Rotary processing



Rotary processing is a reliable and convenient way to do your own printing and film processing. You can do black and white films, C-41, E-6, and any color printing material. Jobo offers an affordable processor called CPE-plus. CPE-plus is a small rotary processor that can handle up to five rolls of 35mm film, six 120 or three 220 roll films, up to twelve sheets of 4X5 film, and prints up to 11X14 including Ilfochromes and type R. See Jobo CPE-2 for more information.

I've been using a CPE-plus processors for more than ten years. I do all my films and color printing materials with this unit. I have saved thousands of dollars over the years by processing my own films and papers. The CPE-plus is very reliable and delivers professional results. I actually process eight rolls of 35mm films or 10 rolls of 120 films. The size of the tank fits the combination film drums but the weight puts pressure on the motor. I do two separate runs and process sixteen 35mm or twenty 120 roll films. If processing your own films, especially color slides worry you, try the CPE-plus. The whole process takes less than 30 minutes and is simpler than you think. You don't need prior knowledge. Just follow the chemical manufacturers time and temperature recommendations, and you are all set. Printing color papers are another advantage of the CPE-plus. Expose the paper and place it inside a print drum. Start the timer and the processor, and in minutes you'll have pro quality prints. CPE-plus saves a lot of time and money and makes darkroom work very simple. You start by filling the processor with water. Set the temperature dial to desired setting. It is a good idea to fill the processor with correct water temperature so you don't have to wait long. Next, pour in chemicals into bottles which comes with CPE-plus and place them inside the processor. Once the water bath and chemicals reach the correct temperature, you can start processing.

You need to warm up the tank for film processing. Do not pour water inside the tank. Run the processor with the tank attached for 5 to 7 minutes. This warms up the tank and ensures that chemicals will enter and stay inside the tank at correct temperature. Developers are the most critical. Even a slight change in temperature can result in under or overexposure. CPE-plus can keep all chemicals at exact temperature during processing run. With the Jobo Lift attached (optional), filling and emptying the tank or drum gets much easier. You don't need to remove the tank or the drum. Just pour in the chemicals inside the Lift and pour out by raising the Lift. Printing color papers are just as simple. You can process several sheets at once. You can process four 4X5, two 8X10, or one 11X14 prints. Jobo drums come with dividers so papers can't overlap.
Rotary processors are economical and are much easier and faster to use than other processing methods. Best of all, results are excellent. I have not used a lab for ten years and do not plan on doing so. The results I get with my CPE-plus processors are superb and better than most labs I worked with before. For larger processing, Jobo also offers CPP-2 and CPA-2 Processors. See Jobo CPP-2 & CPA-2 for more details.