 |
 |
AutoLab ATL-1500
ATL-1500 Processor ATL-1500 Processor shown
with front cover open
Contents:
- Visit the AutoLab Online Gallery
- Product Summary
- Key Features
- The Complete Description
- Technical Specifications/Capacities
- Processing Costs
- What's a less expensive alternative? What's the next step up?
- Specific accessories for your ATL-1500
- View the online instruction manual
- Where to buy?
Product Summary:
The ATL-1500 is the mid-range automatic film processor available from JOBO. Models with larger capacity are the ATL-2200, ATL-2300, ATL-2400, and ATL-2500. Automatic processors with smaller capacity are the ATL-500 and ATL-800. The ATL-1500 is designed to allow you to concentrate on shooting, while leaving the processing to the experts. After you've loaded the chemicals and film (unbelievably easy), simply select the chemical program, press start, and walk away.
The ATL-1500 develops color and B/W 35mm, 120, 220 roll film, 4x5" sheet film, and prints up to 8x10".
Key Features
Programmable
The ATL-1500 comes preprogrammed with all common E-6, C-41, and B/W processes. Additionally, the ATL-1500 is programmable which allows you to set all rinse and chemical program times individually in the event you need push/pull capability.
Portability
Don't have the luxury of having your film processed in a lab? Take the ATL-1500 with you! With a few accessories, you can process film in an RV, a hotel room, your office, or wherever there's 115v power. High quality
The ATL-1500 handles all three critical steps of the development process for you. They include time, temperature, and agitation. The timing of each chemical and rinse steps is controlled with a microprocessor. The circulating water bath maintains the temperature of the process to within +/- 0.1 deg C. The agitation is accomplished using a bi-directional rotation motor.
You need it now!
When your film must be processed NOW, you're covered with the ATL-1500. You'll no longer have the unneeded hassle of putting the film in containers, driving to the lab (which is particularly annoying during rush hour), dropping off the film, driving back to work, then going to pick up the film the next morning.
The Complete Description
The Company Behind the Products:
JOBO has manufactured high-quality photographic products for professionals and amateurs for more than 70 years. The ease-of-use, consistency, and reliability of JOBO processors have allowed over 100,000 people world-wide to save money on lab costs, help them get more creative, and basically made their lives easier.One group of products in particular that has helped professionals over the years are the JOBO AutoLab processors. AutoLabs are fully-automatic machines that develop color and B/W roll- and sheet-film, and color and B/W prints. The most compact of the AutoLab processors is the ATL-1500. The ATL-1500 is designed to develop E-6, C-41, and B/W roll film including 35mm, 120, 220, APS, and 4x5" sheet film.
The ATL-1500 Hookups:
Installation is a snap. If you can install a cloths-washer, you can install an ATL-1500. There are three utility hookups needed for the processor.
- The power comes standard as 115V, but 220V models are also available special order. As with all electronic devices that are used with, or in proximity to water, a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet is required.
- There are two drain hoses, one is for the water bath and rinse steps of programs, the other is for the spent chemicals. These drain hoses can either be plumbed into your regular drain, or routed through the Chemical Separator. The Chemical Separator separates the developer-type chemicals from the bleach/fix-type chemicals to allow you to take advantage of silver recovery.
- The processor needs an independent water supply for the rinse steps. The processor could have easily been designed to use the tempered water bath as a supply for rinse water, but this would cause a problem if the water bath were ever contaminated by chemicals. So, to be absolutely safe, the processor uses a separate water supply.
There are two water connections possible, one for a "permanent" setup, and one for a portable setup. The ATL-1500 ships with the hose needed to connect to the water supply. The hose is connected to the rinse-water solenoid on the processor, then a brass adapter is connected to the hose to convert it from European threading to standard 3/4" garden-hose thread. The brass adapter is then connected to the Water Mixing Panel I, or your existing water panel. Water Mixing Panel I
The second way to connect the water is with two items that allow you to develop film in a hotel room, on a boat, or wherever there's AC power. The two items are the Submersible Pump, and the Submersible Heater. The pump is connected to the processor, the heater is plugged into a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet, and both are laid down in a clean container filled with at least 15-liters of water. The heater heats the rinse-water to 38.0 deg centigrade, and when the ATL-1500 requires a rinse, it activates the pump to provide the water.
The Cover and Heat Control:
The cover of the ATL-1500 is opened by pressing the button in the front of the processor. The cover is important because it ensures the temperature surrounding the processing tank inside will remain at the correct developing temperature. Temperature control is very important for proper film developing.What's inside:
In the front, left part of the ATL-1500 are the processing bottles. These bottles hold the chemicals that will be used to develop the film. Each bottle has an optical sensor to make it easy to determine how much chemical is in the bottle for processing runs of only 1-2 rolls. Each bottle includes a sealing mechanism to make sure when the bottle is pressurized, the chemicals will be pumped to the processing tank. But most importantly, each bottle is physically separated from the others to prevent any chance that the chemicals would interfere with each other. The temperature sensor in the first chemical (developer) bottle prevents the processor from starting until the chemicals are at the right temperature.Right above the bottle caps are six red indicators, above them is a black hose. This hose is used for the processor's cleaning programs, and it provides tempered water for chemical mixing.
