Optima Darkroom Processor

xtol121 · Aug 18, 2020

Hi! I'm starting this thread for discussion of the Optima Darkroom Processor, including the Optima and OptimaX units.

I'm fairly new to black and white printing (and this forum), but quickly developed contact dermatitis on my right hand, specifically the pinky finger closest to the chemicals, even when using tongs. I'm also unfortunate to have a very tiny temporary bathroom darkroom where space is at a premium. All of this led me on a search for a Nova unit, which is pretty much impossible to find in the USA these days. Eventually I stumbled across a Youtube video for the Optima Darkroom Processors and quickly ordered a 12"x16" OptimaX unit.

Setup was simple, and I was up and running in an hour or so. The unit is larger than I was expecting, and has enough slots for 8 chemical pods. The pods take about 2.3L per pod, odd but not a big deal as I store my chemicals in 1 gallon containers. The unit also uses a unique print holder that cradles the print.

In practice I've found you have to drain your prints during the sequence much longer than you would using tongs and trays. I now drain for 30s between pods to avoid carry over. Still I seem to exhaust my fixer faster from carry over with the Optima system than I did with trays. I'd be curious if anyone who uses the Optima or even an older Nova has a similar experience.

When you are finished the print, you must thoroughly wash the print holder. If you're not careful with this step you might end up with stains on your next print. I'm still experimenting with ways to quickly and efficiently rinse off any chemicals from the print holder without "doing the dishes" between every print. For now I'm going to purchase extra print holders so I can at least delay this task for a number of runs.

If anyone has any questions about the unit I can try my best to answer. Next time I set up the darkroom I will post images of the setup in this thread. Also, if anybody has any general tips for slot processing I would be keen to hearing them.

x

Truzi · Aug 19, 2020

Welcome.

I'm not sure if you know this yet, but "The Naked Photographer" who created that video is a member of this forum. You can search for his user name "Greg Davis."

logan2z · Aug 19, 2020

xtol121 said:
Hi! I'm starting this thread for discussion of the Optima Darkroom Processor, including the Optima and OptimaX units.

I'm fairly new to black and white printing (and this forum), but quickly developed contact dermatitis on my right hand, specifically the pinky finger closest to the chemicals, even when using tongs. I'm also unfortunate to have a very tiny temporary bathroom darkroom where space is at a premium. All of this led me on a search for a Nova unit, which is pretty much impossible to find in the USA these days. Eventually I stumbled across a Youtube video for the Optima Darkroom Processors and quickly ordered a 12"x16" OptimaX unit.

Setup was simple, and I was up and running in an hour or so. The unit is larger than I was expecting, and has enough slots for 8 chemical pods. The pods take about 2.3L per pod, odd but not a big deal as I store my chemicals in 1 gallon containers. The unit also uses a unique print holder that cradles the print.

In practice I've found you have to drain your prints during the sequence much longer than you would using tongs and trays. I now drain for 30s between pods to avoid carry over. Still I seem to exhaust my fixer faster from carry over with the Optima system than I did with trays. I'd be curious if anyone who uses the Optima or even an older Nova has a similar experience.

When you are finished the print, you must thoroughly wash the print holder. If you're not careful with this step you might end up with stains on your next print. I'm still experimenting with ways to quickly and efficiently rinse off any chemicals from the print holder without "doing the dishes" between every print. For now I'm going to purchase extra print holders so I can at least delay this task for a number of runs.

If anyone has any questions about the unit I can try my best to answer. Next time I set up the darkroom I will post images of the setup in this thread. Also, if anybody has any general tips for slot processing I would be keen to hearing them.

x

I have a Nova slot processor so this may not be applicable to the Optima, but Nova suggests that you drag the back of the print across the slot divider when moving the print from one slot to the other. This essentially squeegees off the print before it is moved to the next slot and significantly reduces carryover. I've always followed this advice and have never had an issue with fixer exhaustion due to carryover with the Nova.

As for washing off the clip between prints, yes you do need to do this but it should only take a handful of seconds under running water to clean the clip sufficiently. I've never found this to be a big hardship.

bdial · Aug 19, 2020

I keep a water filled holding tray next to my Nova, prints go into the holding bath after fixing and the clip gets a dunk in the water.
So far, the procedure has worked fine for me, with no discernible contamination of my developer.

xtol121 · Aug 19, 2020

Truzi said:
Welcome.

I'm not sure if you know this yet, but "The Naked Photographer" who created that video is a member of this forum. You can search for his user name "Greg Davis."

