Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/03

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Jobo's and other anomalies, NOT
From: "Mueller, Rob" <rob.mueller@eds.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 12:24:18 -0500

Expensive, fragile looking, looks like junk, made from thin plastic. but it
has worked for me (99% 4x5 B&W) for 11 years. Put the negs on a densitometer
and they are very even. My development process became very consistant which
is what we all strive for. I believe that is one reason that I have been
successful with TMAX 100. It may also be the reason that I don't float
between defferent film, looking for that special something that I read
about. I have that special something on a regular basis. when I'm in the
field I can visualize correctly what the negative will give me. (I can't
always be sure of the content). 

Rob Mueller
Studies in Black and White
www.studiesinblackandwhite.com 
rob@studiesinblackandwhite.com





- -----Original Message-----
From: Jim Brick [mailto:jimbrick@photoaccess.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 1999 7:28 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: [Leica] Re: Jobo's and other anomalies, NOT


It has been my experience over the years, that Jobo equipment is not
vilifyable. It, and other equipment like it, has always been substantial
and used heavily by big name professionals. I have a Wilkinson drum
processor. Invented and marketed world wide (except the USA) by Peter
Wilkinson (Wilkinson Photographic) in England.

Peter and I were very close friends. I worked his booth at Photokina many
times. He invented his line of processors in the late 60's. They were
distributed, at that time, by Agfa. I brought one home (a 5060) which will
process prints up to 20x24. This was all before Jobo was a figment of
anyone's imagination. Peter Wilkinson then made an automatic version of his
processor. Instead of pumps to move the chemicals, it uses gravity. He
brought one to the US and showed it at PMA. After the show, he shipped it
to me instead of back to England.

I've had this processor for 20 years. It still works as it did the day I
got it. I've only performed routine maintenance on it. I do not do B&W in a
processor. I like Pyro, Beutler, Windisch, and other processes which are
processor unfriendly. My Wilkinson processor has spent all of its life
processing E6, C-22 (remember that?), Cibachrome, and Type C prints.

Anyway... the bottom line is that drum processors work really well and they
don't seem to need much maintenance. Jobo grew into a substantial company,
and it wasn't from print tongs, graduates, and funnels. It was because they
have a quality rotary processor product and good service. Their ALT
processors are awesome!

Peter Wilkinson died a little over a year ago so the future of maintenance
parts for my processor is uncertain. Should it give up and parts not be
available, I will invest in a Jobo ALT 2300. Hopefully used or
reconditioned.

Jim


At 04:06 PM 11/2/99 -0500, Tina Manley wrote:

>At 12:19 PM 11/2/99 -0800, Mark Rabiner wrote:
>>... And certainly not some dumb gadget like a Jobo. But we've been
>>through all that before at least twice. I would think it would be obvious
when
>>one is staring at junk.
>>Mark Rabiner

>Why junk, Mark?  True, there are plastic parts, but mine has been going 
>strong for about 10 years and I bought it used.  There's no way I could 
>have developed all of the film I have over the last ten years without the 
>Jobo unless I gave up sleeping!  If mine broke down today, I wouldn't 
>hesitate to buy another one.
>
>Tina
>
>
>Tina Manley, ASMP
>http://www.tinamanley.com
>