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The first prototype of the SP-2810 should arrive next week. It's a monster: over 12" high and 14" long and holds almost two liters of solution. It will accept two film holders, allowing you to process two sheets of 8x10 film at a time. (Click on the above image to download the full size rendering.) The design is symmetric: either port can be used as a fill/drain. Or use them both at the same time, if you're that coordinated. (Here's a more detailed pdf: Cut away drawing) One of the challenges we faced was designing a film holder that was...

Kodak Aero Ektar 7" f/2.5 It's a work of art. Over three pounds of brass, aluminum and glass (some of which is radioactive.) Originally designed for high altitude recon photos, (when cost was no object), this particular lens was built in 1944. It had seen better days. The aluminum barrel showed internal corrosion and the coatings were worn off the glass elements. The lens had some haze, and while the aperture blades worked, they seemed a bit sticky. Step one: take it apart. The bag at the top is holding some of the tiny screws. And yes, the yellowed lenses...

  We've just received the new film holders for the SP-445. There are some pretty obvious modifications: 1. We added cutouts but left a narrow strip as a sheet separator. This allows for better chemical flow behind the film. 2.  We removed the ridges on sheet separator. (Frankly, we debated even keeping the separator, we tested with and without and didn't see any difference.)  In the end, we decided to leave it; if you don't like, it can be cut out in about a minute. 3. We also added a finger notch at the top; makes it easier to get...

Well, the prototypes just arrived. They look pretty good but will need some polishing to get ready for testing. Hopefully, we'll have results by Monday. As you can see, it's much bigger than the SP-445.

We're still getting the occasional question about the caps used on the SP-445. The question now: what do you do when you lose one? (Come on, admit it, you will lose one.)  Sure, they are available on the website but that doesn't help you on a Sunday night when you're supposed to have pictures ready Monday morning. As we've said, it is a standard size: the industry calls it a 33/400 (33mm in diameter; not sure where the 400 came from). Here's what I found after a quick trip to our fridge and the local convenience store.  Okay, the bottle...