Hey! Thanks to the Naked Photographer for the review, much to think about! We at Optima would like to respond to some of the points in the video. There are some issues raised that have already been solved and some that we are working on solving. Also, some of the issues come from the fact we haven’t released full instructions on the use of the Optima! A manual will come soon but at present sales are low enough for us to personally talk all of our customers through the process over the phone or in person. This has the added benefit of cementing customer relations, and with such a versatile system we really need user feedback (as The Naked Photographer has offered). This actually helps us write a manual as many customers have suggested new functions and ways of using the system. Video: This is the video we wished we had sent to the Naked Photographer before the review! ruclips.net/video/2pMEbjDnLDI/видео.html There are also other one minute video shorts on our channel In response to particular points in the video: Nuts: The metal nuts coming loose on the OptimaX, yes, we are now sourcing nylock nuts and washers. For anyone who already has an OptimaX and has found this a problem, you can use a dab of loctite thread locker, silicone sealant or even just a dab of PVA glue on the thread to keep it firm. Also, you can tighten quite firmly on the acrylic, in compression acrylic is very robust. If for any reason this doesn’t work please just let us know and we will send you the updated nuts. Lids: The lids are primarily there to allow chemical to be stored in the tank between uses, the function of this is that it reduces set up time to a few seconds. We have found with the mass of chemical, and the tiny surface area the oxidation rate is negligible even in long term storage. Oxidation only occurs at the surface of the liquid and because oxidised chemical is less dense than fresh it rises to the top and so there is an upper limit of a few percent that a deep tank can oxidise. Syringe: The syringe is not for emptying the chemical pods, this is our fault for not making this clearer! It is for removing the top layer of oxidised chemistry that rises to the top of a pod. Depending on how deep you fill the tank you cut the tube to the right length and then run the syringe across the top surface, removing the top 20mm of liquid in the pod. This top 20mm is the least dense liquid (and the most oxidised liquid). This means when replenishing chemistry you can select the least active chemistry to remove. We believe this is more efficient than pouring or siphoning. Siphon: The idea of a siphon tube is a very good idea! We experimented with making an auto siphon built into the pods some time ago and got close to a working prototype but dropped the idea as we had other matters to attend do, and because we felt it may have been over complicating things. Yes, a small piece of pipe will do just fine!! It is possible to empty the tanks by pouring (we do this all the time in testing) but there is a knack and a steep learning curve to doing so! We will post a video on it as a masterclass. Chemical Pods: The chemical tanks won’t burst their seams if you pull them out but the 2024 pods especially are very unwieldily once mobile and prone to spilling and so we don’t recommend it. If left full for long periods of time out of a water bath or without support we wont guarantee their integrity, they are designed to be filled while immersed in a tank or on a rack with support brackets. We have not tested them to destruction but acrylic will much more likely deform before it splits (if your pod looks wonky, treat it more kindly). In normal use, they are designed to be left on the front (where they are supported by bars) or in the water (where they are supported by the water pressure) under these conditions they will last a lifetime. The Separator Clip: We sometimes call this the washer comb. It is actually just for dry storage of the unit, if left to dry out sometimes the acrylic bows slightly, this is a characteristic of an uneven distribution of water in the acrylic and in most cases isnt even noticable but every now and then it is. It bends back again soon enough when filled with water but its nice to keep them straight so we include that. We had not thought of using it to hold the prints down in the wash tank! We assumed the prints would be kept on their holders throughout the print and wash process. Using the comb like this is ingenious and we will modify it soon to make it even more suitable for this dual purpose! Circulation pump: This is a very good idea. It’s likely not something we would be supplying as we have had a bit of a nightmare with the heaters and the different mains supplies across the world. Maybe in future. Faucet Adaptor: Yes, this should have been included which would have meant that the hozelock system would have not required any extra parts and you could have used it straight off. This was an error. Sincere apologies to The Naked Photographer. Heaters: Yes brexit isn’t helping anything in the