Jean-Sébastien Caux

Confessions of a #darkroom #junkie (part 1 of ♾️ many).

For my #BlackAndWhite neg developing, I've mostly used tanks and trays (for #LargeFormat), but also used a #Jobo #CPE2plus processor.

The problem: it was an old machine and the motor was struggling, only capable of running a couple of minutes at low torque and then stopping 😞.

So I tried to cash in on my #RightToRepair.

Maybe the motor brushes were ruined? Maybe a new motor was needed? (it's in fact a car windshield wiper motor)...
🧵1/ 5

Nov 5, 2022 at 1:00pmWeb
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 5, 2022
Taking the motor apart however revealed that everything was just fine with. The brushes were good, there was some sign of arcing but nothing bad, and after a quick cleanup I could fire it up to the RPM and torque in the specs.
🧵 2/5
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 5, 2022

So the problem was elsewhere.

Carefully checking the circuit board with a multimeter revealed another suspicious component: the diode rectifier, whose DC output was wild. These things don't age well, and this one was about 30 years old...
🧵 3/5

Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 5, 2022
Another problem was that some soldered joints had loosened up too much, so that also had to be corrected.
🧵 4/5
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 5, 2022

After a quick intervention with the soldering iron, #RightToRepair wins the day and my old #Jobo #CPE2plus plus friend is as good as new!

It's just great to get such an old beast in proper working order again, without having to break the bank buying a replacement!

This is now my standard dev method for #35mm, #6x6, #4x5 and #11x14.

My beloved home-brewed #510pyro works beautifully, with super-consistent results with all my standard films.

So if you *can* repair, *do*!

🧵 5/5

Show threadDebra WilsonNov 5, 2022
@jscaux wow! Looks amazing.
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 5, 2022
@Debrawilsonsays thanks! Nice work on your end as well, love the pinhole stuff.
Show threadDebra WilsonNov 5, 2022
@jscaux thank you. I’m still finding my way around here but it seems like a great platform.
Show threads2Nov 5, 2022
@jscaux I was "gifted" one of those in the late 1990s. Sadly as a poor recent graduate and lack of space I sold it on. I still use Jobo though to tank process my #120 and #5x4 film. I used to make a home made concoction called D25, and recently switched to Xtol in a 2 bath solution with Sodium Metaborate. I had been contemplating switching to Pyro, but found for environmental reasons tried X-tol first. So far the results are being delivered, especially with skies.
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 6, 2022

@s2art nice; indeed #Jobo tank hand processing w/o the machine is something I've also done a lot (before repairing the beast).

#Xtol is great, on my side I've used lots of different things but converged on #PMK and now #510pyro which I consider the best film dev I've ever used. Superb highlights, deep shadows, and great for both normal silver as well as carbon printing.

For paper dev, for environmental reasons I've shifted to Vitamin C-based ones like Moersch 4812 https://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/shop/positiv/110

Wolfgang Moersch Fine-Art-Printing & Photo-Chemie | Content

Show threads2Nov 6, 2022
@jscaux Ahhhh yes #pyro, legendary, indeed, but tricky with sheet film, tray processed I never tried it with roll film in a tank.
my current favourite paper dev is Ansco 120 1+2 for 2 or 3 minutes, soft, AND warm
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 6, 2022

@s2art for #PMK and roll film in a tank, my experience was that I would get streaks if I machine processed, but not if I hand processed. For #4x5 in a tray, I could limit the streaks.

With #510pyro my experience is that the streaking is just completely absent, even if I machine #Jobo it. So now everything #35mm, #6x6, #4x5 and #11x14 gets the same treatment, and my calibrations are holding.

Show threadSven Tiffe Nov 9, 2022

@jscaux @s2art I'm processing C41 film in a minilab, ie under rotation. I appreciate the ability to precisely control the temperature of the chemicals. For black and white I use a regular tank for both 120 film and 4x5 sheets.

My black and white workflow is not fancy though. I mostly use Rodinal for simplicity.

Show threads2Nov 9, 2022
@sven @jscaux what kind of tanks?what is the name brand and model of mini-lab?
Show threadSven Tiffe Nov 9, 2022

@s2art @jscaux for hand development I am using Paterson tanks with the MOD 54 film holder for 4x5 sheets. That one holds up to 6 sheets and after trying often enough, placing them correctly in the bag works pretty fine.

I do not use rotation for manual development but "shake". I use the massive dev chart for timing.

The same holder also fits into my mini lab which is a Tetenal Film Lab (or, Durst Filmetta) which is small but works really nicely. I use that one for C41/E6 only.

Show threads2Nov 9, 2022
@sven @jscaux so does the mini-lab not control temperature well enough?
Show threadSven Tiffe Nov 9, 2022
@s2art @jscaux it does, hence using it for C41. Black and white is so simple (at least with Rodinal and my probably low standards) that manual dev makes sense.
Show threads2Nov 9, 2022
@sven @jscaux love o see some pix of your C41 machine, I only do b&w in my darkroom at home, as it is a difficult space to 'temperature control' for the limits of C41
Show threadSven Tiffe Nov 9, 2022
@s2art @jscaux the minilab is almost not available on the used market anymore, i got pretty lucky getting it. I've attached a (German) video about it. Modern Jobs CPE machines are probably the closest equivalent (albeit expensive) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAoFBfsE84o&t=341s
📷 Analoge Fotografie: Filmentwicklung vollautomatisch - Durst Filmetta, Tetenal Color Lab

YouTube
Show threads2Nov 9, 2022
@sven @jscaux impressive indeed
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 10, 2022

@sven @s2art for many years I've also used #Rodinal (old recipe) a lot, I liked its keeping properties (in view of my irregular developing schedule) and could live with the grain.

Give #510pyro a go though, if you have the chance: even better keeping qualities than #Rodinal, plus all the #pyro magic in the bag even when doing rotary processing.

Show threadSven Tiffe Nov 10, 2022
@jscaux @s2art I probably should. I also have XTOL in my stock but never tried.
Show threads2Nov 10, 2022
@jscaux interesting can you elaborate more on the recipe?
Show threadJean-Sébastien CauxNov 10, 2022

@s2art a good starting point with #510pyro is Jay DeFehr (the "inventor")'s description of it at https://sites.google.com/site/jaydefehrsdevelopers/home/510-pyro

You can also find more at John Finch's page at http://pictorialplanet.com/advanced_photography/510_pyro.html

There are also lots of other sources on the web, but those are the ones I started with.

510-Pyro - Jay DeFehr's Developers

Information about Jay DeFehr's developers for film and paper

Show threads2Nov 11, 2022
@jscaux I like the sound of that, I have used Pryo in the past, as a student, and was blown away with the results. I'm still concerned however, over the toxicity of Pryo and my normal chemical supplier doesn't seem to carry Triethanolamine either. My current process is using #Xtol and Barry Thornton's 2 bath method is delivering very good results. Especially, given here in the southern hemisphere the light is more often than not really difficult to deal with. #analogue #analoguephotography