I wasn't aware of that, thanks for the tip!

logan2z said:
I have a Nova slot processor so this may not be applicable to the Optima, but Nova suggests that you drag the back of the print across the slot divider when moving the print from one slot to the other. This essentially squeegees off the print before it is moved to the next slot and significantly reduces carryover. I've always followed this advice and have never had an issue with fixer exhaustion due to carryover with the Nova.

As for washing off the clip between prints, yes you do need to do this but it should only take a handful of seconds under running water to clean the clip sufficiently. I've never found this to be a big hardship.

That might be a source of my frustration. I have been lifting the print holder up and letting it drip into the slot, then tipping diagonally to allow the chemicals drain off of the corner, but that hasn't paid any attention to the back of the holder. I'm going to do some tests before my next session and I'll be sure to try that method.

bdial said:
I keep a water filled holding tray next to my Nova, prints go into the holding bath after fixing and the clip gets a dunk in the water.
So far, the procedure has worked fine for me, with no discernible contamination of my developer.

Those nova clips seem to be a lot easier to clean than the print holders the Optima unit uses. My last session I tested keeping my Versalab print washer filled with water, but completely empty so it was just the tub. After each print I would dunk the print holder into the washer a few times and then hang it up. This worked well 80% of the time, but I would still get the occasional stain from leftover fixer. Maybe I need to try it with the print washer running so there is more water circulation?

Also, if anyone is unaware of the style of the print holders I have attached an image for reference. My main area of contamination has been underneath the flap at the top and occasionally along the bottom edge.

Thanks for all of the replies and tips!

Donald Qualls · Aug 19, 2020

That's a terrible design. Seems designed to maximize carry over.

logan2z · Aug 19, 2020

xtol121 said:
Also, if anyone is unaware of the style of the print holders I have attached an image for reference. My main area of contamination has been underneath the flap at the top and occasionally along the bottom edge.

That looks to be a similar design to the paper holders used in the Nova processors intended for use with fiber-based paper. The much smaller clips are used in their processors geared towards RC paper, like the Monochrome. The large paper holders supposedly provide better support for fiber paper since it is relatively delicate when wet.

I use a Nova Monochrome for printing on fiber paper up to 11"x14" and have never had a problem using the smaller clips. You can also use two clips to better support the paper, but I've never needed to do so. The smaller clips are also very easy to rinse off using running water. I can imagine that the large paper holders require more effort to clean between prints and allow for much more carry over.

xtol121 · Aug 23, 2020

logan2z said:
That looks to be a similar design to the paper holders used in the Nova processors intended for use with fiber-based paper. The much smaller clips are used in their processors geared towards RC paper, like the Monochrome. The large paper holders supposedly provide better support for fiber paper since it is relatively delicate when wet.

I use a Nova Monochrome for printing on fiber paper up to 11"x14" and have never had a problem using the smaller clips. You can also use two clips to better support the paper, but I've never needed to do so. The smaller clips are also very easy to rinse off using running water. I can imagine that the large paper holders require more effort to clean between prints and allow for much more carry over.

The Nova clips really sound great, I wish they worked with the Optima system but I'm pretty sure the slanted design would prohibit that. If I continue to have contamination issues I might try and create my own bootleg version...

Greg Davis said:
That was my video. I have used a Nova processor before, and I didn’t see any advantage with the slanted design of the Optima. I don’t like either design for RA4 because of how sensitive the developer is to blix contamination. It’s too easy to accidentally drain some blix into the developer slot and ruin your print run.

It worked pretty well for large b&w prints, but I worried constantly about uneven development since there isn’t a lot of room to move the holder around in the slot.

Hey Greg, thanks for responding and also thanks for all the work you put into your YouTube channel, they're excellent videos and I look forward to each one.

I'm starting to think that the only advantage of the Optima vs the Nova is that the Optima is still available new, which I do value. I think it's important to support active companies in the analog photography world. Contamination problems with the print holder is the most obvious problem and it's a pretty major one. I haven't had any uneven development issues so far, but I've only done 11x14 which is as large as my 12x16 Optima will handle. That might be more of a concern the larger you go, hopefully not! Also, no experience with RA-4 yet. I don't think I'd be tempted to give that a go without a Jobo, and as much as I try to convince my girlfriend I need one she hasn't budged.

