Lab-Box has arrived!

[Godfrey]

Is it possible to load in a changing bag with the Lab Box's lid open so you can monitor its correct loading with a finger tip on the edge of the film, or is it not possible to load with the lid open?
Pete

Yes, of course you can. But then you're actually causing more work than the device was meant to save you from and should just buy a standard tank and changing bag. 🙂

I bought three of my five Agfa Rondinax 35U Tank's from a pro who had adopted using them exclusively and used them for thirty-five years. There must be some justification for their existence... 🙂

The only other tanks I have used for processing in the past five years—and only every so often because of specific film requirements for Washi-120—are a pair of 1950s Kodacraft "lasagna" strip tanks because that film cannot be loaded in a reel at all.

The Lab-Box means that I now have a modern replacement, and I can buy a second if I want backup, and don't have to depend on not cracking ancient Bakelite or plastics. 🙂

G

 

[randy stewart]

Lab - Box

Lab - Box

Being a Kickstarter backer for the Lab-Box, I received mine today. My initial examination indicates that the details of its design, various parts, is surprisingly complex. The materials used appear top quality. The construction is probably better than anything else on the market.. Fit and finish are excellent.

I have a few reservations. The user manual is long (abo0ut 40 pages) but is not well written, leaving a lot of unexplained details in the initial assembly, particularly the reels.

The KS package was to contain 2 reels, but it is delivered with two sets of spirals (35mm & 120), and only one center spindle. This means that you have to disassemble and then reassemble the reel each time you change format. This is also a breach of the Kickstarter pledge. Odd, since including a 2nd spindle would have cost almost nothing.

The big question is whether it will leak from the crank shaft seal, like the Agfa tanks. LB claims not. I'll test this tonight and update.

The package also omits any report on the status of, or promise of future delivery of, the alternative digital temp/timer tank top, which is a big part of the value in the KS investment, now missing. I expect it will come along one day.

 

[kknox]

I have was a kickstarter in Sept 18. I have been using cinestil 1 step developer. Should be easy. I also process c-41 at home, one roll at a time is no big deal for me. As I’m not shooting just film.

 

[David Hughes]

Fascinating that no one has mentioned Paterson's tanks. They came as a system and so you could do one 35mm length in the smallest version and several mixed formats in the tallest. and somewhere in the middle you could do two 35's or one 120. But they weren't daylight loading but, OTOH, changing bags are cheap.


And back in the old days of second exposure for slide film you had to unload and load when wet.


Regards, David


PS And dirt cheap these days on ebay.

 

[xjonstars]

Fascinating that no one has mentioned Paterson's tanks. They came as a system and so you could do one 35mm length in the smallest version and several mixed formats in the tallest. and somewhere in the middle you could do two 35's or one 120. But they weren't daylight loading but, OTOH, changing bags are cheap.


And back in the old days of second exposure for slide film you had to unload and load when wet.


Regards, David


PS And dirt cheap these days on ebay.

The whole point of the lab-box is simplicity. Drop the reel in to the top and it practically loads itself. Paterson tanks (mentioned many times in this thread) are fine (except they’re horrible to load with any moisture), but they’re still a bit more intimidating for the new kid that doesn’t remember the old days. Most young people never had a traditional photography class in school and a darkroom or changing bag is a foreign place. The lab-box eases that fear and takes some of the uncertainty away, which is a good thing for people who are just starting and want to learn about photography.

 

[randy stewart]

Lab-Box

Lab-Box

Following up on my earlier post where I expressed my concern that the Lab-Box not leak from the reel spindle hole, I can report that I've tested mine with a full tank of water, spinning the crank periodically as with reel agitation. Over a period of 10 hours, I have no leak. If a leak should develop over time and use, the gasket sealing the tank looks like it should be inexpensive and user replaceable without any special skill.

The assembly of the reels in a proper alignment remains for me the only objective let-down. The subject is addressed at least three times on the user manual complete with diagrams. Unhappily, the text is vague and the diagrams must have been prepared for an earlier version of the reel system. References are made in the manner of "align tab A with slot B" where there is no "slot B". You are pretty much left to your own devices there. Since you have to fully disassemble the reel to change formats, this going to be a continuing source of error. This failure to include parts sufficient to have two reels, one 35mm and the other 120, is the singular failure I can find in what seems otherwise to be the best single reel developing tank ever made.

