Nova Print Processor

I was looking through some darkroom items and I found this :

Anybody have use this product? I don't know if this is as good they claim. Save chemical and reusability. And they are not cheap.

I only have a small bathroom to be my darkroom, still I can have trays laying around. For the space saving I can go with it, but for this price just for that is a little too much. I'm just not sure about the other functions of its design.

Your help is very much appreciated .


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They work great! I have the quad tank 11x14 size.

I have four of them, one 20x16 with two slots for b&w, one 16x12 with four slots for RA4, one 16x12 with three slots for backup and one 8x10 with two slots for small b&w photos. It was very difficult to buy them and carry them from abroad as they don't sell them in Greece. I wouldn't go back in tray processing. Nova's mean time, space and chemistry economy to me (and in this particular order).
But I think that with a little search in APUG you will find a lot of previous discussions on this subject.

Thanks for the advice. I will buy 1 for sure!


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I used to use the unheated 8x10 print pod version for room temperature RA4. I wish someone would import them to the US again. I'd love one when I start RA4 printing again.

ivanlow said:

I was looking through some darkroom items and I found this :

Anybody have use this product? I don't know if this is as good they claim. Save chemical and reusability. And they are not cheap.

I only have a small bathroom to be my darkroom, still I can have trays laying around. For the space saving I can go with it, but for this price just for that is a little too much. I'm just not sure about the other functions of its design.

Your help is very much appreciated .

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Click to expand...

One word of caution: Before spending a considerable amount of money on such a unit, you should be aware that at least the bigger (12x16") Nova slot processors cannot be moved around or stowed away as easily as it might appear. It is not recommended or even possible to move around/carry the unit with liquids in it, because they are heavy and at the same time relatively delicate and you could easily break it. So, every time you want to move the unit, not only the slots with the chemistry, but (for the units that make us of a heating element with thermostat), also the water in the water jacket has to be drained (and refilled before next use). This is quite time consuming compared to the task of emptying and cleaning of three darkroom trays and partly negates the benefit of saving chemicals.

Bottomline: It will need a permanent place with some clear area around for being able to connect hoses, power connection etc. For 12x16" you will definitely save quite some space compared to an arrangement of three trays horizontally, but unlike the trays the unit cannot be stowed away easily.

So, IMHO the Nova is more suitable for a permanent small darkroom which needs to make best use of every square inch of space available, but a less than ideal solution for a makeshift darkroom in a bathroom or kitchen that has to be dismantled and stowed away completely after each session.

Another point to consider is that slot processors like the Nova units are best used with RC paper and not really well suited for fiber based paper. If you are new to b/w printing I would recommend that you start with smaller trays (for example 8x10" size) to learn the process and also experiment a bit with different types of papers (RC vs. FB etc.) You can always go larger later, whether it is with trays or with slot processor.

Thanks Mnemosyne for the detail explanation. Now I have a better picture for the use of it.

Ivanlow, if space gets too tight you can try stacking trays with a "tray ladder". You can probably make one yourself with not much more than some wood, a hammer and nails...

Good idea Anon! I will try to get something ready made first.

Anon Ymous said:

Ivanlow, if space gets too tight you can try stacking trays with a "tray ladder". You can probably make one yourself with not much more than some wood, a hammer and nails...

Click to expand...

Have a look at the Jobo Duolab and the Jobo Prima.

I'd like one for the temperature control and lower fumes (from much less exposed surface area) for RA4. For B&W I don't need it since I have space. If I didn't have space I'd look for one of the tray "ladders" that stack conventional trays before I'd shell out for a Nova, particularly since they don't work well with fiber based papers.

I use mine with fiber based paper all the time, no problem whatsoever. Single weight papers might be a problem, but single weight isn't common these days.

I'm very fond of it, and it's probably the most important piece of darkroom gear I have, aside from the enlarger. My darkroom is tiny and fitting a set of 11x14 trays would be next to impossible.

The 12x16 with the water bath is quite heavy, not very practical if you need to set up and take down between sessions. You also need a few inches/ 10 or so cm around it to get to the taps for draining the slots.

If you are doing B&W only, then the models that don't include a water bath will be easier to deal with and less expensive.

On Roger Hicks's site he shows an installation of a Nova set into a counter so that the top is flush with the counter top. That would pretty much mean a permanent installation, but it provides a lot of flexibility, as you still get the use of the counter for doing other things.
It's something I will probably do in the next stage of my darkroom's evolution.

