MOD 54

PhotoBob · Nov 23, 2012

Received my MOD 54 today, boy that was quick.
Reviewed the inventor's video, practiced on some sheets I had available and the loaded and processed six sheets. It works fine, however one sheet was misaligned a bit at the top, but it didn't affect the processing. Alignment is the key thing here and also the most difficult to ensure. Aside from feeling the edges once loaded, I also do another little technique I came up with and together I hope to get a lot of use out of this ingenious device. Will I retire my two Combi-Plan tanks, probably not, but this is a nice addition to my workflow.

AgX · Nov 23, 2012

Dead Link Removed

mooseontheloose · Nov 23, 2012

Yeah, I just got one myself, have yet to try it out though.

EASmithV · Nov 24, 2012

I need to pick one up...

liquid695 · Nov 24, 2012

I bought one , great product.

Konical · Nov 24, 2012

Good Morning,

I just Googled "Mod 54" and watched a short video of the loading operation. I don't think I would want to process sheets with one, since the rotating drum method I favor uses so much less solution, but it occurs to me that the Mod 54 in a Paterson tank should work well for washing. In the video, the Paterson tank used is apparently a different version than the 1970's model I have had sitting on the shelf, unused, for several decades. The one shown has a flat top; mine has a flexible cap which sits atop the hard plastic screw-on top.

Does anyone know if the Mod 54 is compatible with my older Paterson tank?

Konical

cmacd123 · Nov 24, 2012

Konical said:
the Paterson tank used is apparently a different version than the 1970's model I have had sitting on the shelf, unused, for several decades. The one shown has a flat top; mine has a flexible cap which sits atop the hard plastic screw-on top.
Does anyone know if the Mod 54 is compatible with my older Paterson tank?
l

the Older " system 4" tanks have a very slightly longer center core, but take the same reels as the more Modern "super System 4" tanks shown in the video. (I actully only use my Super system 4 tanks whne I run out of tanks as I find the top harder to use) although my older tanks could use new gaskets which are apperently no longer made)
That said I highly suspect that the unit shown SHOULD be compatible.

Konical · Nov 25, 2012

Good Morning, Charles,

That's my suspicion also; perhaps someone will post a definitive response.

Konical

250swb · Nov 25, 2012

The great advantage of the Paterson/MOD54 setup over rotating tanks or trays is the ability to use semi stand and stand development, and especially with tanning Pyro developers. It gives far more control over highlights and shadows. But yes it does use more liquid, although this is the last consideration on my mind.

Steve

Ian Grant · Nov 25, 2012

250swb said:
The great advantage of the Paterson/MOD54 setup over rotating tanks or trays is the ability to use semi stand and stand development, and especially with tanning Pyro developers. It gives far more control over highlights and shadows. But yes it does use more liquid, although this is the last consideration on my mind.

Steve

There's no advantage, you can do that with any tank.

In addition the MOD 54 ccould be used in some JOBO tanks where there's a a centre column, I use my Paterson System 4 reels in JOBO 2000 series tanks.

Ian

AgX · Nov 25, 2012

But why does the manufacturer says:

Does it work in Jobo Tanks?

No. And is not designed for rotary systems

Ian Grant · Nov 25, 2012

AgX said:
But why does the manufacturer says:

Does it work in Jobo Tanks?

No. And is not designed for rotary systems

Probably because he's unaware of the older non-rotary Jobo tanks, the centre columns are slightly narrower than the Paterson but I use mine frequently with Paterson reels. Of course these tanks will take the Jobo 5"x4" reels anyway. I have 4 2000 series Jobo tanks and if I needed greater capacity I'd try a MOD 54.

My JOBO 2000 tanks are not designed for rotary processing but the previous owner of my second did use it on a roller, but there's no guarantee the reels will rotate properly which would be the same with a MOD 54 in a Paterson tank.

Ian

AgX · Nov 25, 2012

I see your point. You have it about the older Jobo system. (I mixed up System 2000 with System 2500.)

250swb · Nov 25, 2012

Ian Grant said:
There's no advantage, you can do that with any tank.

In addition the MOD 54 ccould be used in some JOBO tanks where there's a a centre column, I use my Paterson System 4 reels in JOBO 2000 series tanks.

Ian

So run this by me, with a 'rotating tank' how do you do stand development if you don't know where the negative is in the tank in relation to the very small amount of developer? Fill the entire tank with developer?

