Jobo CPE-2 ... Should I get it?

[pstake]

I have been wanting to get into color processing (for hybrid workflow), for a long time.

I have an opportunity to pick up a barely used CPE2 with many accessories, for $100.

Is it worth it?

I have read that you can process in a terrarium / aquarium with a reptile warming pad just as well, and for much less investment.

 

[EdSawyer]

hard to beat at that price, JOBO is not my favorite but $100 is certainly cheap.

 

[Brian C. Miller]

Sure, go ahead and do it. It will make processing color a lot easier than using an aquarium. You'll need to calibrate the temperature dial yourself, just use your normal thermometer and use a pencil to mark the actual temperature settings. After that, it's really great. You can only use the small drums with it, but that's just fine for roll film.

 

[BMbikerider]

The JOBO CPE2 is one that I have used for over 20 years to process colour film. They are robust and seem to soldier on forever. I have a 2nd one which is in poor condition but keeping it for spares should the other one pack up.
Look out for the heating element which runs almost the full length of the water compartment. They have a habit of coming away from the ceramic supports and no readily available adhesive will stick it back for very long. The temp thermostat I find will read about 2-3 degrees low so for C41 developer I set it at 40c degrees instead of 38c. If it is one of the models with a two speed motor, don't use the slow speed to develop films, it will under develop them. That is designed for colour papers. For B&W films, reduce the recommended times by 15% or it will be over developed.

For C41 and E6 the recommended times are the ones to use, don't reduce them.

Incidentally JOBO have just brought out a new rotary processor called the CPP3 with a market price of abound £2000. This is the 1st new processor from them for over 20 years. It seems to do everything apart from boil water to make the coffee! it has a built-in timer, the lot.

 

[pentaxuser]

I have been wanting to get into color processing (for hybrid workflow), for a long time.

I have an opportunity to pick up a barely used CPE2 with many accessories, for $100.

Should you buy it? The words "no brainer" spring to mind. So cheap is this that if it were on the U.K. e-bay site with a description of "many accessories and hardly used" I'd suspect a scam so assuming you know this all to be true then just avoid snatching the buyer's hand off. He probably needs both

pentaxuser

 

[pstake]

Ya I thought it sounded like a pretty good deal. I'm taking a look tomorrow.

Thanks for all the tips, BMbikerider.

 

[Roger Cole]

I use mine for black and white as well. Love it. Perfect consistent negatives every time.

I originally got it because I got into 4x5 and didn't really like any of the other options. But I soon started developing all my 35mm and 120 film with it as well.

The price is a steal. You could buy it and flip it here and double your money, most likely triple if it's in such good shape and has accessories, maybe more than that if it has the Lift.

I do like the lift a lot, though the arm is flimsy so I always just use it to start raising the tank and then lift the frame under the tank with the other hand.

 

[Bertil]

I started to use a CPE-2 some years ago with a MultiTank 5 (2553). I have used it only for 120 film and 4x5".
The reels for 120 I use takes 2 rolls and the tank up to 6 films; with the special reels for 4x5" it takes up to 12 sheets.
The CPE has 2 speeds. I have used Tetenal C-41, and I started to develop at the fast speed at 38°C (as normally recommended as far as I understand.No doubt with this method I got overdeveloped edges of the 120 films; the rotating process isn't optimal agitation, more effective agitaion at the edges of these reels, in my experience - heard that others also had this problem with the rotating method.
I changed method and now I develop att the lower speed at 30°C (roughly some 10 minutes), BUT each minute I release the thank from the machine and agitate the usual way by inverting the tank several times, then back to the rotating process. The result is, as far as I can judge, very good, perfect.
I don't make colour prints, just scanning and no problem getting easy editing scans from these negs.
Having a good digital thermometer and no problems with controling the temperatur, though during the devloping I use to make the water move around now and then.
Using the CPE this way makes it very easy to develop my colour films.
At least this is my experience with the Jobo CPE-2.
/Bertil

 

[paul_c5x4]

If/when you test it, don't ever turn it on without any water in the "tub". If you run it dry, there is a good chance you'll blow the heating element.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yes

 

[markbarendt]

Before I had a JOBO I wondered too.

Now I can hardly imagine being without it.

 

[Roger Cole]

Before I had a JOBO I wondered too.

Now I can hardly imagine being without it.

+1.

The only time I've ever had any uneven development was on some FP4+ when I was using the slow speed. I remembered later that they found this occasionally (streaks, very minor and only noticeable in sky areas or other very even tonality in my case) and recommended only using the fast speed and later models only had the one speed. I never had a problem with C41, but then I don't think I did 120 C41 either as I didn't have a medium format camera until much later.

Rotary agitation is fine in my experience, and very consistent.

 

[PeteZ8]

YES! At that price you can't lose.