I note that the design of the tank lends it to the easy adaption of an accessory which could heat the tank and/or motorize the agitation. Add a sequence programmer and you have the one-reel equivalent of a mini-Jobo, of much better quality. The manufacturer has hinted its intention to develop this accessory, but only time will tell.

 

[Muggins]

Well, jusging by my PMs at least one other member has one of these babies:

Kodak Film Tank circa 1912 by gray1720, on Flickr

(apologies for appalling grab shot)

Adrian

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Well, jusging by my PMs at least one other member has one of these babies:

Adrian

All the finger joints...that’s just lovely. Have you tried it? 🙂

I can’t tell from the photo what film size that would have been, or do I know what would have been available as roll film in 1912. Or if this was even for roll film. Anyway, that’s interesting, thanks for posting.

 

[Godfrey]

I finished the roll of 120 film I was shooting in the Perkeo II and processed it in the Lab-Box today. I did continuous agitation; probably made it too contrasty but it was mostly a test anyway.

Loading and processing went flawlessly. The only minor nit is that it's a little easy to slightly open the dark chamber when you're fussing the tape off the end of the 120 roll. Nothing that a half inch piece of art tape can't cure.

I didn't find the manual or assembling the reel all that difficult to deal with. It really was very easy to set up and process the film ... From dry to hanging to dry was a total about 25 minutes. 🙂

G

 

[Keith]

I finished the roll of 120 film I was shooting in the Perkeo II and processed it in the Lab-Box today. I did continuous agitation; probably made it too contrasty but it was mostly a test anyway.

Loading and processing went flawlessly. The only minor nit is that it's a little easy to slightly open the dark chamber when you're fussing the tape off the end of the 120 roll. Nothing that a half inch piece of art tape can't cure.

I didn't find the manual or assembling the reel all that difficult to deal with. It really was very easy to set up and process the film ... From dry to hanging to dry was a total about 25 minutes. 🙂

G

Excellent ... thanks Godfrey. You generally have a pretty measured approach to things. 🙂

 

[David Hughes]

The whole point of the lab-box is simplicity. Drop the reel in to the top and it practically loads itself. Paterson tanks (mentioned many times in this thread) are fine (except they’re horrible to load with any moisture), but they’re still a bit more intimidating for the new kid that doesn’t remember the old days. Most young people never had a traditional photography class in school and a darkroom or changing bag is a foreign place. The lab-box eases that fear and takes some of the uncertainty away, which is a good thing for people who are just starting and want to learn about photography.

Hi,

My point was that I was surprised it hadn't been mentioned when other makes had. Not to point out that it was superior or anything, just surprise...

As I can see one as I type I searched for "Paterson" and not "Patterson" but now I see that Larry mentioned them. So apologies to Larry.

Regards, David


PS FWIW I am often surprised when people talk happily about 1920's cameras but don't know anything of their contemporary equipment.

 

[Muggins]

All the finger joints...that’s just lovely. Have you tried it? 🙂

I can’t tell from the photo what film size that would have been, or do I know what would have been available as roll film in 1912. Or if this was even for roll film. Anyway, that’s interesting, thanks for posting.

I've not tried it yet, been meaning to for years. As I mostly shoot box cameras in 120, it'll be no loss to high art if I muck up a roll. The apron is 8cm wide, so larger than 120 film, but smaller than 118 - I've got a 1927ish Kodak catalogue with a bewildering range of roll film sizes in it, 30-odd I think before you even get onto cut film, and I suspect that the situation in 1912 would have been just as confusing. The biggest was for negatives no less than 5 x 4 inches! If you could handle that, you'd probably have been a dab hand wih wallpapering!

EDIT - actually the biggest film size was 115, at a monster 5 x 7 inches!

Adrian

 

[Solinar]

Loading and processing went flawlessly. The only minor nit is that it's a little easy to slightly open the dark chamber when you're fussing the tape off the end of the 120 roll. Nothing that a half inch piece of art tape can't cure.

G

Great news. Thank you for posting the your impressions using a 120 film.

