film development

New B's processor Premium triggers!!

In 2024, one of the most frequent questions I received was whether B’s processor was compatible with the 3xxx series Jobo tanks. My answer was always yes, as it fit and rotated well, but these large diameter tanks needed some monitoring. So, I went on to make B’s Processor even more compatible with these giants.

First, I needed to test it myself, so I found a “cheaper” 3010 tank on eBay. This also allowed me to do some 4x5 testing and comparison with my Mk3 reel. I am happy to say that the upcoming Mk3 will perform as well or better in rotation.

Side Note: If you use a 3010 tank, the best results come from using the processor on mode 3 with the normal 12v power supply. Some users switched to a 15v power supply to get closer to the Jobo recommended rpm, but during this testing round and to my sruprise, the normal power supply provided the best evenness.

Jobo 3010 expert drum on B’s processor with premium trigger and extension

Next, I made the processor as physically stable as possible, leading to the creation of the Processor extension. If you plan to use larger tanks like the Jobo 2500/3000 series or the longer Paterson 8, the extension is essential, and you will have to care less for balance.

While working on this, some users reported synchronization issues with the 3xxx series on B’s processor. For one user, flashing new modified firmware I provided with different synchronization timing solved the problem, but this would create the same issue with smaller tanks. Flashing new firmware is also not easy for the average user. I am still working on a simple solution and will release new firmware soon. (A simple one would be to use small apps like Avrdude or Xloader but these are not compatible with the board I use… If you have skills in that domain, please contact me)

After further investigation, the issue was caused by the larger tank diameter and also inconsistent rpm motors in B’s processor. The motors we get vary from 165 to 185 rpm, for a nomilal 170rpmand the faster ones can cause timing issues. If you encounter synchronization problems, try synchronizing in a different mode and then switch back to the desired mode. I prefer to synchronize in mode 3 for quick chemical distribution and then switch to mode 1 for the rest of the development.

To manage timing consistently, I created a different trigger for large tanks and adapted magnet spacing. This led to the development of the Premium magnetic trigger, which simplifies installation and ensures perfect magnet-to-track spacing since I integrated the track into it, making the 3xxx tank more stable. Although the new firmware will be compatible with any spacing or tank size, I liked the functionality of this premium trigger so much that I made one for each tank size, from steel tanks to the 3xxx series.

B’s processor will continue to be delivered with its universal flexible trigger,

You can now find all sizes all sizes in the store now, happy developing!  Stay tuned for more new things 😊

 

Benoît.

The Old is new again! Say Hi to the Original B's 2015 film processor

If you know me a bit, you know that I started to make and sell photography equipment to help the photographic comunity. It all started from my personal need, wanting to have a machine to rotate my paterson tank. The very first one I made was built from a K’nex set and a couple random pieces I had around.

At the time my friend Tom was playing with 3d printing and it peaked my interest. I decided to buy the smallest-cheapest-easiest printer. It was indeed tiny but was enough to see if I could design and make a machine with it. I had only a Paterson 2 reel tank at the time so I made it to fit it. It was “big” and bulky but easy and it worked! More important, I liked the development workflow and the results it was giving me. I realized that it did not cost much to make and that I may be able to offer it at a very reasonnable price so the amateur photographers like myself who could benefit from a small easy processor and its workflow.

Wanting to make it more compatible and efficient, I redesigned the whole thing to add some functionality to it. I made it smaller and able to rotate more tank sizes. I first started selling it on Ebay. It sold well but it was hard to build, some components were very difficult and time consuming to prepare, plus the assembly was hard and long. While I was trying to make it as affordable as possible it still needed to generate some profit to make the adventure viable and it wasn’t….

  • I wanted to keep the cost low and make it better. So I went on to design the latest B’s processor as you know it today with all of its advanced features and movements. While I had to increase the price of the more advance B’s processor, I still kept it affordable.The OG was $90 compared to the curent $145.

  • So now to what’s old and new…. For some time I wanted to release for “free” the original machine but the obvious thing was that it was hard to build! Between my 9 to 5, two kids, and taking care of the buisness, time is at a premium! This year I hired a friend part time to help me build things and that finally freed some time to get to this project. I’m happy to say the OG B’s processor is now re-designed and easy to build with all its 3d printing files available to download online (files are here) for Free! I will also offer ready to build kits in B’s analog shop (Get it here).


  • You will have three options to make your own:

    • Buy the whole kit in my shop (my printing is know to be quite good ;) )

    • Buy the Hardware only and print your own parts (psu, motor, screws, etc..)

    • Or source and print all of it yourself. (Parts list and assembly guide is on the download page)


      If you are on a budget, I hope this simple little machine will answer your need. For more pictures and the full specification check it in the shop.

Old machine on the left, redesign on the right