Steve

LJH · Nov 25, 2012

250swb said:
The great advantage of the Paterson/MOD54 setup over rotating tanks or trays is the ability to use semi stand and stand development, and especially with tanning Pyro developers. It gives far more control over highlights and shadows. But yes it does use more liquid, although this is the last consideration on my mind.

Steve

Unfortunately, this is not true.

You can do stand/semi-stand in any container that will hold the film. Open containers do pose some limitations, based on the oxidation rate of the developer being used.

There is no reason that you can't use the Jobo Expert series for this, nor their 2xxx and 1xxx tanks. All you need to do is put in enough liquid to fill the tubes to above film height.

Jobo makes proprietary plugs for the nozzle these processes.

250swb · Nov 26, 2012

A rotating tank is a tank that rotates. If it does not rotate it is not (used as) a rotating tank. Where have I missed the point? And the point was that a MOD54/Paterson tank can be used to stand develop six sheets of film which a rotating tank (obviously really) cannot. Additionally the use of a tray to stand develop a single sheet of film for maybe an hour also seems impractical given the oxidation, but not impossible, although you can try it, not me.

My original comment was perhaps slightly out of context because rotating tanks hadn't already been mentioned (but had in other threads) with discussion about how little chemistry is used developing 4x5 film, but there are other techniques available using a MOD54. But I did specifically say rotating, and did not allude to the generic use to which a Jobo tank can be put to.

Steve

Ian Grant · Nov 26, 2012

There's no reason what so ever that a rotary tank can't be used for stand or semi-stand development. So your two papragraphs contradict each other.

Ian

Photo Engineer · Nov 26, 2012

The MOD 54 is identical in design concept to the Jobo 4x5 processing reels. I have about 4 of these and they can be used for stand, dip and dunk or rotary. I get 6 sheets per holder and run 3 holders at a time for 18 sheets of 4x5 at one crack. This is usually color!

PE

Athiril · Nov 26, 2012

In the Mod54 reel the sheets can very easily fall out of the holder with the gentle inversion agitation in my experience, they even fall out of one side and go backwards one notch (when originally loaded properly), so I'm hesitant to put more than one sheet on each side.

I hate using the twirl agitation, but it works well for sheets and with this reel, I do slow gentle twists side to side with the paterson agitator stick with this reel, and haven't had problems with it since. Works well with colour.

AgX · Nov 26, 2012

Photo Engineer said:
The MOD 54 is identical in design concept to the Jobo 4x5 processing reels.

That reel is still/again listed by Jobo: No. 2509n

Photo Engineer · Nov 26, 2012

I have several, as you can see from my post, and I also have the loader, which is very useful.

I have never had a sheet of film come out of these reels/slots.

PE

Ian Grant · Nov 27, 2012

AgX said:
That reel is still/again listed by Jobo: No. 2509n

If you have (or can find) a Jobo tank then these are a far better option. The sheet film 5x4 reels are quite different to the MOD 54 in the way they allow chemistry to flow around the edges of the sheet of film and also the curvature is less while it's in the reel.

Ian

j_landecker · Nov 27, 2012

The JOBO 2509 reel requires about 1.3 L of liquid to cover the film, so a little more than the Paterson. If you're using very dilute developer, the extra volume could be a bonus, though. The JOBO is different from the MOD design in that each sheet is fed into a short spiral rather than bent into a "taco" shape and held at 2 edges. Because the JOBO tanks were designed for rotary agitation, the drum has a large diameter and the film sits as closely as possible to the drum wall, with quite a bit of space in the center.

cmacd123 · Nov 27, 2012

250swb said:
So run this by me, with a 'rotating tank' how do you do stand development if you don't know where the negative is in the tank in relation to the very small amount of developer?

I have for some time used all my Jobo tanks as "inversion" tanks. They come from the factory with a plastic cap, and they all have an "Inversion" spec. They can also be used with either the magnet or the cog lid on a jobo processor as "rotary" where the required amount of chemical is about 1/3 to 1/2 of that for "Inversion" To do "stand" processing, I would guess you would be reqired to use the "Inversion" amounts.

RalphLambrecht · Nov 30, 2012

the difference is too huge not to care, but you can use all tanks in rotation mode, just get a pair of roller skates or as i've done a few times, use the edge of a table an roll the tank back and forth, works well and saves lots of chemicals, especiallt with two-bath fixing!

MOD 54

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