They are great. About 10 years ago they were dirt cheap on eBay as people offloaded them along with all their other darkroom equipment. Now, as you say they are expensive used, and very expensive new.

I had two, a 10x8 2 slot and 20x16 3 slot. Both were temperature regulated. They work great, save a lot of space and allow a lot of consistency when processing. Plus I found the chemicals kept temperature very well. Also you can just put the plastic float lids on and leave the chemicals in ready to go for the next day, or week etc.

Keep in mind, when you take into account the water bath in-between the slots and the chemicals they are quite a weight, and are not designed for carrying around when full! Plus they take a while to reach temperature, especially the larger ones, so again more suited to a permanent setup where you could turn it on a few hours before you want to start processing, or just leave on.With practice you can also stagger your processing so you can get two prints being processed at the same time (each one in a different chemical/slot).

Note, there is also a fibre paper version where the slots have an incline and come with a special support for the paper - I never used these versions but I believe they were popular too.

Looking at the prices they command now I am wising I hadn't sold mine!

These things seem like a godsend for space and temperature management and I'm really considering purchasing one, but I haven't heard anyone mention anything about agitation!

I do also use a 12x16 3 slot water bath for fiber paper with no problems. Initially I bought it for the same reason you are considering it. I had a bathroom->darkroom->bathroom and space was a problem. I had the trays inside the tub and that limited the print size to 8x10. I moved it (empty, but I didn't use the water bath at that time) from a wardrobe to the bathroom and back and it wasn't a big pain. Now I have a permanent darkroom and, although having enough room for trays, I prefer the convenience of the processor: temperature control, less chemicals lost.

Regarding agitation, Nova explains their own method in the instructions leaflet:

Agitation must be carried out in a gentle circular motion continuously for the first 30 seconds.(see Fig. 5). Once the print has been immersed in the chemical, do not be afraid to raise the print half way out of the developer to help agitation. Thereafter, agitation need only be done every 15 seconds throughout the rest of the development time. This should last approximately 5 seconds and complete the sequence by raising the print halfway out of the slot and then lowering back into place.

ivanlow said:

And they are not cheap.

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That is why we gave hints at cheaper solutions.

I recently bought a 16x12 Quad with vertical non-slanted heated slots on ebay. Used and yes, still pricey. I've only done 1 printing sessions with it sofar but it works well. Fibre paper (14x11 Adox Variotone WT) works fine with one clip. I hope to get more printing time this way as setting up and cleaning up will take a lot less time. My wife asked what that big toaster was doing in the laundry room.

AgX said:

That is why we gave hints at cheaper solutions.

Click to expand...

Which cheaper options???

Posts #8 and #10.

ivanlow said:

I was looking through some darkroom items and I found this :

Anybody have use this product? I don't know if this is as good they claim. Save chemical and reusability. And they are not cheap.

I only have a small bathroom to be my darkroom, still I can have trays laying around. For the space saving I can go with it, but for this price just for that is a little too much. I'm just not sure about the other functions of its design.

Your help is very much appreciated .


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Click to expand...

I prefer trays but owners of this device are usually very happy with it.It saves a ton of workspace and protects processing chemicals from oxidation

I agree, go w/ the ladder method of stacking trays. That will make things nicely compact. All that money you save will buy a ton of film, paper, and chemicals. I mean, a lot!

I've used tray stackers before. They work, and are good bang for the buck, but I found them hard to work with, YMMV.
The Nova is a much better solution, IMO, but you do pay for it. I bought mine used off of ebay, several years ago, and I suppose before prices went very high, but I've not checked lately.

Regarding fiber paper in the Nova, most do fine with one clip, the exception I've found is with Ilford Art 300 in 11x14 or larger, using two clips makes it easier to control.

You do need to be careful about adequate agitation. If you let the print sit, it will take on the diamond pattern of the inner slot/tank surface. It's not a problem if you keep up with the agitation though.

I have a quad 16x12. Works nicely. I did buy some extra clips, they useally come with only 2. And a word of caution. Never switch the heaters on, if there is no water in the jackets. The heater elements will overheat and die pretty quickly. Replacement elements can still be purchached from Nova. I do not think the heaters are a luxery in b&w printing. Temperatuur has quite a distinct impact on developement.

naaldvoerder said:

Never switch the heaters on, if there is no water in the jackets. The heater elements will overheat and die pretty quickly.

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Isn't there a fail-safe thermoswitch at the tanks?