manufacturing world for sure! But the main issue is that UK law stipulates anything with a heating element must have an orange light to indicate that is powered. US heaters don’t have lights and so we cannot legally import them to the UK neither can we sell them. People often cover the light on the heater with a little bit of black tape. We don’t recommend doing that because it would be illegal for us to recommend it, to do so would be against health and safety legislation! But, we can legally tell you that lots of people do it, and it only takes a moment to do, and solves the problem. We do include a little piece of black tape in the box, and some people have assumed this is for the heater light but that is definitely not the case... ;) Regarding power consumption, we can’t commercially buy US or EU Eheim heaters, but you can. Just look on amazon, they’ll have the correct plug etc. Installing them is super easy, just takes a minute. The tanks come with a bung, pull this out and put some silicone grease or vaseline on the three o-rings and slide your countries heater in. Alternatively there are many heaters you can buy that are fully immersible that you can just drop into the top of the unit. The eheim heaters are marked to 33C but they actually go a lot higher if you turn the dial past 33C, usually around 42C. We thought this would cover the vast majority of processes but The Naked Photographer is right, a higher working temperature would be of value. We will try to source this in the coming months but in terms of cost fish tank heaters are mass produced and far cheaper. If this is an issue, do consider buying an immersible heater in the mean time. Warm Up: In terms of the time it takes to heat up, it sounds like the UK heaters were under powered on the US supply and took longer than usual to heat the unit, but in all honesty although the heaters will get it up to temperature from cold, even in opimal conditions they are mostly designed to maintain the temperature not prime the temperature. Ideally with the optima units (especially the big ones) you would use the wash kit attached to your sinks hot tap to fill the unit with hot water, thermally priming it. Instead of waiting for two 300w +300w heaters heat the unit you use your 30,000w household combiboiler to do it in a few minutes. You can even use your shower unit with a built in thermostat if you like. Put the water in at about 10-15C higher than you want it (depending on how many pods you have) the pods will absorb some of that heat and then settle at about the right temperature . The whole tank is ready to go in minutes. Drain valve: Yep, good spot. Thanks. That will be in the manual. Test strips: We have a special holder for test strips! The customer who it was en route to didn’t order one so you didn’t get one. Though admittedly they probably don’t accommodate very long test pieces. Maybe 20cm - 25cm max. Feedback: We are working to make this the best product that it possibly can be. We are in the early stages and COVID has really kicked us just as we launched, there was a shortage of acrylic for nearly 4 months due to covid screens! In any case, it's going well in difficult conditions and so that bodes well for when things pick up. We are very open to feedback from anyone. We work on the basis that the community as a whole knows far more than we ever could and we’d be a bit mad not to utilise that. Please talk to us! Thanks: Many thanks to The Naked Photographer for another professional and informative review, this was at short notice, during COVID, with no manual and a very short window in which to make the review (as the customer was eager to use it!). Really, top work.
My experience of Optima has been very negative. I bought some chemical pods and paper holders from them, and the quality control is really quite poor. I had to have replacement parts sent but these too were damaged, unclean and not packaged well at all. They have quite a slick website but in reality it seems like quite an unprofessional group of people involved. They were friendly though on the phone so I suppose that's something.
PS: I still think the white opaque Nova slot processors were the peak of this technology & engineering (I have a 3 of them: a 4 slot 8x10, 4 slot 12x16, and 3 slot 16x20).
I had been looking at vertical slot processors for a while now since I only have a small temporary bathroom darkroom and have developed a rash from tray processing, even with tongs. The 12"x16" unit looks perfect for me. Happy to see a review from someone I trust. Keep up the great work, your videos have been very informative and helpful to me!
I've got a tiny darkroom and have been using a 12" x 16 Nova slot processor for a year or two - they're excellent and Optima looks like a welcome development of the system
We have 220 volts here in the United States. Every household in America has a 220-volt service. You have to run a dedicated 220-volt receptacle. Standard outlets are 120-volt but ranges and clothes dryers are 220, as are some window air conditioners also.
