Jobo CPE2

MindofMel

MindofMel

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Does anyone know the retail price of the Jobo CPE2 system when they were new? Just so i can gauge secondhand prices.

Also,

noob development question... I was under the impression agitation 1) shortened development time and also increased contrast? (black and white) - how does this apply when you have a rotating drum? 2) are development times issued by manufacturers the ones still used? :thinking:
 
Times are -10 to -15%, but as always, depends on your required result.

Don't think new prices are that useful when selling one, they are usually in demand and are worth as much as someone is willing to pay.
Check ebay for some eye watering (and unsold) prices.
 
I bought my CPE2 for just over £120 bit it was in rough condition and has now been tidied up.

With respect to times, it depends on the speed of agitation, between 10 and 30% reduction seems reasonable
 
These were current when I got my darkroom gear around 1983 and I seem to recall they came in two sizes, one at around £200, the other at £300. Or was it £300 and £400? It was 30 years ago and I’ve had a few knocks on the head since then. I never got one, since I saw no point for B/W or E6 developing or printing, which is what I mostly did. Good proposition for C41dev and printing though. But if I ever went back to print colour negatives I’d look into colour analysers as well.

There were alternatives. Durst did a temperature bath thing for the chemicals, and a separate drum rotator, which I think worked out a lot cheaper. Paterson did something as well but all I can recall is a flat thing you put the paper in, that then agitated in a strange circular motion.
 
I just noticed your other thread, which I didn't read since I haven't processed C41 in years, but read this one since I recall the subject matter from my youth. So, yes, for home processing of C41 negs, I would say the CPE-2 is a decent thing to buy at the right price.

Did like TheBigYin's idea though.
 
kenm said:
I just noticed your other thread, which I didn't read since I haven't processed C41 in years, but read this one since I recall the subject matter from my youth. So, yes, for home processing of C41 negs, I would say the CPE-2 is a decent thing to buy at the right price.

Did like TheBigYin's idea though.
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Cheers - in my case it was a no-brainer - I had the MAHOOSIVE coolbox from when I used to work at a Ice Cream manufacturing company and we used to ferry samples from one site to another in them packed in dry-ice. My mate donated the tropical fishtank heater when he saw me souping a couple of rolls of E6 and having to keep sloshing in hot water from the kettle...
 
MindofMel said:
noob development question... I was under the impression agitation 1) shortened development time and also increased contrast? (black and white) - how does this apply when you have a rotating drum? 2) are development times issued by manufacturers the ones still used? :thinking:
Click to expand...

It's an entirely different thing - whilst that bodes true to an extent with B&W development, B&W development is very much non-standard. There are countless variations of developer, fixer, stop, variations on time, temperature, ISO. On the other hand, C-41 is a completely standardised process, and it was standardised on the presumption that anyone doing it would be using rotary processing.

For that reason, development times should also be standardised, although the home C-41 kits deviate slightly to account for reuse (when commercial labs would continually top up their chemicals due to the volume they would be processing). I know there are some kits out there that have a set of times for a lower temperature, but I would avoid that if at all possible - C-41 isn't difficult, but it makes sense to try and reduce as many of the variables that could ruin your film as much as possible.

MindofMel said:
Does anyone know the retail price of the Jobo CPE2 system when they were new? Just so i can gauge secondhand prices.
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Wanted to have a quick look for this information - found an Adorama catalogue from 1985, which had the CPE-2 starter kit (sans lift) for $259.95 in 1985. The US inflation calculator says that is, in 2012 money, about $550, or £342 if you live in the false currency exchange numbers that Google offers (try getting £342 from that many dollars, hah). So compared to a lot of film equipment, they hold their value reasonably well!
 
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freecom2 said:
It's an entirely different thing - whilst that bodes true to an extent with B&W development, B&W development is very much non-standard. There are countless variations of developer, fixer, stop, variations on time, temperature, ISO. On the other hand, C-41 is a completely standardised process, and it was standardised on the presumption that anyone doing it would be using rotary processing.
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Great, so I only apply the 10-15% reduction in processing time when developing BW film. I understand it's primarily for C-41 but I am really keen to get reproducible known results from a single type of film and process.

I should find it easier to not get dust on my negs via a JOBO process as well I'm hoping.
 
c-41 is as Kodak instructions, although other ones are OK as the times are usually the same. Just use a separate fix/bleach if you can.

The reduction in time is only for b/w

I picked up my CPP2 for £175 a couple of years ago, so bargains can be found if you look hard enough.
 
A Firstcall Photographic 2005 catalogue listed the CPE2 plus lift at £500 or just the lift for £200.
 
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