This and other LB videos gloss over the hassles relating to turn-around time and effort to process successive rolls of film. After processing a roll, all of the LB parts touching the film must be absolutely dry. So that is the film guide and the reel. The tank itself, film crank and lid, not so much. The film supply module, 35mm or 120, should never get wet under any circumstances. To speed up processing multiple rolls, consider buying an second reel to use while the first reel is drying. Not mentioned in the video is the absolute necessity of keeping the LB level and still while processing, particularly if using it filled rather than half empty. You never want to slop processing solution back into the film supply module. For the 35mm, it will rust the film cutting knife. (What were they thinking but not using a stainless steel cutting blade?) If this occurs with the 120 module, the solution will drain down into the film chamber, requiring the whole thing to be opened and cleaned. Never wash the film in the tank with the film supply module attached - same reasons. Arguably, never wash the film/reel in the LB at all. (ARS-Imago originally offered a simple, slickly designed film washing accessory as part of the Kickstarter kit, but they eliminated it in mid-development. They never said whether that was because it didn't work well, or that they were just being cheap, as they often were.)
Agree about the importance of keeping the film cutter knife dry, but there's a simple fix: I pop off the film supply module before I wash the film in the main body of the LB. Incidentally, if the blade does pick up some surface rust, it's fairly easy to dismantle the film supply module, take the blade out, clean it with steel wool, then put it back together after giving it a light oiling. I agree it would have been better to make the blade out of a rust-free material, but at least there's a workaround.
While washing the film on the LB reel in the tank is convenient, it remains unclear if that will adequately wash a film. Pouring running water into the top of the open tank may wash the tank, but little water will pass though the vertically installed reel. You can run a tube down into the tank at a corner (which is how the abandoned washing tube worked), but that does not get a flow of water running through the reel and over the film. IMO, washing in the LB tank would be limited to filling the tank, letting it soak for 5-15 minutes , spinning the reel every minute or two to agitate the film in the water. Then dump and exchange for fresh water. That is a very slow wash process - at least 3 or 4 exchanges, adding up to 30 - 45 minutes. If you use the LB much, a more effective process might be to pull the reel and film from the LB and wash both in a conventional tank while using another reel for the next film.
Hi, Most also say , this video make my day, sitting in THAILAND, and here is not like be in SWEDEN or USA there you can get your things easy, so this LAB PRO is a great invention, sad not many know this, is very helpful and here in TH if ask they have NO clue even if they work with photo in a Professional way, if say so, ::: THX a Lot /// McRoman ... SWEDEN & TH
I tried this hoping for the all in one solution to be great. But after using it it takes about the same amount of time as a changing bag and Paterson tank. I’ve also had some problems with developing consistency for some reason when the Paterson never does. Could always be me but for the price I’d go with tried and true Paterson/ Jobo. Or even a stainless steel tank if you like the reel style more. Those also let you do multiple rolls at once if your one to let rolls add up over time for development.
Super Great info ::: BUT maybe use this in the ending process ::: This 16 oz bottle of Kodak Photo-Flo 200 Solution is a wetting agent used to minimize water marks or streaks during film development. It is used after the final wash when processing films to decrease the water-surface tension and promote faster, more uniform drying.
From time to time devices appear that make our work in the laboratory easier. This is NOT one of those devices. This is yet another example of how to overcomplicate a simple process.
And This in the last rinse : Kodak Photo-Flo 200 Solution, ::: This 16 oz bottle of Kodak Photo-Flo 200 Solution is a wetting agent used to minimize water marks or streaks during film development. It is used after the final wash when processing films to decrease the water-surface tension and promote faster, more uniform drying.
Best of luck with this. But I'll stick to my bag and tank. This is too fiddly. BUT, I can see newbies using this..but it is more fiddly than a bag and tank solution. Best Regards / Best Wishes!
That doesn't seem to be necessary if you're using continuous agitation. When using this method, the tank is only about half-full of solution (it holds about 300ml) so each portion of the film is lifted out of the solution for half of each turn of the knob, giving bubbles a chance to dissipate. That's how I do it, and I don't see any problems with air bubbles or streaks (although I also pre-wet the film in plain water for 1 min. before I put in the developer, and I suspect that helps too.) I've never tried the alternative intermittent-agitation method so can't speak to that.