If you were to get one I would recommend having an electrician install the right kind of outlet. But almost two years later, I’m not sure this company survived Covid to continue making these.
I was definitely curious about this system, ever since seeing product photos of it online. However, I'm not sure I'd actually end up preferring it over trays (for B&W) and drums (for RA-4). Seems like more of a setup/teardown hassle, and I'd constantly worry about dripping and/or mixing up the slots during processing. I do still need to get some sort of vertical print washer, though, especially if I'm ever finally brave enough to make the jump from RC paper to FB paper.
RA4 in the dark would be potentially problematic, but with a safelight it’s fine. Black and white is easier than I thought it would be, but I would order slots with darker back panels so I can see the edges clearer. All clear gets a little visually confusing while working.
Finding that the design of the Optima 12 / 20 is somewhat flawed. The problem with an angled dev tank is that developer reside will not sink to the bottom, rather it hangs around on the surfaces. So though there is less oxidation after a few uses prints come out covered in reside, mottled brown staining over the print. I get this with both Moersche 4812 (terrible) and Adox MCC (better but still unusable after a while). To solve this requires a very difficult washing out of the developer slot after almost every session. The trays don’t hold the paper well. The idea that you have less contact with the chems is unfortunately not true since you get chems all over your hands as you rescue the print from slipping out of the holder tray (happened to me at least once a session). So much promise, but I think a few design changes are needed. Gone back to trays and just using the Optima12 for washing only now. Pouring the same developer into a tray has the prints coming out clean unlike using the processor.
You say your are not a fan of C41 at lower temperatures. What would be the downsides compared to the 38°C method? The manufacturer of the C41 Digibase chemistry set claims his developer can be used at the normal 38°C at 3´15´´ or at 25°C at 13min. I would like more not have to rush at 13 min, than going that very short and hectic 3´15´´ where it is very important to keep the timeand other variables very exact. Will there be any unwanted colourshifts if using the 25°C method? Or what are your concerns about? I still did not do C41 development at home, but i would give that longer process a try if there were not so much negative aspects...
The answer to these questions are too long for the comment section. I am working on a video that covers this exact topic and I am hoping to get it out this summer so stay tuned.
@@TheNakedPhotographerThank you, i surely will stay tuned. This high-temperature process, which has to be meticulously observed, and the short time it took, have deterred me from trying out C41 at home till now...
Hello Naked Dude!! Viewing your video on how to develop C41 prompted me to do also, and I have had great success, couldn't be happier with the results. I was wondering how I could process E6. The Chems I use are Kodak Flexicolor LORR. could you point me in the direction on the chemicals I need to process E6, in the white paper from Kodak it gives directions to mix Flexicolor for E6 but I just don't know if that all there is too it. Any assistance would greatly appreciated. Thanks Bob Brooks
Looks like these are only direct sales out of the UK. Overall, the pricing doesn't seem excessive at all. Shipping would be huge. The heaters are just fish tank heaters set to British household plug and current, so you'd have to hustle up your own replacement. Everything is sold seperately, so you can assemble a finished unit to fit your exact needs See: www.optimadarkroom.com
Excellent to see in detail. I believe the syringe is primarily meant to get the tiny amount of oxydied chemistry out for replenishment. Oxydied chemistry should go down to the bottom and can be got out with the system.
Without clear instructions available I can only guess as to the purpose of the syringes. And the tubing that comes with the syringe curls so much it will never reach the bottom of a full slot.