 

[Godfrey]

Film is scanned and all exposures coarsely rendered. I will work through and finish those few of them that I think are worthy to post. Here's one:

Voigtländer Perkeo II + Ilford XP2 Super film
ISO 320 @ f/11 @ 1/100

Processed in Lab-Box, continuous agitation, HC-110 mixed 1:49 for 10 minutes.​

enjoy!
G

 

[zuiko85]

Thanks Godfrey for the write up. Personal experience is so much better than any glowing ad copy.
This frugal (code for cheap) photographer wasn't interested for himself but now I'd certainly recommend to youngsters (of all ages) just starting out to look into it. Less intimidating and could get them over the hump of home processing. And with mail order processing prices what the are it really is not that expensive. Process 10~20 rolls and it's paid for itself.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks Godfrey for the write up. Personal experience is so much better than any glowing ad copy.
This frugal (code for cheap) photographer wasn't interested for himself but now I'd certainly recommend to youngsters (of all ages) just starting out to look into it. Less intimidating and could get them over the hump of home processing. And with mail order processing prices what the are it really is not that expensive. Process 10~20 rolls and it's paid for itself.

For sure.

I don't tend to think of a tank like this as a money saving thing, or even an intimidation workaround.

I think of the Lab-Box (and the Agfa Rondinax) as a means that lets me do the whole film processing job in minimum time with the least fuss and bother. No need to install and maintain a darkroom, no need to get out a changing bag and fumble around in it loading tanks. A minimum number of things to set up ... two-three chemicals and enough water to do the job ... and very very little to clean up and put away.

For the casual amount of film that I shoot nowadays ... a roll or two every so often ... the savings in storage*space as well as set up/clean up time are easily worth it for me. 🙂

G

 

[zuiko85]

For sure.

I don't tend to think of a tank like this as a money saving thing, or even an intimidation workaround.

I think of the Lab-Box (and the Agfa Rondinax) as a means that lets me do the whole film processing job in minimum time with the least fuss and bother. No need to install and maintain a darkroom, no need to get out a changing bag and fumble around in it loading tanks. A minimum number of things to set up ... two-three chemicals and enough water to do the job ... and very very little to clean up and put away.

For the casual amount of film that I shoot nowadays ... a roll or two every so often ... the savings in storage*space as well as set up/clean up time are easily worth it for me. 🙂

G

Logical. And for me, the unvarnished truth is that my windowless laundry room/darkroom is only a darkroom after the sun sets and I turn off the houselights. Fortunately I’m an early riser, often 3-4 AM and if i want to load a tank I’ll do it early, then develop later in the day.....after coffee.

 

[Pete B]

The only minor nit is that it's a little easy to slightly open the dark chamber when you're fussing the tape off the end of the 120 roll.

G

I recall having that concern with my Rodinax 120
Pete

 

[selahsean]

Update: developed two rolls of HP5+ with the lab-box and Cinestill Monobath. My first time developing so I followed the instructions pretty carefully and watched the videos several times. Both rolls came out great. Couldn't be happier with how easy it went. Since I'm rarely going to develop more than a few rolls at a time it seems like the perfect solution for me.

Like someone mentioned earlier the ability to purchase or have multiple reels would really improve things. I didn't do any 120 last night and I might have if I had a separate reel for it.

 

[Godfrey]

Update: developed two rolls of HP5+ with the lab-box and Cinestill Monobath. My first time developing so I followed the instructions pretty carefully and watched the videos several times. Both rolls came out great. Couldn't be happier with how easy it went. Since I'm rarely going to develop more than a few rolls at a time it seems like the perfect solution for me.

Like someone mentioned earlier the ability to purchase or have multiple reels would really improve things. I didn't do any 120 last night and I might have if I had a separate reel for it.

Great! I'm pretty sure that Ars Imago will make reels and such available independently, given that they're pushing hard to make this a "real" product and not just a one-off via Kickstarter. I'll certainly buy a second reel as soon as they're available myself ... it just makes sense. 🙂

I haven't processed any 35mm yet. I loaded up the M4-2 and my Berning Robot II to make some fresh film to process but have been concentrating on the second roll of 6x6 with the Perkeo II for a bit. (I'm not a fast shooter... five days and I still have four frames to go! LOL!)

From the first Perkeo roll ...
Riding and jogging: On Guadalupe River Trail passing under I-880 highway.

Voigtländer Perkeo II + Ilford XP2 Super
ISO 320 @ f/8 @ 1/50
Process: Lab-Box
HC-110 1:49, 10 min​

Enjoy! G