On the right-hand side is the control panel. This is where you select programs to run, alter the processing times if needed, and where you can find out exactly what step the ATL-1500 is on in the program.
The processing tank itself, which holds the undeveloped film, attaches to the lift arm on the left side of the processing area. The tank is completely light-tight when the lid is locked, so processing in room light is no problem. The tank sits in a circulating water bath, which keeps the chemicals, tank, and film all to within 0.1 deg centigrade.
There's a line on the back of the processing area that functions as the water level limit. It's important that there isn't too much or too little water in the bath. Too much water could cause the drum to float which would cause chemicals to pool at one end, and too little water would prevent the tank from preheating to the correct temperature. For this reason the ATL-1500 has a built-in float switch and water inlet solenoid. The processor will automatically fill to the correct level.
Developing in the tanks:
One of the key features of JOBO processing systems are the characteristics of the developing tanks. The tanks are composed of tank bodies, lids, center cores, and reels. Unlike other tanks, JOBO tank bodies are made from pliable, ABS plastic which prevents them from cracking if dropped. The tank lids are attached to the tank bodies with a locking ring. This design is better than the screw-on type because there are no threads to gunk up or get cross-threaded.
In the inside of the lids is a removable funnel which serves two functions: It's part of the light-trap, and it allows chemicals to flow into the tank from the front. The center cores complete the light-trap design with the funnel, and they also allow chemicals to flow through to fill from the rear of the tank. Filling the tank from the front and rear simultaneously makes sure the film is covered with chemicals quickly and uniformly. The center cores also ensure the reels move with the tank.
There are two reels used in the tanks; the roll-film reels, and the sheet-film reels. The roll film reels are adjustable, meaning you can use the same reel to develop 35mm film, 120 film, and 220 film. When developing 120 film, you'll notice each reel has a small red clip on one side. This clip is designed to separate two 120 films on one reel. Simply load the first film all the way to the center, close the clip, and load the second 120 film. The clip will keep the films from overlapping.
The second reel is used for 4x5" sheet-film processing. Each reel holds six sheets of film. It's important to use the special paddles that come with the reels. The paddles secure the edges of the films to prevent them from touching.
Technical Specifications/Capacities:
ATL-1500 Capacities Film Material Qty Per Run Chem Amt 35mm/36exp 5 660ml 120 6 660ml 220 3 660ml 4x5" 12 660ml Print Material Qty Per Run Chem Amt 8x10" 1 80ml
ATL-1500 Technical Specifications Dimensions 19x21.5x12" (LWH) Power requirements 115V, 850 watts, 8 amps Water requirements Supply of tempered water for rinse steps (Water Panel #4190). Min/max water pressure 15-90 p.s.i. (1-6 bar). Drain requirements Two drain hoses, ~39" long, 0.86" diameter. One hose for rinse steps, the other for chemical steps. Weight 24.25 lbs. (11 kgs) Tempering bath capacity 3.2 quarts (3 liters) Solution capacity Six 750ml bottles Processing temperatures 38 deg C for E-6 and C-41, 24 deg C for B/W and RA-4. Maintained to +/- 0.1 deg C.
Processing Costs:
These costs are calculated at the suggested list prices for Tetenal chemicals. Depending on what price you ultimately pay for chemicals, the costs per roll and sheet will vary. If you would like help determining what your actual costs will be, please e-mail sales@jobo-usa.com with what you currently pay for your chemical, and we'll reply with the cost-table.
Processing Costs for Film and Prints
Process
Size / Format "Cost Per"
ATL-1500C-41 Color Negative Film
35mm/36exp $1.81 120 $1.48 220 $3.04 4x5" Reel System $0.74 4x5" Expert System Not Possible
5x7" 8x10" Custom E-6 Color Positive Film
Tetenal E-6 5-Liter 6-Bath Kit #109342 35mm/36exp $2.64 120 $2.20 220 $4.40 4x5" Reel System $1.10 4x5" Expert System Not Possible
5x7" 8x10" Custom RA-4 Prints from Color Negatives
Tetenal RA-4 5-Liter Kit #109318 4x5"* $0.18 8x10" $0.72 11x14" Not Possible
16x20" 20x24" *4x5" Print capacity assumes use of #6810 Varioformat Easel
What's a less expensive alternative? What's the next step up?
For a comparison of all rotary-style processors, please click here. The processors immediately below the ATL-1500 are the ATL-500 and ATL-800 Processors.
The processor immediately above the ATL-1500 are the ATL-2200/2300/2400/2500 Processors.
ATL-1500 Specific Accessories
ATL-1500 Chemical Separator
For chemical reclamation, if you need to separate the developer steps from the bleach-fix steps use this item to make it easier. The Chemical Separator #4220 holds a maximum of 15 liters of spent solution. ATL-1500 Portable Items
Take your ATL-1500 on the road with the following items.
#4209 ATL-1500 Carrying Case
#4212 External Pump
#4216 Submersible Water Heater
Send mail to info@omegasatter.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 1997-2005 JOBO Fototechnic, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders. Copyright to all of the photographs displayed on this site is owned by each of the photographers. You may not sell, publish, license or otherwise distribute any photographs without the written permission of the photographer.
This page last updated on 06/04/04