fatboy22 said:
Hello,
I just bought a Jobo ATL 1000. Way back in the late 80's I used a ATL1 lab so I know a little about them but have a few questions maybe somebody can help with. (long time ago)
1. On the old ATL1 I had a special loader to help guide the 120 film onto the reel. I noticed with the new 2502 reels I don't seem to see any loaders for sale anywhere. How do you load these reels? Can you use these reels to load 70mm film? ( If not what reel is used for 70mm?)
2. I want to process E6 film, what is the most economical way to go with chemistry. Any suggestions on who to buy this stuff from in the US? I live in Iowa so will have to have the stuff shipped from some where?
I've been using an ATL-1000 for several years and would be happy to answer any questions you have. If you don't have a manual, there are really only two pages in the manual that are critical to have -- the one which describes how much chemistry is required for each possible tank/reel combination (and there are quite a few) and the chart which describes how to get just about any B&W time by using on the the pre-programmed times in combination the +5%, +10%, etc. dial.
The 120/220 reels don't have any special loader, but the 4x5 reels do. B&H lists this on their website and while some feel it is unnecessary, I think it makes loading the 4x5 reels easier.
For E6, the six-bath Tetenal 5 liter kits are the way to go. Adorama will ship these, but B&H will not for some reason. It is very convenient to mix up one liter of the kit at a time, which prolongs the life of the kit to at least 6 months.
I also use the Tetenal C-41 5 liter kits, which are very easy to use as well -- it is a two bath kit plus off-reel stablilizer.