Jobo as an investment

[slumry]

It seems like everything Jobo related is getting either hard to find or expensive past reason. I noticed on ebay that a new 10 pack of Jobo sheet film drying clips went for $70 including shipping. That is $7 a clip!!! Processors, drums and accessories all keep creeping up in cost. How did Jobo go bankrupt? Why did I invest in the stock market when I could have just loaded up on Jobo products and Nikon Scanners?

 

[MaximusM3]

It seems like everything Jobo related is getting either hard to find or expensive past reason. I noticed on ebay that a new 10 pack of Jobo sheet film drying clips went for $70 including shipping. That is $7 a clip!!! Processors, drums and accessories all keep creeping up in cost. How did Jobo go bankrupt? Why did I invest in the stock market when I could have just loaded up on Jobo products and Nikon Scanners?

Two words: supply and demand. When they were produced, there weren't enough people that wanted them and, now that supply is finite, demand is taking care of things.

 

[Daniel Lancaster]

It is actually a very interesting topic and I know of at least two people paying very close attention to this situation.

Both of whom have historically been involved in design and production in this area decades ago.

 

[jeroldharter]

With all the economic woes, I keep waiting for someone to fabricate a functional equivalent to Jobo drums and processors. Maybe it is not so easy and those 3010 drums really are $500 worth of plastic.

 

[AgX]

..., now that supply is finite, demand is taking care of things.

Well, at least the systems 1500, 2500 and 3000 are still offered (and stated as part of their portfolio) by
new Jobo.

 

[2F/2F]

They really are $500 worth of plastic once you process color film 10 sheets at a time for a while, instead of paying a lab to do it.

However, I got mine used for $200 in perfect shape, local sale on E-Bay. I got my money's worth within two weeks, between myself and my friends to whom I loaned it.

The 12-sheet Nikkor tanks might be an even better value, though I have never seen the quality of the negs processed this way. The Jobo Expert negs are always excellent, however.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Well, at least the systems 1500, 2500 and 3000 are still offered (and stated as part of their portfolio) by
new Jobo.

AgX,

Do you have any up-to-date information on the current status of analogue Jobo production?

Tom

 

[AgX]

Tom,

Within the last weeks Jobo revised their website and the ATL1500 and the CPP2 are missing now, but those tanks are still listed.
Furthermore there is a very recent press release of them hinting at the restructuring and the new company. They state that the image of their company is dominated by digital products, but explictly state that they carry an analogue core-assortment, and even list their german dealers.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Tom,

Within the last weeks Jobo revised their website and the ATL1500 and the CPP2 are missing now, but those tanks are still listed.
Furthermore there is a very recent press release of them hinting at the restructuring and the new company. They state that the image of their company is dominated by digital products, but explictly state that they carry an analogue core-assortment, and even list their german dealers.

This sounds like an interesting development. Some current Jobo machines (mine included) are becoming rather well used so I'll be interested to follow what Jobo decides to do in relation to processor manufacture.

Tom

 

[Sirius Glass]

Investing in Jobo parts may be a good investment. Investing in Jobo stock would not be a good investment.

 

[phaedrus]

My Jobo investment gets silvered.
Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Sirius Glass]

My Jobo investment gets silvered.
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Have you tried Gold toning?

 

[phaedrus]

Nope. Not throwing good money after bad ...

 

[guyjr]

I've been processing about 6 - 8 rolls a month of various color neg, slide, and b&w films in my CPE-2 Plus for almost a year now (I'm purely a diy at home hobbyist), and was quite saddened to see that B&H no longer have the 2523 tanks available. In fact, I haven't been able to find one at all - craigslist, ebay, retail, etc... this particular tank seems to have fallen off the face of the earth overnight.

Fortunately I have three of these tanks, but was hoping to pick up one or two more as spares or in case I ever need the additional capacity in the future. Is there any hope that Jobo will re-emerge from whatever troubles they are going through with some form of film processing accessory line?

When you take a step back and look at the "big picture" of analog photography, you start to realize that it's not any one thing that is leading to its demise... it's all of the factors combined (discontinuing film sales, no new cameras (well almost), fewer processing choices, etc). I just wish that there were some way to level this trend off, but it seems to be continuing unabated.

 

[Pasto]

Well, I've been using a jobo now for about 10 years (first a CPP2 then an ATL2+, and now an ATL2000), and couldn't imagine working without it. Yes parts and accessories are getting harder to find and expensive when they exist, but I've had good luck with this so far. I kept my ATL2+ when I upgraded to the ATL2000, just in case I need spare parts I'm always surprised at the number of trums and tanks that become available on the local classified section of newspapers, craiglist, etc....

 

[AgX]

Jobo have reduced their 2500 range to the tanks 2510 and 2520 and the spirals 2502 and 2509n.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Check FreeStyle for new tanks and Dave Smith in Los Angeles [joboman@aol.com] for new and used tanks.

Steve