A review of the LAB-BOX multiformat, daylight loading film developing tank. Seven things that I have learned using the LAB-BOX. Find out if it is right for you.
Good video. 1. Reels. The original Kickstarter plan was to provide two stand-alone reels, one for 35mm and the other for 120. As delivered, this was cheapened to two spiral sets and one common center core, thus requiring that the reel be disassembled each time you change film size. I concluded that this would loosen the tolerances of the parts over time, so I bought a second reel so neither reel needs to be disassembled. The final reel design was a last minute change before manufacture, apparently to remedy uneven development of 35mm film on the original design, This was a rush job, and it shows as he notes. 2. Poor knob. Agree with his comments re design. This was probably an Italian preference for style over function. The crank he notes is far more practical. It is an accessory which may be purchased from the distributor. In the US, that is Freestyle in LA. Choosing an all black unit is partly to blame for the hard to see alignment points on the knob. Try adding a dot of white model enamel on the two dots which must be aligned to lock in the knob or crank. 3. No PET film. Note he is using Fomapan film here. In 120, L-B will process any type of film, but in 35mm, the L-B cannot cut PET plastic film base from the spool to load, so those types of film, including Fomapan, cannot be processed in 35mm. See L-B website for list of such films. 4. You can process with either a half full tank, which requires continuous agitation (tiring), or you can use a full tank and normal, intermittent agitation. I prefer full tank, using a one shot developer. This is inexpensive and not tiring.. Although IRS-Imago received 6 times the funding sought to produce the L-B (that was a half million Euros extra), they ran out of funds before completing the project, which is why there exist some of the corner cutting cheapo bits noted. A high tech lid with programmable timer and digital thermometer was promised to Kickstater supporters, but in the end,they (and I) had to buy it separately.at additional cost. As of Jan 2022, you can still buy the available accessories from Freestyle, but high purchase price and limited market demand has them closing out the L-B, so if you plan on getting anything extra, get it quickly. IRS-Imago promised that a full supply of parts and accessories would be available, but that never happened. The Lab Box may be on its way to termination, in the US at least.
Update a year later: The accessories and additional parts you might want can still be acquired. The original US distributors, Freestyle in LA and B&H in NYC, seem to be minimally involved, but a number of other small companies seem to carry some of that inventory. To find everything you might want, you may have to check several vendors. I ended up buying a second 120 reel (so I never have to disassemble either 35 or 120 reels) and a second film loading guide (My original one is so tight that it is not practically adjustable between 35mm and 120 sizes).