@@TheNakedPhotographer Hi, I stand corrected, when looking at their web site I found this: … 2. If you are using a deep slot tank, the adverse will be true - you will find your chemistry will not readily oxidise beyond the top 15mm even if left open to the air. In a 35cm deep tank (such as the Optima12) that is left to settle (so that the lighter oxidised chemistry rises to the top) oxygen can only readily react with less than 5% of the volume. In the Optima20 this reduces to around 2.5%, well below any threshold that is likely to be possible in normal use.. 3. Because the inert chemical sits on the top surface of the tank it is possible to selectively remove oxidised chemical. Removing the top 10-30mm of the tanks contents with a syringe removes a far higher amount of oxidised chemical than pouring and replacing. see: www.optimadarkroom.com/theory-and-specification so this exactly the other way around, the syringe ins meant to remove the top layer(s). But then the company expects one to not move the unit so much around without draining and refilling. I will probably NOT invest in such a system, because I "would want it all" : heated chemistry slots (Developer, Stop, Fix1, Water, Fix2, Toner, Water, Washing aid, Washer, where the washer would not to be heated, but the rest, which seems exactly the wrong way around. Cheers, R.
regarding the hoselock connectors, I believe they are similar to Gardena which might help… but cannot be 100% sure as I have not laid my hands on a unit.
@@TheNakedPhotographer yep, have a close look at this picture (hqvcdn3.azureedge.net/qs_h=281&crop=1&w=450&ver=20200121T123930&hcsh=C63CF72E9636AFDE26734403C543A8FB/_$$_/media/aprimo/gardena/hose%20fittings/photos/feature/ga120-02xxxx/ga120-0241.jpeg) system is quite common in Europe (see: www.gardena.com/de/produkte/bewasserung/ogs/)
That still doesn’t put it in my local store. In the end, if all the connections are included there’s no problem, if they aren’t, then regular connections can be used in place as I did.
![Tee Grizzley - Blow for Blow (feat. J. Cole) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wNLN5xsx5dc/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey! Thanks to the Naked Photographer for the review, much to think about!
We at Optima would like to respond to some of the points in the video. There are some issues raised that have already been solved and some that we are working on solving. Also, some of the issues come from the fact we haven’t released full instructions on the use of the Optima! A manual will come soon but at present sales are low enough for us to personally talk all of our customers through the process over the phone or in person. This has the added benefit of cementing customer relations, and with such a versatile system we really need user feedback (as The Naked Photographer has offered). This actually helps us write a manual as many customers have suggested new functions and ways of using the system.
Video: This is the video we wished we had sent to the Naked Photographer before the review!
ruclips.net/video/2pMEbjDnLDI/видео.html
There are also other one minute video shorts on our channel
In response to particular points in the video:
Nuts:
The metal nuts coming loose on the OptimaX, yes, we are now sourcing nylock nuts and washers. For anyone who already has an OptimaX and has found this a problem, you can use a dab of loctite thread locker, silicone sealant or even just a dab of PVA glue on the thread to keep it firm. Also, you can tighten quite firmly on the acrylic, in compression acrylic is very robust. If for any reason this doesn’t work please just let us know and we will send you the updated nuts.
Lids:
The lids are primarily there to allow chemical to be stored in the tank between uses, the function of this is that it reduces set up time to a few seconds. We have found with the mass of chemical, and the tiny surface area the oxidation rate is negligible even in long term storage. Oxidation only occurs at the surface of the liquid and because oxidised chemical is less dense than fresh it rises to the top and so there is an upper limit of a few percent that a deep tank can oxidise.
Syringe:
The syringe is not for emptying the chemical pods, this is our fault for not making this clearer! It is for removing the top layer of oxidised chemistry that rises to the top of a pod. Depending on how deep you fill the tank you cut the tube to the right length and then run the syringe across the top surface, removing the top 20mm of liquid in the pod. This top 20mm is the least dense liquid (and the most oxidised liquid). This means when replenishing chemistry you can select the least active chemistry to remove. We believe this is more efficient than pouring or siphoning.
Siphon:
The idea of a siphon tube is a very good idea! We experimented with making an auto siphon built into the pods some time ago and got close to a working prototype but dropped the idea as we had other matters to attend do, and because we felt it may have been over complicating things. Yes, a small piece of pipe will do just fine!! It is possible to empty the tanks by pouring (we do this all the time in testing) but there is a knack and a steep learning curve to doing so! We will post a video on it as a masterclass.