Air "bells", bubbles, form when using inversion agitation. In a L-B, you do not use any inversion agitation. You use a half tank chem load, in which case you have to continuously agitate, thus no air bubble sticking the film, or you use a full tank, where the film is always fully in the solution, no air bubbles.
Great invention, but, you should add a sheet film module to this, allowing 4x5 ,5x7& 8x10 film processing in the field, this would make the whole LF system more user-friendly.
I have tried to develop 3 rolls with Cinestill Monobath DF96 and Lab Box, and I have damaged all 3 rolls, I do everything according to the manual, and the videos I have seen on the internet, and the film is not revealed, the emulsion remains stuck to the film, the product is new, any suggestions? Thanks in advance😔
Loading in daylight is cool, not cool: is the quality, the fact that you did not include some rubber washers as spare parts, and the price, +270€ My super old one made in I dunno 60s 70s works perfect somehow even the plastic is nicer... I was into supporting "the trade" but I feel like I suport bad products
just pour the chemicals in and out as you would with other tanks. The reason he only used one chemical in the video is because the Monobath he used for BW film develops and fixes with the same chemicals.
Poor, overpriced attempt at reinventing the wheel. Stick with traditional dev tanks and pocket the extra money for more film. Plus, you'll save on all the headaches these things come with.
![How to Load Film Onto a Reel [For JOBO, Paterson, AP, and more]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MQKphVV4wuA/mqdefault.jpg)
You know this video actually makes it sound more complicated than the traditional way to develop film
This and other LB videos gloss over the hassles relating to turn-around time and effort to process successive rolls of film. After processing a roll, all of the LB parts touching the film must be absolutely dry. So that is the film guide and the reel. The tank itself, film crank and lid, not so much. The film supply module, 35mm or 120, should never get wet under any circumstances. To speed up processing multiple rolls, consider buying an second reel to use while the first reel is drying. Not mentioned in the video is the absolute necessity of keeping the LB level and still while processing, particularly if using it filled rather than half empty. You never want to slop processing solution back into the film supply module. For the 35mm, it will rust the film cutting knife. (What were they thinking but not using a stainless steel cutting blade?) If this occurs with the 120 module, the solution will drain down into the film chamber, requiring the whole thing to be opened and cleaned. Never wash the film in the tank with the film supply module attached - same reasons. Arguably, never wash the film/reel in the LB at all. (ARS-Imago originally offered a simple, slickly designed film washing accessory as part of the Kickstarter kit, but they eliminated it in mid-development. They never said whether that was because it didn't work well, or that they were just being cheap, as they often were.)
Agree about the importance of keeping the film cutter knife dry, but there's a simple fix: I pop off the film supply module before I wash the film in the main body of the LB.
Incidentally, if the blade does pick up some surface rust, it's fairly easy to dismantle the film supply module, take the blade out, clean it with steel wool, then put it back together after giving it a light oiling. I agree it would have been better to make the blade out of a rust-free material, but at least there's a workaround.
While washing the film on the LB reel in the tank is convenient, it remains unclear if that will adequately wash a film. Pouring running water into the top of the open tank may wash the tank, but little water will pass though the vertically installed reel. You can run a tube down into the tank at a corner (which is how the abandoned washing tube worked), but that does not get a flow of water running through the reel and over the film. IMO, washing in the LB tank would be limited to filling the tank, letting it soak for 5-15 minutes , spinning the reel every minute or two to agitate the film in the water. Then dump and exchange for fresh water. That is a very slow wash process - at least 3 or 4 exchanges, adding up to 30 - 45 minutes. If you use the LB much, a more effective process might be to pull the reel and film from the LB and wash both in a conventional tank while using another reel for the next film.
Hi, Most also say , this video make my day, sitting in THAILAND, and here is not like be in SWEDEN or USA there you can get your things easy, so this LAB PRO is a great invention, sad not many know this, is very helpful and here in TH if ask they have NO clue even if they work with photo in a Professional way, if say so, :::
THX a Lot /// McRoman ... SWEDEN & TH
I tried this hoping for the all in one solution to be great. But after using it it takes about the same amount of time as a changing bag and Paterson tank. I’ve also had some problems with developing consistency for some reason when the Paterson never does. Could always be me but for the price I’d go with tried and true Paterson/ Jobo. Or even a stainless steel tank if you like the reel style more. Those also let you do multiple rolls at once if your one to let rolls add up over time for development.
