better spend $1700,-
on film.
The theoretically costs of film development I calculated a year ago :
someshere in the near of $-, 85 each
135/120 film.
By the time - if you buy today a jobo machine to your price AND you will have
1000 films in developement you have to add $ 1,70 each film.
If you can not develope more than 100 films you have to add $17,- each film.
The difference just to make more sense by using a regular tank is lower
with E6.
So I agree with Anon Ymous if it just goes to C41.

with regards
 

Tim Stapp

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RattyMouse, here is my 2 cents: Man, if you want the JOBO, get it. I have the original CPE2 (not plus) that I bought used off Craigslist last April. I absolutely love the machine for the consistant processing that I get from it. I can't comment on the cost of color processing, as I don't shoot color film (yet).

If you keep your eyes out on craiglist, you can sometimes get a deal. Two weeks ago, there was a complete CPE2 Plus on the Ann Arbor craiglist (complete as in processor, bottles, beakers, E6 and C41/bw setup, tanks/reels for 135,120 and 4x5). He was looking for best offer.

Had I not had one that I paid $350 for (also cl find), I'd have jumped all over it.

Question for you: Are you intending to wet print or scan?
 
OP
OP

RattyMouse

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Wow...I need to keep my eyes open on Craigslist. I rarely look there. Sounds like I missed a good deal.

My final use for all negatives is scanning.
 

TheFlyingCamera

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Another option, if you're only looking to process film, and in smaller sizes, is the Osiris film processor - it's like a Jobo ATL 1000. http://www.osirisfilm.com/ I don't know how much distribution they have in the US, but they're probably similar in price to the CPE, but with much more automation and precision of temperature control.
 

Sirius Glass

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I use the Jobo processor for both black & white and color for 35mm, 120, and 4"x5". Not only can I get consistent processing with color, but also the results are more consistent for 4"x5" processing. Hence the improved consistency and reliability makes the cost of the machine worth it.
 
OP
OP

RattyMouse

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Probably none since this web page is only in Chinese.
 
OP
OP

RattyMouse

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TheFlyingCamera said:
Actually, there's an English option in the upper-right corner of the page. But on doing some further research, it seems they've pulled back from global markets. Too bad.
Click to expand...

Too bad. It looks like a nice machine.

I watched some youtube videos on the Jobo and dang, that thing is pretty huge!
 

TheFlyingCamera

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I
RattyMouse said:
Too bad. It looks like a nice machine.

I watched some youtube videos on the Jobo and dang, that thing is pretty huge!
Click to expand...
It depends on which version of it you're talking about. An ATL 1000 or 1500 are, if I remember my models correctly, fairly compact, but they can only do maybe 6 rolls of 35mm at a time, 8 max. The ATL 1 and its cousins are based loosely on the CPP-2, and there are some that are even bigger that have to be used free-standing on their own dedicated cart.
 

Joel_L

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I also use a CPE2 plus. I don't process often so it's not cost optimized for me but I do it because I enjoy it, so cost efficiency is not a factor. I added an aquarium pump to my CPE and that help temperature control. I have been mixing my working solutions from concentrates for 1 shot use. The overall cost is OK. I have on occasion had to dump some hardly used concentrates because of lack of use. I use it for E-6 and C-41. For B&W I use my old Unicolor film tank ( used to use it for C-41 and E-6 before I bought a Jobo, about 20 years now ).
 

RauschenOderKorn

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TheFlyingCamera said:
Actually, there's an English option in the upper-right corner of the page. But on doing some further research, it seems they've pulled back from global markets. Too bad.
Click to expand...

Catlabs was going to sell the processor and supplies in the US, but as it seems there were some problems.
Actually there was a thread about this: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/your-darkroom-gear-dreams-come-true.138113/#post-1805238

After testing the processor, Catlabs withdrew from the deal and - totally unrelated of course - there were some statements about the quality of reels from China.

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/china-copies-of-jobo-products.142251/page-5#post-1864889 (posts 110 & 113)
 

BMbikerider

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I have used a JOBO since 1990 and to be honest, they are really simple to use and maintain. I am on my 2nd machine which I bought as a used item and that has given 17 years good service The previous one still works, but has a small problem with electrical safety but I keep it so I can canibalise it for spares should I need to. I have little problem in getting the temperatures for both B&W and colour after I insulated the sides to stop the water bath cooling quickly. The thermostat I set at MY marks made after calibration, not the ones the machine come with. There can be a significant difference - up to +/- 2 degrees.

The standard JOBO tanks take 150cc for a single 135 film and 250cc for a standard 120 or twin 135 film. I think I can count on one hand (with fingers left over) the number of films I have spoiled, in all the time I have used one. They were all down to operator error not the JOBO!
 

Neal

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Dear RattyMouse,

I use Jobo tanks with a home made system. Normally, I take my color film to a lab but if I have old film I'm not sure about or want to play with the development I use one of the readily available kits. I estimate ~400 rolls for you to break even on your purchase. Having said that, I will never go back to the old tank system. The Jobo system makes everything so much easier even though 99% of the film I develop is b&w..

Good luck,

Neal Wydra
 
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