Chemical Pods:
The chemical tanks won’t burst their seams if you pull them out but the 2024 pods especially are very unwieldily once mobile and prone to spilling and so we don’t recommend it. If left full for long periods of time out of a water bath or without support we wont guarantee their integrity, they are designed to be filled while immersed in a tank or on a rack with support brackets. We have not tested them to destruction but acrylic will much more likely deform before it splits (if your pod looks wonky, treat it more kindly). In normal use, they are designed to be left on the front (where they are supported by bars) or in the water (where they are supported by the water pressure) under these conditions they will last a lifetime.
The Separator Clip:
We sometimes call this the washer comb. It is actually just for dry storage of the unit, if left to dry out sometimes the acrylic bows slightly, this is a characteristic of an uneven distribution of water in the acrylic and in most cases isnt even noticable but every now and then it is. It bends back again soon enough when filled with water but its nice to keep them straight so we include that. We had not thought of using it to hold the prints down in the wash tank! We assumed the prints would be kept on their holders throughout the print and wash process. Using the comb like this is ingenious and we will modify it soon to make it even more suitable for this dual purpose!
Circulation pump:
This is a very good idea. It’s likely not something we would be supplying as we have had a bit of a nightmare with the heaters and the different mains supplies across the world. Maybe in future.
Faucet Adaptor:
Yes, this should have been included which would have meant that the hozelock system would have not required any extra parts and you could have used it straight off. This was an error. Sincere apologies to The Naked Photographer.
Heaters:
Yes brexit isn’t helping anything in the manufacturing world for sure! But the main issue is that UK law stipulates anything with a heating element must have an orange light to indicate that is powered. US heaters don’t have lights and so we cannot legally import them to the UK neither can we sell them. People often cover the light on the heater with a little bit of black tape. We don’t recommend doing that because it would be illegal for us to recommend it, to do so would be against health and safety legislation! But, we can legally tell you that lots of people do it, and it only takes a moment to do, and solves the problem. We do include a little piece of black tape in the box, and some people have assumed this is for the heater light but that is definitely not the case... ;)
Regarding power consumption, we can’t commercially buy US or EU Eheim heaters, but you can. Just look on amazon, they’ll have the correct plug etc. Installing them is super easy, just takes a minute. The tanks come with a bung, pull this out and put some silicone grease or vaseline on the three o-rings and slide your countries heater in. Alternatively there are many heaters you can buy that are fully immersible that you can just drop into the top of the unit.
The eheim heaters are marked to 33C but they actually go a lot higher if you turn the dial past 33C, usually around 42C. We thought this would cover the vast majority of processes but The Naked Photographer is right, a higher working temperature would be of value. We will try to source this in the coming months but in terms of cost fish tank heaters are mass produced and far cheaper. If this is an issue, do consider buying an immersible heater in the mean time.
Warm Up:
In terms of the time it takes to heat up, it sounds like the UK heaters were under powered on the US supply and took longer than usual to heat the unit, but in all honesty although the heaters will get it up to temperature from cold, even in opimal conditions they are mostly designed to maintain the temperature not prime the temperature. Ideally with the optima units (especially the big ones) you would use the wash kit attached to your sinks hot tap to fill the unit with hot water, thermally priming it. Instead of waiting for two 300w +300w heaters heat the unit you use your 30,000w household combiboiler to do it in a few minutes. You can even use your shower unit with a built in thermostat if you like. Put the water in at about 10-15C higher than you want it (depending on how many pods you have) the pods will absorb some of that heat and then settle at about the right temperature
. The whole tank is ready to go in minutes.
Drain valve:
Yep, good spot. Thanks. That will be in the manual.
Test strips:
We have a special holder for test strips! The customer who it was en route to didn’t order one so you didn’t get one. Though admittedly they probably don’t accommodate very long test pieces. Maybe 20cm - 25cm max.
Feedback:
We are working to make this the best product that it possibly can be. We are in the early stages and COVID has really kicked us just as we launched, there was a shortage of acrylic for nearly 4 months due to covid screens! In any case, it's going well in difficult conditions and so that bodes well for when things pick up. We are very open to feedback from anyone. We work on the basis that the community as a whole knows far more than we ever could and we’d be a bit mad not to utilise that. Please talk to us!