I'm setting up my darkroom tomorrow and I'm going to try changing my workflow. Rather than my 5 slots going Dev, Stop, Fix A, Fix B, Rinse, I am going to try Dev, Rinse, Stop, Rinse, Fix, and then thoroughly rinse the print holder in a tray washer. I'll handle the second fixing bath in a separate tray at the end of the session. Hopefully that will slow down any contamination problems.

logan2z · Aug 23, 2020

xtol121 said:
I'm starting to think that the only advantage of the Optima vs the Nova is that the Optima is still available new

My understanding is that Nova is still making print processors, but they are redesigning them and have not yet released the new models. According to Nova's web site, they are expected to launch in January 2021 - later than their original September 2020 target, presumably due to the pandemic. Hopefully the new models retain the usability of the originals.

xtol121 · Aug 23, 2020

logan2z said:
According to Nova's web site, they are expected to launch in January 2021

I want to believe, but I've also watched them push back their launch back for a year and a half now. I can't quite remember, but I'm pretty sure it was originally supposed to be released in August 2019. I also have a feeling that the Optima is the replacement of the Nova, but because of Covid-19 it hasn't been released. My only reason for believing this is that Optima is designed and built by the same individual who originally made the Nova, and is still invoicing from a Nova business name, Novacrylics. I don't think it'd be too out there to see Imaging Warehouse sell the Optima as the updated replacement to the Nova, but I'm just guessing.

In all honesty the Optima is great, I love that it's modular and not limited to just 3 or 4 slots. If a slot cracks it's easy to replace and doesn't ruin the entire unit. My only problem has been with carryover from the print holder which I hope to sort out.

krylovsk · Jul 18, 2022

@xtol121 I wonder if you’re still using your Optima and what your experience has been since the last post. E.g. if the two fix slots solution worked for you to avoid contamination.

I’m building a small darkroom (thread) and thinking of getting an Optima 12 so that I can both develop and wash B&W prints beyond 8x10’’ and keep odors under control.

xtol121 · Jul 18, 2022

Hi @krylovsk, my patience ran out after another session or two back in 2020. I never found a good way to avoid stains, and the draining of the slots was too cumbersome. I still want to believe the slots are a good design, but their paper holders are the problem. These days I'm using trays for 8x10 with a small tray ladder. Anything larger goes into a jobo tank and onto my beseler roller.

krylovsk · Jul 19, 2022

I see, sorry to hear that. I might also put the plans for larger prints aside and stick to 8x10'' in trays and get more experience before investing into Optima.

I wonder if the same contamination / staining issues of Optima X would also apply to Optima 12 though, which is mainly a washer. The way I was thinking to use it is dev+stop+fix in add-on chemical slots and washing in all the wash slots. In that way I would only re-use a holder after the print is thoroughly washed and taken out to dry.

Given there's a total of 11 wash slots and 3 add-on chemical slots it sound like I could give prints plenty of time to be washed before I'd re-use the holder. That is assuming I won't have to occupy some of the wash slots for rinsing to avoid carry-over contamination between chemical pods, but I was hoping it won't be that big of an issue with B&W and "squeegeeing" the print by dragging it along the edge of the pod when moving to the next bath would do the trick..

xtol121 · Jul 19, 2022

All of that could work but in my experience it would be enough effort to put me off from printing completely. The drums are enough of a pain, let alone completing a 12 step process to see a print. California is also in a permanent drought so all that extra washing would weigh on my conscience.

I started exploring the slots as an alternative because I was getting contact dermatitis from chemical exposure. I spent a few months wearing gloves and being religious about applying a barrier cream lotion with hyalauronic acid to my hands every hour or so. My dermatitis cleared up in a few months.

I switched my chemistry to eco pro citric stop bath and eco pro neutral fixer. This chemistry has almost no odor in a 4’x4’ darkroom with ventilation. I’m quick to wash my hands if I touch anything, but the vapors from the stop and fixer aren’t irritating like Kodak stop and ilford rapid fixer were. I still use Dektol as my developer, but I am careful to avoid contact. I have no dermatitis issues anymore, and outside of feeling a little crammed in my small darkroom it’s fun to print again.

I’d recommend finding a small tray ladder and sticking to 8x10s. Use drums for anything larger. If you’re new to the darkroom there are plenty of pitfalls in the process to figure out before you complicate it. My biggest regret when starting in 2019 was not keeping it simple. I wasted a lot of time, money, and paper trying things I read online and looking for equipment that would be a shortcut or whatever. Cry once buy once is my advice for an enlarger. Everything else should be kept as simple and basic as possible.

Optima Darkroom Processor

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