Capacity of Fuji Hunt C41 X-press kit

[jrydberg]

I've searched through the previous threads related to Fuji Hunt but haven't found a good answer to my question, so I try again.

According to the manual the capacity for 120 format ISO 400 and above films is 8 rolls for 5L. After that the chemicals can be re-used up to a total of 32 rolls, with adjusted development timings.

If you want to run 1L instead of 5L, the capacity is 1.6 rolls per 1L.

My JOBO ATL-1500 can hold ~700mL in its bottles, which leaves me with a capacity of about 1 roll.

Is my calculations correct?

* Should I develop one roll of 400 ISO film at a time in at least 700mL?

* Am I correct that I can not fully develop a 220 roll with my ATL-1500 and the Fuji Hunt chemicals?

How do you guys and gals use your chemicals?

[Tom Kershaw]

I process 3 rolls of 120 C-41 film without issue in 470ml solution (Fujihunt used one-shot) using a Jobo ATL-2300.

Tom

[MikeSeb]

Follow the solution-volume guide under the Jobo's lid (left top panel) and you're golden.

I get 6 or 7 rolls of 120 per liter of C-41 without difficulty in my 1500.

[jrydberg]

MikeSeb: So you're using just enough chemicals to cover film? And then you pour back the used chemicals into the container to make 1L again?

[MikeSeb]

I go by the guide on the top cover of the Jobo. You look at the diagram, which depicts various combinations of tanks and reels. You then fill the solution tanks using the sight glasses; half full (one half the sight glass turns dark), mostly full (both halves of sight glass are dark), or full to the brim. This method sacrifices maximum utilization of chemistry (just a bit) for ease and convenience.

You can also look up the exact solution volumes in the Jobo's manual and measure out those volumes, according to which tank and reels you're loading. This way is a bit more precise, and uses slightly less chemistry than does the sight-glass method. And with the Jobo, everything is one-shot. Nothing is reused.

These machines are set up to get the job done with the minimum chemistry needed to process the film. The indicated solution volumes are calibrated so that the film is both physically submerged while in the tank, and so that sufficient chemistry is present to process the film. They are really oriented towards color emulsions so their solution volumes are calibrated accordingly. I've never had a problem in hundreds of rolls, except when I've screwed up somehow (exhausted chemistry, forgetting to fill one of the bottles, etc.)

When I'm doing B&W I have to base my volumes on minimum developer needed per roll (eg 100mL stock with Xtol) and desired dilution (eg, 200 mL solution per roll with Xtol 1+1).

[jrydberg]

From what I've read the JOBO volumes just describe the amount of liquid needed to cover the film.

So I should be able to develop 2 rolls of 120 format ISO 400 film in just 250mL?

BTW, I've managed to reuse chemicals from the JOBO, but with ... well, not always perfect result. Works better for E6 than C41 though.

[MikeSeb]

Not sure what else to say, except that the volumes both cover the film and process it to perfection. The jobo's were built with color processing in mind. My results have been flawless through hundreds of rolls of C-41.

[pentaxuser]

I don't know how the ATL 1500 works but the sellers of the kit seem to claim 60-80 films per kit. In a CPE-2 the tank for 120 film uses 240ml(say 250 for convenience) and the reel will take 2 x 120 films which seems to accord with your question above. So that 8 films per litre or 40 films per 5L and all one shot. However as I understand it the chems can be re-used. You've said 8 rolls then plus 32 with re-used chems which is also 40 rolls. It sounds as if the ATL 1500 isn't as economical as the CPE2 but only you will know know this.

As Mike has said the Jobo unit gives the vols required for the films in terms of coverage and it seems that the chems manufacturer says how often the chems can be re-used.

If you use the vols stated by Jobo then the film will be covered correctly. Jobo hasn't got it wrong. It knows what is required for its equipment. The rest is down to the chems manufacturer in terms of re-useage.

I can't help feeling we are missing what it is you want to know but like Mike and Tom I too am at a loss to grasp what it is that you think we are not telling.

pentaxuser

[mtjade2007]

I just read from Jobo AG site the ATL-1500 manual. It has a table in paragraph 5.3 that gives the volume of chemical for all the combination of drum, reel and film. If you have followed this table provided by Jobo I really have to ask how do you know that it is for the C-41 process? It does not say anything about which process the numbers are for.

I also just read my ATL-2300 manual. On page 23 it shows a same table in the ATL-1500 manual. However, on my ATL-2300 manual it does say: The quantities listed on the tank and drum labels are the minimum needed. Some processes may require higher volume for proper results.

I have about 10 Jobo drums. the numbers of the drums are the same as listed on the table on the manual. On the drum it does not say the numbers are for C-41, E-6 or whatever. The numbers may be for RA-4, EP-2, EP-200. I wonder if it is correct to assume that the numbers are for C-41.

On the other hand, here is Kodak's tech pub Z-131:
http://www.kodak.com/global/plugins/...ls/z131_03.pdf

Look at table 3-3. The table shows the capacity of unreplenished Kodak C-41 developer. A gallon of the developer can develop 11 rolls of lower speed (ISO 200 and below) but only 9 rolls of higher speed 120 films. It also says 2 rolls of higher speed 120 negatives per liter. I am sure you can do more than 2 rolls. The numbers may be a little conservative. But 6 - 7 rolls per liter seems very aggressive.

Fujihunt C-41 chemicals are compatible with Kodak so the capacity of Fujihunt should be similiar to Kodak's.

[jrydberg]

Originally Posted by pentaxuser

I can't help feeling we are missing what it is you want to know but like Mike and Tom I too am at a loss to grasp what it is that you think we are not telling.

I'm just trying to figure out how much chemicals to use. (I know how much to use to cover the film).

The Fuji Hunt manual states that you should only develop 8 rolls of ISO 400 film in 5L of single-use chemicals. I believe the number is 12 rolls for ISO 100 film (I do not have the manual here so I can not check). Which is pretty far from Tom's 3 rolls in ~500mL.

The manual also states that you can re-use the chemicals a number of times, with adjusted timing.

I guess the best way to find out is to experiment. The problem with that is that I really don't know how to see if a color negative has been fully developed. :/