Thanks:
Many thanks to The Naked Photographer for another professional and informative review, this was at short notice, during COVID, with no manual and a very short window in which to make the review (as the customer was eager to use it!). Really, top work.
My experience of Optima has been very negative. I bought some chemical pods and paper holders from them, and the quality control is really quite poor. I had to have replacement parts sent but these too were damaged, unclean and not packaged well at all. They have quite a slick website but in reality it seems like quite an unprofessional group of people involved. They were friendly though on the phone so I suppose that's something.
The temperature control is nothing more than a fish tank temperature control unit!
"It's built like a tank!"
PS: I still think the white opaque Nova slot processors were the peak of this technology & engineering (I have a 3 of them: a 4 slot 8x10, 4 slot 12x16, and 3 slot 16x20).
Loving the new intro 😂
I had been looking at vertical slot processors for a while now since I only have a small temporary bathroom darkroom and have developed a rash from tray processing, even with tongs. The 12"x16" unit looks perfect for me. Happy to see a review from someone I trust. Keep up the great work, your videos have been very informative and helpful to me!
Thank you. This processor is exactly the type thing for your situation.
I've got a tiny darkroom and have been using a 12" x 16 Nova slot processor for a year or two - they're excellent and Optima looks like a welcome development of the system
We have 220 volts here in the United States. Every household in America has a 220-volt service. You have to run a dedicated 220-volt receptacle. Standard outlets are 120-volt but ranges and clothes dryers are 220, as are some window air conditioners also.
If you were to get one I would recommend having an electrician install the right kind of outlet. But almost two years later, I’m not sure this company survived Covid to continue making these.
You missed an opportunity by not recording your wet process. But this is better than nothing
The whole thing was a sh*tshow
I was definitely curious about this system, ever since seeing product photos of it online. However, I'm not sure I'd actually end up preferring it over trays (for B&W) and drums (for RA-4). Seems like more of a setup/teardown hassle, and I'd constantly worry about dripping and/or mixing up the slots during processing.
I do still need to get some sort of vertical print washer, though, especially if I'm ever finally brave enough to make the jump from RC paper to FB paper.
RA4 in the dark would be potentially problematic, but with a safelight it’s fine. Black and white is easier than I thought it would be, but I would order slots with darker back panels so I can see the edges clearer. All clear gets a little visually confusing while working.
Finding that the design of the Optima 12 / 20 is somewhat flawed. The problem with an angled dev tank is that developer reside will not sink to the bottom, rather it hangs around on the surfaces. So though there is less oxidation after a few uses prints come out covered in reside, mottled brown staining over the print. I get this with both Moersche 4812 (terrible) and Adox MCC (better but still unusable after a while). To solve this requires a very difficult washing out of the developer slot after almost every session.
The trays don’t hold the paper well. The idea that you have less contact with the chems is unfortunately not true since you get chems all over your hands as you rescue the print from slipping out of the holder tray (happened to me at least once a session). So much promise, but I think a few design changes are needed. Gone back to trays and just using the Optima12 for washing only now. Pouring the same developer into a tray has the prints coming out clean unlike using the processor.
You say your are not a fan of C41 at lower temperatures. What would be the downsides compared to the 38°C method? The manufacturer of the C41 Digibase chemistry set claims his developer can be used at the normal 38°C at 3´15´´ or at 25°C at 13min. I would like more not have to rush at 13 min, than going that very short and hectic 3´15´´ where it is very important to keep the timeand other variables very exact.
Will there be any unwanted colourshifts if using the 25°C method? Or what are your concerns about?
I still did not do C41 development at home, but i would give that longer process a try if there were not so much negative aspects...
The answer to these questions are too long for the comment section. I am working on a video that covers this exact topic and I am hoping to get it out this summer so stay tuned.
