3300 printer - b&w conversion

[Calebsavage]

We have found a good price for a used Noritsu 3300 (which needs some work to get running again).

We want to run Ilford B&W paper and B&W chemicals in it. I know that some Fuji machines have been converted in this way, but has it ever been done with a Noritsu? Is there any reason it shouldn't work?

It would certainly require some experimentation with developer concentration and temperature, and installing a running water wash. 

Interested to hear your thoughts!

[Balázsovics]

I have no reason to think this would not work, i never done it before and i never even heard of bw converting a printer but there are developers that work at 45seconds
A water wash is really easy to install too, maybe you need to fight a little with the colorimeter but that's it i guess
For a fixer my go to would be C41RANP, it's pH neutral and it works fast, also easy to wash off

One more thing, i  can't help but question why? I mean bw is sooo much more expensive and chromogenic silver prints look really beautiful. Please explain, it's a really interesting printer to have regardless

[alexvigor]

Hi. Thats an interesting story)

First question, that comes to mind: You'will need to do paper setup. I doubt noritsu algorithms will handle bw paper laser light intensity adjustments & other steps but even if so, how the last step of the setup - printer profile calibration, which is colored, can be performed? 

[Dave S]

7 hours ago, alexvigor said:

Hi. Thats an interesting story)

First question, that comes to mind: You'will need to do paper setup. I doubt noritsu algorithms will handle bw paper laser light intensity adjustments & other steps but even if so, how the last step of the setup - printer profile calibration, which is colored, can be performed? 

I was thinking exactly the same thing regarding the printer profile calibration! I guess they could get the printer profile prints from another lab to feed in to keep it happy. Also for the daily setup/ initial setup prints, I'm pretty sure it needs to see the first cyan bar before it will read the print.  It would be an interesting experiment for sure!

I'd be surprised if there would be enough demand for B/W printing to warrant doing this.

Edited February 14 by Dave S

[kodak_service]

8 hours ago, Dave S said:

I was thinking exactly the same thing regarding the printer profile calibration! I guess they could get the printer profile prints from another lab to feed in to keep it happy. Also for the daily setup/ initial setup prints, I'm pretty sure it needs to see the first cyan bar before it will read the print.  It would be an interesting experiment for sure!

I'd be surprised if there would be enough demand for B/W printing to warrant doing this.

This is easy to test. Just make a black-and-white copy of the test and insert it into the colorimeter during setup.

[Dave S]

1 hour ago, kodak_service said:

This is easy to test. Just make a black-and-white copy of the test and insert it into the colorimeter during setup.

Let us know how your test goes.

[kodak_service]

7 hours ago, Dave S said:

Let us know how your test goes.

Unfortunately, I can't do that—I don't have a minilab. I only repair minilabs.

[Calebsavage]

Thanks all-- this is very helpful!

We do a lot of film developing & printing volume for both color and B&W but we have been unsatisfied with the results and consistency from making B&W prints (using color paper) on our Agfa d-Lab and Frontier 340. Same with our Epson D1070. We don't get a lot of complaints from customers about it, but it pains us to deliver B&W prints that we don't feel proud of.

There's something very special about a proper B&W silver halide print, and offering these as a service from digital files is an opportunity to differentiate our lab in a crowded local market. We do worry that we won't have quite enough print volume to keep a dedicated B&W printer busy, but the machine also has an S-2 scanner attached which would be very useful to add to our lineup. 

I will look into seeing if we can experiment with a B&W copy of the setup print on a similar printer someplace

[Balázsovics]

3 hours ago, Calebsavage said:

Thanks all-- this is very helpful!

We do a lot of film developing & printing volume for both color and B&W but we have been unsatisfied with the results and consistency from making B&W prints (using color paper) on our Agfa d-Lab and Frontier 340. Same with our Epson D1070. We don't get a lot of complaints from customers about it, but it pains us to deliver B&W prints that we don't feel proud of.

There's something very special about a proper B&W silver halide print, and offering these as a service from digital files is an opportunity to differentiate our lab in a crowded local market. We do worry that we won't have quite enough print volume to keep a dedicated B&W printer busy, but the machine also has an S-2 scanner attached which would be very useful to add to our lineup. 

I will look into seeing if we can experiment with a B&W copy of the setup print on a similar printer someplace

The scanner attached is really nice and this is a unique idea, i like it, it might not make sense but it's worth a try
You could go with like D76, a C41 fix, 3water washes and a short final rinse in the last tank, or just leave out final rinse, if your upper turn guides are clean it should dry evenly

I can run a test on a similar machine a Noritsu QSS 3301 if you want, i'll just scan a daily setup, print it BW and see if the colorimeter likes it or not

[Balázsovics]

Sorry, i meant to say Kodak Dektol not D76

[Calebsavage]

Thanks so much, it would be a big help if you could do a test on the 3301! 

[Balázsovics]

Little update so you know i haven't forgotten, so idk if i should really try and do it on the machine that's needed, you know some down time would be a big ass problem, but lucky for you i'm getting a 33 series for refurbishing/cleaning, hopefully this weekend and so i can try some stuff on there, i'll just make a save of the settings and leave my boss's machine alone