Super Great info ::: BUT maybe use this in the ending process ::: This 16 oz bottle of Kodak Photo-Flo 200 Solution is a wetting agent used to minimize water marks or streaks during film development. It is used after the final wash when processing films to decrease the water-surface tension and promote faster, more uniform drying.
Absolutely fantastic
From time to time devices appear that make our work in the laboratory easier. This is NOT one of those devices. This is yet another example of how to overcomplicate a simple process.
Spot on, we’ll stick to a simple tank.
And This in the last rinse : Kodak Photo-Flo 200 Solution, ::: This 16 oz bottle of Kodak Photo-Flo 200 Solution is a wetting agent used to minimize water marks or streaks during film development. It is used after the final wash when processing films to decrease the water-surface tension and promote faster, more uniform drying.
So does "recommend NOT processing" Fomapan 400 etc. mean DON'T do it? Or is it really just "don't recommend", a suggestion?
Great video. Can’t wait to try it. Keep up the amazing work you all do. Thanks you
Cool, but so much faff vs just using a classic tank and dark bag. Risks of screw up seem much higher, too.
Hello. Question: Is this process suitable for stand development? And if the answer is YES, then could you please explain how?
Best of luck with this. But I'll stick to my bag and tank. This is too fiddly. BUT, I can see newbies using this..but it is more fiddly than a bag and tank solution. Best Regards / Best Wishes!
Can't use polyester base films? So all Kodak films?
Only some are PET, but still, pretty ridiculous.
What happened to that other guy?
Did this series stop. Haven’t seen any updates since last year
One question? Do you have a kit that develops color negatives film 🎞️
How are you removing the air bubbles off the film stock?
That doesn't seem to be necessary if you're using continuous agitation. When using this method, the tank is only about half-full of solution (it holds about 300ml) so each portion of the film is lifted out of the solution for half of each turn of the knob, giving bubbles a chance to dissipate. That's how I do it, and I don't see any problems with air bubbles or streaks (although I also pre-wet the film in plain water for 1 min. before I put in the developer, and I suspect that helps too.) I've never tried the alternative intermittent-agitation method so can't speak to that.
Air "bells", bubbles, form when using inversion agitation. In a L-B, you do not use any inversion agitation. You use a half tank chem load, in which case you have to continuously agitate, thus no air bubble sticking the film, or you use a full tank, where the film is always fully in the solution, no air bubbles.
Great invention, but, you should add a sheet film module to this, allowing 4x5 ,5x7& 8x10 film processing in the field, this would make the whole LF system more user-friendly.
I have tried to develop 3 rolls with Cinestill Monobath DF96 and Lab Box, and I have damaged all 3 rolls, I do everything according to the manual, and the videos I have seen on the internet, and the film is not revealed, the emulsion remains stuck to the film, the product is new, any suggestions? Thanks in advance😔
Hi Harold, best thing to do is contact our support team and we can help troubleshoot the issue. Email us at support@cinestillfilm.com
Hi, the film stock list that don't work with it is nor working :(
check out the list at the bottom of this page: www.lab-box.it/f-a-q
I was aware of the reel thing and nonetheless I managed to screw up the thing. I’m officially the saddest person ever
Loading in daylight is cool, not cool: is the quality, the fact that you did not include some rubber washers as spare parts, and the price, +270€
My super old one made in I dunno 60s 70s works perfect somehow even the plastic is nicer...
I was into supporting "the trade" but I feel like I suport bad products
why is it so expensive, the costs of producing something like that are around $5
Does this also work with colour film or are extra steps required to develop those?
just pour the chemicals in and out as you would with other tanks. The reason he only used one chemical in the video is because the Monobath he used for BW film develops and fixes with the same chemicals.
The Lab-Box can process color films, but it requires color processing chemicals, not what he is using for B&W here.
If you're new to home development, using a patterson tank and reels is a lot simpler. (Use C-41 chemicals for color)
NO BROWN NOSING! ::: But I shared this on my FB Page ... /// IMcR ....
Poor, overpriced attempt at reinventing the wheel. Stick with traditional dev tanks and pocket the extra money for more film. Plus, you'll save on all the headaches these things come with.
Expensive, and extremely limited in terms of versatility. A Paterson or Jobo tank is a better choice.
NEVER! Never, buy this thing i can't count 120 rolls i destroyed using this .
Too much sugar for a dime. Geez!