@@TheNakedPhotographerThank you, i surely will stay tuned. This high-temperature process, which has to be meticulously observed, and the short time it took, have deterred me from trying out C41 at home till now...
It’s not as daunting as you may think. Look at my Kodak Reflex part 2 video. I develop a roll by hand at the beginning
@@TheNakedPhotographer I will have a look! Thank you…
This just made me remember that I have to translate the manual... Dang!!!!
Another great video. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Naked Dude!! Viewing your video on how to develop C41 prompted me to do also, and I have had great success, couldn't be happier with the results. I was wondering how I could process E6. The Chems I use are Kodak Flexicolor LORR. could you point me in the direction on the chemicals I need to process E6, in the white paper from Kodak it gives directions to mix Flexicolor for E6 but I just don't know if that all there is too it. Any assistance would greatly appreciated. Thanks Bob Brooks
Fuji makes an E6 kit, Kodak does not make any E6 chemicals at all right now.
Looks like these are only direct sales out of the UK. Overall, the pricing doesn't seem excessive at all. Shipping would be huge. The heaters are just fish tank heaters set to British household plug and current, so you'd have to hustle up your own replacement. Everything is sold seperately, so you can assemble a finished unit to fit your exact needs
See: www.optimadarkroom.com
I’m pretty sure I said all those things
Just wondering - is the Optima12/16/20 processor suitable for use outside the sink, or does it leak water everywhere?
It can be used outside the sink.
@@TheNakedPhotographer Thanks - that's good news. I don't have the room (or sink) for trays, so some sort of slot processor is probably in my future.
Hi Naked Photographer, how wide is the opening of the tank holding the chemicals? Thanks
Around 26 inches wide on the long edge and 1 inch on the narrow.
The Naked Photographer
Thanks mate
Excellent to see in detail. I believe the syringe is primarily meant to get the tiny amount of oxydied chemistry out for replenishment. Oxydied chemistry should go down to the bottom and can be got out with the system.
Without clear instructions available I can only guess as to the purpose of the syringes. And the tubing that comes with the syringe curls so much it will never reach the bottom of a full slot.
@@TheNakedPhotographer Hi, I stand corrected, when looking at their web site I found this:
…
2. If you are using a deep slot tank, the adverse will be true - you will find your chemistry will not readily oxidise beyond the top 15mm even if left open to the air. In a 35cm deep tank (such as the Optima12) that is left to settle (so that the lighter oxidised chemistry rises to the top) oxygen can only readily react with less than 5% of the volume. In the Optima20 this reduces to around 2.5%, well below any threshold that is likely to be possible in normal use..
3. Because the inert chemical sits on the top surface of the tank it is possible to selectively remove oxidised chemical. Removing the top 10-30mm of the tanks contents with a syringe removes a far higher amount of oxidised chemical than pouring and replacing.
see: www.optimadarkroom.com/theory-and-specification
so this exactly the other way around, the syringe ins meant to remove the top layer(s). But then the company expects one to not move the unit so much around without draining and refilling.
I will probably NOT invest in such a system, because I "would want it all" : heated chemistry slots (Developer, Stop, Fix1, Water, Fix2, Toner, Water, Washing aid, Washer, where the washer would not to be heated, but the rest, which seems exactly the wrong way around.
Cheers, R.
regarding the hoselock connectors, I believe they are similar to Gardena which might help… but cannot be 100% sure as I have not laid my hands on a unit.
None of my local stores had anything similar
@@TheNakedPhotographer yep, have a close look at this picture (hqvcdn3.azureedge.net/qs_h=281&crop=1&w=450&ver=20200121T123930&hcsh=C63CF72E9636AFDE26734403C543A8FB/_$$_/media/aprimo/gardena/hose%20fittings/photos/feature/ga120-02xxxx/ga120-0241.jpeg) system is quite common in Europe (see: www.gardena.com/de/produkte/bewasserung/ogs/)
That still doesn’t put it in my local store. In the end, if all the connections are included there’s no problem, if they aren’t, then regular connections can be used in place as I did.